{Our Favorite Things} Whisky Stones

Everyone has their personal preference for drinking whisky -- neat, on the rocks, splash of water, in a cocktail, etc. -- but no one likes their drink 'watered down'.  So when my wife bought me this neat gift from Annie's Blue Ribbon General Store pop-up store on the UWS, I was excited to give these Whisky Stones ($20/set of 9 stones) a try.  I do not like to add water or ice to my drink, as I would rather taste a good Scotch or Irish Whiskey cool and then let it open up as it warms.  The Whisky Stones are supposed to keep your drink cool without diluting it like melting ice would.  The stones are made from soapstone milled in Vermont (apparently the oldest soapstone workshop in the U.S.) and were based on an idea in Scandinavia where whisky was kept cool with granite.  Andrew Hellman, the Whisky Stones creator, decided to use soapstone because it is softer and won't scratch your glass.  

Before using the stones, I thoroughly rinsed them, patted them dry, and then put them in the freezer for a few hours.  I started out using three stones in a small glass for tasting Johnnie Walker Blue Label and then I poured a snifter with one stone for Macallan 18 year old (leaving the stones in the drink for about 5 minutes).  Both ways seemed to keep the Scotch cool for an extended amount of time.  They also didn't seem to alter the taste of the Scotch.  If you're only drinking a small amount, only one or two are really needed.  

Each package comes with nine stones, so these would work when having friends over (I now keep the stones in the freezer at all times, right next to my Ravi instant wine chiller and chilled beer glasses).  The stones are heavy enough to remain at the bottom of the glass, and their corners are rounded so they didn't scratch our glasses.  (Note: I used inexpensive glasses for testing as my wife was a little hesitant in using nicer crystal. I have read that others were more adventurous in using their fine glasses with the Whisky Stones and they didn't scratch those glasses.  I personally wouldn't take the risk of damaging nice glasses)

For other gift ideas, check out our handy gift guide

{Giveaway} Dolce Gusto Piccolo coffee machine

Dolce Gusto Piccolo coffee machine. Photo courtesy of Nescafe Dolce Gusto

 Having a tiny kitchen means that we have very limited counter space. So any kitchen gadget that we opt to have around has to be compact, useful on a daily basis, and have multiple uses.  That's why we're fans of the Dolce Gusto Piccolo coffee machine.


This cute little guy doesn't take up a lot of space and is great for a dinner party because you can serve a variety of different drinks (hot and cold coffees and cappuccinos). And the multiple uses? Well, I like using it for hot water - perfect for teas! You do have to watch the pour (it doesn't automatically stop), but that helps you adjust how strong you want your coffee.



Dolce Gusto has kindly offered us the chance to give a Dolce Gusto Piccolo coffee machine to one lucky HLFD reader. To enter the giveaway, simply:

Leave a comment telling us your favorite holiday gift that you've either given or received.

This contest is open to residents who live in the continental US. and the winner will be chosen via Random.org.  The contest will end on 12/19/2011 at 11:59 pm EST and the winner will be announced the next day (12/20/2011). 

FTC Disclosure: Prize provided and fulfilled by Dolce Gusto. I did not receive any compensation for this post though I did attend a Dolce Gusto event, enjoyed a complimentary meal and received my own machine. All opinions expressed are my own.

{Our Favorite Things} HLFD Holiday Gift Guide

With everyone getting ready for the holidays, a few of our readers have asked us for gifting suggestions.  So we decided to put together our first Holiday Gift Guide.  Most of the products in the gift guide are items we used and loved, with a couple of gifts on my own wish list sprinkled in.  Just click on the guide above, flip through the pages, and press esc when you are done to return back to our website.  (We've also included a list of links below for your convenience).  Enjoy!

List of Gifts with Links:

Foodie Gifts 

Gourmet Oils

Stainless Steel Measuring Cups

Food Scale

Hand Blender

Silpat Mat

Adopt an Olive Tree

Gifts for Gals

Marc Jacobs Laptop Sleeve

Macarons - in store at La Maison du Chocolat

Cupcake Courier

Frosted Cupcake Apron

Priti Nail Polish

Rope Necklace

Gifts for Guys

Beer Chocolates

Wine Chiller

Beer Brewing Kit

Sweet and Salty Food Package

Cooking and Wine Pairing Classes

Yankees, Red Sox, or Cubs Baseball - in store at Restoration Hardware

Mets Baseball

Hostess Gifts

Pretty Chocolate Disks

Buddha Plates

 Blue Chocolate Apron

Wine Bags

Stainless Steel Drinking Straws

Rubber Vase

Day 2 Speakers: Cowgirl Creamery Tasting with Sue Conley

It's no secret that I love cheese so getting to meet and listen to Sue Conley, Cowgirl Creamery's co-founder, at the 1st annual Foodbuzz Festival was an exciting opportunity.  Plus she brought along 4 different cheese for us to sample, including a new cheese that has yet to be released to the public.

Cowgirl Creamery is one of my favorite stores in the Ferry Building. Their artisan organic cheeses are wonderfully varied and all taste fresh and delicious.

Sue mentioned that the store was only one of three pioneering vendors (the others were Acme Bread Company and McEvoy Ranch) that set up shop in the Ferry Building after every one else pulled out after the financial collapse in 2001 (9/11 and the Tech bubble burst).   

 

Cowgirl Creamery was named after she and co-founder Peggy Smith told their friend, Ellen Straus of Straus Family Creamery,  about their desire to make cheese, she told them, “It’s the Wild West out there, ladies.”  So they knew that they had to become "cowgirls" to succeed.

We started the tasting with the very first cheese produced by Cowgirl Creamery:  Fromage Blanc

The Fromage Blanc was soft, creamy, and slightly sour.

 

In addition to the milk, culture, rennet, and salt, they also used creme fraiche to make the cheese so silky.

Our second cheese taste was for Inverness:  So soft and creamy, the rind was surprisingly not bitter.  This cow's milk cheese is made in the style of the French chaource and was very, very easy to eat!

The third cheese was is my favorite type, Mt Tam.

 

Mt Tam is 70% buttermilk and is incredibly rich, buttery, and similar to brie; however, it's not runny because it used a gouda recipe.  The funny anecdote that Sue told us was that this cheese resulted because their cheese producer intern at the time could only make gouda cheeses - and the end result was a success! 

 

Named after Mt. Tamalpais, the mountain just north of San Fran, this cheese has a nice soft, earthy flavor.

And our final cheese was Wagon Wheel, the new cheese that will be released in time for the holiday season.  Sue briefly lifted this 25 lbs cheese wheel to demonstrate its weight - and though there was a collective sigh when we all realized we missed a great photo op, no one wanted to ask her to do it again after it collapsed back onto the table with a loud thud!

After trying this harder, "everyday" cheese (perfect for grilled cheese!), I know that this'll be another popular Cowgirl Creamery cheese!

Cowgirl Creamery has over 500 restaurant accounts in the Bay area and just set up a new store in D.C. Though there's no store yet in NYC, their cheeses are distributed nationwide through Whole Foods.

Thanks to Mardi (who had to give up her seat in order to prep for her fantastic Bertolli presentation - photos to come in future posts), Lindsay, Meghan, and I got to check out this great cheese lecture.  So much fun and many more SF posts to come!

{Our Favourite Things} DIY Food Packages

 

We're currently in San Francisco to attend the 2nd annual Foodbuzz Festival, a gathering of fellow food bloggers (in other words, another great excuse to eat, drink, and mingle all weekend long!).  One of the fun events planned is a food swap where each attendee brings something food-related that represents either his/her blog or geographical region.  With the holidays approaching, gift ideas are always needed so we wanted to share what we brought to represent us.   

Sweet Treats bag:  Instead of wrapping with paper, I put all of the goodies into a reusable tote bag (that can be folded smaller into a stuffed orange; these were the same bags I gave away during the recent baby shower I hosted).  I bought Fat Witch Brownie mix from Fat Witch Bakery in Chelsea Market, Chocolate bar from Jacques Torres (various locations including Chelsea Market), and NYC taxi cab cookies from Chelsea Market Baskets in Chelsea Market).

What would I have also brought if it didn't have to spend 6 hours on a plane? Definitely some sort of homemade goodies like my cookie bouquet, easy candied apples, or attempting my first cake pop via bakerella.com.

Husband Treats Bag:  Beer and Pretzel caramels made by Liddabit Sweets (found at Lucy's Whey in Chelsea Market, New Amsterdam Market and Northern Spy Food Co), Bacon and Chocolate bar from Vosges Chocolates, Coffee Chocolate bar from Jacques Torres (various locations including Chelsea Market), and NYC taxi cab cookies from Chelsea Market Baskets in Chelsea Market).

What would we have added if our airline didn't charge us $30 to check a bag? Liquid products like Mamoun's hot sauce, NYC's Brooklyn Brewery beers (like Black Chocolate Stout), or even my husband's own brew creation made with this kit.

What food-related gifts will you be giving out this year?

La Boutique de la Truffe

To celebrate special occasions, we've been fortunate to dine at restaurants like Per Se and The French Laundry and hope to one day be able to save enough in order to check out Alinea, Daniel, Le Bernardin, and Masa.

So when we received a package from the woman who ships truffles (the mushroom-type, not the chocolate) to all of these restaurants, we were ecstatic!  Since 2003, Manhattan-based Celine Labaune has been importing truffles for chefs like Thomas Keller.  She has now launched La Boutique de la Truffe which features products that easily enabled us to make a 5 star dinner at home.

 

We received the Truffle Honey ($19) - once we opened it, we were hit with a rich, truffle fragrance.  We decided to pair it with a salty meat and earthy cheese.  We sliced a baguette, grilled it with olive oil, and topped it with blue brie cheese, a thin slice of speck (prosciutto), and drizzled the Truffle Honey on top.  

 

We only needed a little bit of the honey as it was full of flavor.  The truffle adds a nice dimension and complexity to the honey.  Since we have so much left over, we will likely use the La Boutique de la Truffe Truffle Honey to baste pork or chicken or to drizzle it over ice cream or fruit.

We also received a jar of La Tartufata ($27) or White Truffle Cream.  We decided to mix it with some pasta water, oil, and cream to make a rich pasta sauce.  This went well with the fresh egg pasta we bought at Raffetto's in the West Village.

 

Lighted a candle, poured ourselves a glass of wine, and enjoyed an almost-instant haute cuisine dinner chez us.

La Boutique de la Truffe products are available online as well as at the following local gourmet stores:
Grace's Marketplace
Raffetto's
Get Fresh Table and Market
Marlow and Daughters

{Giveaway} QR Code Skanz Bracelets

When you meet someone new, how long does it take you to get that person's phone number, email address, Twitter handle, and more? For us, we love meeting people - both personally and professionally - at events, conferences, parties, etc. Usually we exchange business cards - and end up with a whole pile we need to sort through and enter into our phones.

So when I learned about Skanz bracelets, I knew I wanted to try them out. What are they? They're QR codes (those funky barcode squares I've seen popping up everywhere). When you scan the QR code with a QR code reader on your phone (I use the Skanz QR code reader on my Droid phone), up pops a screen with all of your contact information. Your new friend/contact can download a CSV file with all of your information or simply press the buttons that link to all of your social media and traditional contact information.

After I bought one and wore it to various events, so many bloggers were intrigued and wanted one too. I reached out to Skanz (which also happened to be a new local small business) for a special discount code to offer to my readers.  Enter highlowfooddrink to get 20% off your purchase at Skanz.com. (expires 10/15/2011)

As an added bonus, I have one Skanz bracelet (retail $9.99) to give away to one lucky HLFD reader! All you have to do to enter is:

Share this post via Twitter (cc: @highlowfooddnk) or Facebook (link to our Facebook page) and leave a comment below saying you've done so.

The contest will run until 10/15/2011 at 11:59 pm EST (which is also when the 20% off promo code "highlowfooddrink" expires).  The winner will be chosen via Random.org.  Since I am mailing the prize out, I'm opening it up to anyone anywhere!  Good luck!  

FTC note: I bought my initial Skanz bracelet and sticker. Skanz.com provided us with additional Skanz bracelets and stickers.  We did not receive compensation and all opinions expressed are entirely our own. 

{Product Review} Happy Pho Vietnamese Brown Rice Noodle Soup

 I've been feeling under the weather, so when a package of Happy Pho Shiitake Mushroom arrived at my doorstep, I was grateful for the means to a quick, nourishing dinner.  The noodles were sent to me from Thao and Karen - the 2 woman team behind Star Anise Foods.  Thao was inspired by her grandparents' 80 year-old recipe developed in their small kitchen near Hanoi.  And lucky for me, there's nothing like a grandmother's touch to help me feel better!

What I liked about the product was the list of simple, natural ingredients.  The spice packet contained organic star anise, organic Saigon cinnamon, Shiitake mushrooms, spring onions, black cardamom, and ginger.  The brown rice noodles, which are also gluten free, was made out of 100% brown rice flour, water, organic green tea, and salt.

The package only contains gluten-free pho noodles and the spice packet.  The spice packet was derived from Thao's grandparents' pho broth.  And the box itself (100% recycled paperboard, soy-based ink) reflects the duo's commitment to the environment. 

And they also encourage you to cook, as opposed to just heating up these noodles.  So I followed the recipe on the box and boiled 4 cups of Organic Vegetable broth, and later adding cubed firm organic tofu.

I added the noodles to the broth and tofu, along with sliced Shiitake Mushrooms, sliced Oyster Mushrooms, Cilantro, Spring Onion, Spinach, and ground Black Pepper.

Overall, my husband and I both enjoyed the fragrant broth (the cinnamon is noticeable, but we like that spice) as well as the soft noodles.  The Happy Pho Shiitake Mushroom is a good base for an easy weekday dinner.  The other flavors Star Anise Foods makes are Garlic Goodness and Zesty Ginger.  They also sell just the brown noodles.

Orin Swift Cellars

One of our favorite California producers is Orin Swift Cellars. You've probably seen this distinctive label, at left, on a bottle of The Prisoner, their flagship wine.

Though we are not usually big fans of very ripe and wines, The Prisoner is a lush style that actually works. The Prisoner is all about big fruit, alcohol and with enough freshness to keep it from getting boring. The wine is a blend of Zinfandel with Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, Petite Sirah, Charbono and Grenache. We fortunately have a few of the 2005 vintage left (it's been sold out for a long time) and have recently been drinking the 2007 (about $34). We've had this wine with steak, roasts, or by itself.

When we visited their tasting room in St. Helena, CA in the Napa Valley, we tasted the inaugural 2007 Saldo before it was available. Saldo is a juicy Zinfandel-based blend that's balanced - you will not be disappointed. Like the Prisoner, it's meant for enjoyment as it's made in a 'ready to drink' style.

The 2007 Veladora (left photo) is a crisp white with fruit from the Tofanelli Vineyard. The Veladora is predominantly Sauvignon Blanc with a touch of Semillon. This clean, fresh, crisp white is a great aperitif and food pairing. Pure fruit, green apple and peach as it warms with nice acidity to balance the fruit. If you tire of oak bombs, this is a great choice. Plus, profits go to support Puertas Abiertas, a charity that provides services to those in need without concern for immigration status.

We also have the rare 2005 Mercury Head and the 2005 Papillon as well to enjoy down the road.

Orin Swift Cellars is located at 1352 Main Street in St. Helena, CA. Tastings by appointments only. Ask for EJ, you will really enjoy getting to know the unique wines.

Red, red wine...

It's no secret we love red wine.  My husband's got it stored everywhere - our wine fridge, every closet in our apartment, at his parents' place, in my parents' house (in Canada!), his sister's ex-boyfriend's basement...well, you get the picture! So whenever we have friends or family stop by, we always have red wine on hand.  

With the weather so hot here in NYC, our red wines (that aren't stored in our wine fridge) have been a little too warm to serve.  I read about the Ravi Instant Wine Chiller in his Wine Spectator magazine and thought it would be the perfect gadget for my wine guy who has everything.

My husband's played around with the wine chiller a few times and loves it so much that he now shows it off to friends.  Basically, the main component is kept in the freezer so when company comes over, we can immediately chill our red wine. 

Before we had the wine chiller, we would put the red wine in the fridge - but when we have friends and family unexpectedly stop by, it would take too long to cool down.  With the Ravi instant wine chiller, we don't have to wait to drink our red wine (which is always a plus!)

Readers have asked us about the countdown clock that was on our site.  We have partnered with OpenSky to open an online store that offer products, like the Ravi instant wine chiller, that we enjoy.  Why? Well, readers have emailed us asking about the tools we've used in certain recipes or products we've tried during our travels so we thought this shop would be helpful.  We'll only offer products that we have tried and liked (hence why there's only one product in our shop right now!)

To celebrate the launch of our new store, we're offering 25% off on the Ravi instant wine chiller.  Just enter coupon code EXCITE25 with your order (expires 08/16).  This means  the Ravi instant wine chiller is only $30 before taxes and shipping!

Founders Brewing

We are big fans of the Founders Brewing Breakfast Stout which, like all the Founders beers, is very hard to find, especially in the NY area. So we were really excited when a friend of ours recently found a couple of the Founders specialty beers (the Backwoods Bastard and the Imperial Stout) in New Jersey.

First up, the Backwoods Bastard (10.2% ABV) is a beer that any big beer or even wine drinker would like. It's big, bold, with some barrel aging (in bourbon barrels). This mahogany coloured scotch ale has light carbonation, big vanilla and toasty oak, caramel, roasted and sweet malts with lingering sweet vanilla and a bit of alcohol on the finish. An exceptional beer meant to savour. The Backwoods is a rare treat on tap, too if you can find it.

Next up is the Imperial Stout at 10.5% ABV. This is another big Imperial-style stout (brewed with ten varieties of malted barley) that pours thick and dark with a quickly dissipating head out of the bottle. The nose starts off with sweet malt, coffee and chocolate and ends with a long (very long) dry and bitter finish.

The bitter hop and espresso-like finish is amazingly long in a really pleasant way (the equivalent of having a big and round tannic wine that starts off with sweet fruit and ends dry and firm). We would definitely like to try this on cask if it were ever available.

These are not session beers by any means. But they are what you would expect from the exceptional brewers at Founders. Now if they were only available more often. Most of the retailers we have found carrying Founders sell out the same day.

Founders Brewing is located in Grand Rapids, MI. Someday we hope to stop by the tap room for specials like the Canadian Breakfast Stout. Cheers!

Wine Wipes - Keeping your Smile Picture Perfect

We've all been there before. Trying to enjoy a nice glass of red wine while worrying that your teeth are turning blue while your lips are turning purple.

Whether you're on a date, at your wedding, or meeting people at a networking function, there's now a discreet way to wipe that wine off your pearly whites. The solution? Wine Wipes.

The wipes come packaged in a plastic, compact container with a mirror. They can also be purchased in individually wrapped wipes. Each wipe is moist with a citrusy juice that will remove the stains on your lips and teeth without affecting your palette.

A 12-pack of individually wrapped Wine Wipes ($12.95 CAD = approx $11.25 USD) are available online at http://www.winewipes.ca/.

The compacts are available in 3-pack form ($18 USD) on the Borracha site.

We have one compact to give away. Leave a non-anonymous comment. The winner will be randomly selected and notified by July 10th. Contest is limited to residents of Canada and the U.S.

Buitoni Riserva Pasta & Salad Pairing Dinner

With summer finally here, we love getting together with friends and family to enjoy the fresh produce of the season.  So we were very excited to be chosen to host a Buitoni Riserva Pasta & Salad Pairing Dinner.  With farmer market finds, summer produce, and fresh ingredients from our moms' gardens, we made four light and easy salads to pair with each of the Buitoni Riserva Pasta.

My amazing hubby scoured NYC (including Brooklyn) for all four varieties (and got them!).  Recently, I've been traveling a lot and did not have much time to prepare for this dinner.  Thankfully these fresh pastas were really quick and easy to prepare.  All we had to do was get them from the refrigerated section of the grocery store, bring them home, and drop them into a pot of boiling water for a few minutes. 

Pairing #1:  Quattro Fromaggio Agnolotti and Watermelon Salad 
We wanted to start off with a nice, light dish.  I love watermelon salads and have made them with different cheeses, which is how I came up with our first pairing.  First I mixed some extra-virgin olive oil with a quarter of a red onion (diced), and then I added chunks of watermelon and sprigs of fresh mint.  Since the pasta is filled with creamy ricotta, Parmesan, fontina, and Italian Grana Padano, I didn't need to add cheese to the salad.

For the agnolotti, we boiled it then quickly cooled the pasta by running it under cold water and lightly drizzled some olive oil on top.  This dish tasted great when we first ate the agnolotti, and then followed it with a fresh, summery bite of watermelon salad.  Even my husband, who is not a fan of watermelon, liked the salad (because of the fresh mint and sharp bite of red onion).

Pairing #2:  Chicken and Four Cheese Ravioli and Avocado Salad

This dish was a real crowd-pleaser!  I know ravioli is Italian, but I was thinking about Mexican flavors when I thought about this pairing (chances are I was eating a chicken and cheese burrito at the time!).  So we made an avocado salad (basically a chunky guacamole) with avocado, cherry tomatoes (halved), red onions, lime juice, cilantro, and hot peppers (from Bklyn Larder).

To make the baked ravioli, my hubby boiled the pasta (al dente), cooled it under cold water, coated the pasta with panko, and then baked them in the oven at about 350F until they crisped.  He made them ahead of time, so before serving, we popped them back in the oven for a few minutes to brown them.  The ravioli was so tasty, crunchy, and went well with the spicy avocado salad.

Pairing #3:  Spicy Beef & Sausage Ravioli and Corn Salad
 We were thinking of summer BBQs with sausages and corn when we came up with this dish.  I mixed corn, cherry tomatoes, and diced red onions together with extra virgin olive oil.  This warm ravioli was not that spicy (we should have made a sauce for it) and overall we all preferred the other 3 dishes.

 Pairing #4:  Wild Mushroom Agnolotti and Mom's Garden Salad 
Because Buitoni's Wild Mushroom Agnolotti is so earthy, rich, and subtly sweet, we wanted to pair this pasta with a simple, but fresh salad.  What better than going out into mom's garden and picking anything that caught our eye?

 Sorel, strawberries, basil, lettuce, and mint (not pictured) were all in abundance, so we picked, cleaned, and mixed them all together with extra virgin olive oil, salt, pepper, and white vinegar for a side salad.

This mushroom agnolotti was everyone's favorite stand-alone pasta.  My hubby made a tomato, onion, and mushroom sauce for the pasta and we enjoyed it with salad on the side.

It was a fun dinner with good food and even better company.  (And of course, a bottle or two of red wine made the evening that much more fun!)

FTC disclosure:  As part of the Foodbuzz Tastemaker Program, we received coupons for complimentary Buitoni Riserva Pasta; however, all opinions are our own.