roodonfood

Sweet Beat: Devon Vanilla Cream Cookies Review (Product of Trinidad and Tobago)

Posted by roodonfood on April 17, 2013 in Brooklyn, New York City, Sweet Beat

Devon Vanilla Cream Biscuits

These Devon Vanilla Cream biscuits were purchased at OJ Fruits and Vegetables in Lefferts Garden, Brooklyn, an area with a substantial Carribean population. The packaging looked like an ice cream sandwich so I had to buy it. A product of Trinidad and Tobago, they come 12 to a pack.

History

They have the word “Bourbon” printed into the cookies. Bourbon cookies actually originated in England. The name has nothing to do with bourbon whiskey but rather a tribute to one of the royal families of Europe. The name has also come to mean these rectangular chocolate biscuits with cream filling inside.

Flavor

The taste is actually really crunchy and the sugar crystals on top are a nice touch. The vanilla cream inside is minimal but enough to be pleasant. I appreciate that the cream isn’t perfectly inside the biscuits but rather spilling out a bit. They taste like a less creamy ice cream sandwich and have a great vanilla-y aroma. They worked great alongside yerba mate tea oddly enough. These are tasty but because they have some artificial flavors I’m in no rush to get them again.

Devon Vanilla Cream Biscuits

Tags: bourbon cookies, devon vanilla cream cookies, sweet beat, trinidad and tobago Permalink

1 Comment

Eat Well Enjoy Life White Bean Hummus Review (Gluten Free, Vegan)

Posted by roodonfood on April 15, 2013 in gluten free, vegan

Eat Well Enjoy Life White Bean Hummus

This “Tuscan” hummus from Eat Well Enjoy Life tastes very pure and not surprisingly is lighter in color than straight up hummus. All of the ingredients are recognizable and the white beans are non-gmo. The garlic, lemon and olive oil are most apparent and pair well with tortilla chips. It tastes creamier than standard hummus. Without knowing it’s white bean based I don’t know that I would’ve guessed it.

Eat Well Enjoy Life was new to the local grocery store. The normal price is $3.99 (the going rate for hummus brands like Sabra) but I caught this on sale for $2.99. It’s explicitly labeled gluten free and cholesterol free on the lid. EWEL also makes some wacky sounding flavors such as spicy black bean with corn and pineapple and spicy lentil hummus with apricots. It’s a welcome change from old favorites from Sabra.

Store Locator

Tags: eat well enjoy life, sabra, white bean hummus Permalink

1 Comment

Book Review: Relish by Lucy Knisley

Posted by roodonfood on April 14, 2013 in Books

Source: Indiebound

Relish is illustrator Lucy Knisley’s tribute to her love of food. Her food stories are told comic book style through lively, fun panels. Daughter of a food critic and a gourmet chef, she recounts a childhood in the kitchen, and family trips abroad including Mexico and Japan. It’s clear she grew up with the privilege to eat the finer things but she describes it in a likable way. And her youthful rebellion was endearing. If your parents feed you foie gras and other fancy foods, how do you rebel? You of course embrace McDonald’s, sugary cereals and other junk food. It was only a phase.

Two stories in particular were appealing. On a trip to Mexico her and a friend named Drew wandered about small town call San Miguel de Allende while their mothers were sick in the hotel. There she and Drew sampled the best tamales ever,“we ate them while sitting on the dusty curb, with cold grapefruit soda, making a mess of our clothes and our faces.” In the outdoor market place they sampled all kinds of wacky Mexican candy. Without giving away too much, both her and Drew go through funny adolescent changes during this trip. The chapter provides a recipe (P. 75)for huevos rancheros that looks fantastic (never tried it with black beans before).

My second favorite story was a visit to Venice. Italy isn’t high at the top of my list of places to visit but it may just be now. After buying fresh made croissants she sat along the river banks to watch gondolas. “The croissant exploded with warm, gooey apricot jam, which seeped from the inside of the moist freshly baked pastry.” Each chapter begins with a story and ends with a recipe. I appreciate that she admitted to not knowing how exactly to make a croissant, so she instead shares a sangria recipe.

Overall, this was a fun book with sweet illustrations. Relish at times feels a little cutesy but a middle aged man probably isn’t the intended audience. This book would to most people but particularly 20-something foodies. The book deserves points for originality. Graphic novel/cook books should be their own subcategory.

Notable Recipes: Huevos Rancheroes, Chai Tea, Pasta Carbonara, Sushi

Here are a couple of reviews of the book I appreciated:

Jenny’s Books
Nisaba Be Praised

Tags: book reviews, cookbook, lucy knisley, relish lucy knisley Permalink

Clearing out the Pantry

Posted by roodonfood on April 13, 2013 in Recipes

Lotus Root and Horse Gram

Everyone has a couple of random products in the pantry. Some are there because you were inspired and wanted to replicate a restaurant dish but didn’t know how to make it. Other products just sound healthy. Still others are just curiosities. NPR has a fun tumblr site called the cupboard. People can take pictures food they don’t know how to cook and ask for suggestions. It unexpectedly provides insight into your own food knowledge or lack thereof.

In the RoodonFood cabinet there are two items I’m a little of scared to try:

Horse Gram. It’s a type of legume/lentil. They looked interesting but I’ve never tried them.
A Can of Lotus Root: Never tasted these either.

I plan to use both items in the next 2 weeks by either improvising or checking out recipes online. Any suggestions for me? I’ll post how everything turns out.

What’s in your pantry collecting dust?

Tags: horse gram, lotus root, npr the salt, pantry Permalink

4 Comments

Poha: Indian Snack (Gluten free, Vegan)

Posted by roodonfood on April 11, 2013 in gluten free, indian, Recipes, Snacks, vegan

Poha

Poha is the name of a tasty Indian and Bangladeshi snack made with flattened rice. The grains when bought are thin, dry flakes. The beauty of poha is that it rehydrates in minutes depending on the thickness (it’s often available in thick, medium and thin) . It can be found at most any Indian/Pakistani/Bangladeshi store. The version below is fairly traditional. The recipe is gluten free and vegan.

Ingredients
2 cups dried poha
½ onion chopped
4-5 small potatoes, chopped small
13-15 peanuts (whole or crushed depending on your preference)
curry leaves (5-7 depending on size)
1 t turmeric
1 t mustard seeds
1 t cumin seeds
1 T ginger
salt to taste
lemon juice or lime juice to taste
chili powder to taste
chillies to taste
cilantro (optional)

Method:
With a little oil in a pan, set temperature to medium-low. Next add potatoes, peanuts, onions, curry leaves, chilies (if desired) and cook for around 8 minutes until potatoes begin to brown slightly.

In a bowl, pour the poha. Add enough water to cover. Soak this way for 2-3 minutes if very thin, 4-5 minutes for medium, or 7-9 minutes for thick. Drain water. Texture should be soft but not mushy. It’s good to check it a few times while rehydrating.

In the pan, add in ginger, mustard seeds, cumin seeds, turmeric, lemon juice, salt and cook for another few minutes. If necessary, add a touch of water to cook potatoes all the way. Finally mix in poha well. Check seasoning and adjust. Serve hot, garnished with lemon or lime and cilantro.

Tags: gluten free indian snacks, indian food, indian snacks, poha, vegan indian snacks Permalink

2 Comments

Peanut Butter Honey Tortillas at the International Space Station

Posted by roodonfood on April 10, 2013 in Pop Culture

So you’re in space but want a sandwich? It can be done but it requires some modifications. Chris Hadfield is the the current head of the International Space Station. A likable Canadian, his organization, the Canadian Space Agency posts some very fun videos on life in space including how to brush your teeth, how astronauts shave and tears in space.

Here are two food related videos:
In this video he eats a heat treated tortilla (lasts 18 months) with peanut butter and honey. Why not bread? Bread is much more perishable and would you want to clean all those floating crumbs?

Space Spinach anyone?

I tried a peanut butter honey tortilla here on boring old Earth. Not a fan. Maybe astronauts are simply less picky.

Tags: astronaut diet, canadian space agency, chris hadfield, space food Permalink

2 Comments

Leske’s Bakery in Park Slope: Cinnamon Raisin Bread

Posted by roodonfood on April 8, 2013 in Brooklyn

Cinnamon Raisin Bread

The other day I posted about the disappointing hot cross bun from Leske’s bakery in Park Slope. As promised I wanted to check out other items to give a more fair assessment on this new to the nabe business.

Open since 1961 in Bay Ridge, they specialize in Scandanavian sweets along with fresh breads, and Italian goods. The new Park Slope store is located at 588 5th Avenue (Between 16th and Prospect) formerly occupied by Sweet Treasures.

Pictured is a loaf of fresh cinnamon raisin bread ($2.95). They’ll slice it for you which is always fun to see. It lasted the full week and retained a fresh flavor. Unlike other places, they’re not stingy with the raisins. I tried it in a few ways, including with butter, bacon and tomato, jam. My favorite combo turned out to be grilled cheese eaten with my homemade split pea soup.

At $2.95, the price makes it cheaper than many of the out of state brands available at the grocery store.

Fresh breads are available daily. They’re also 5am to 8pm every day – earlier than all the other area bakeries. The next time I get a sweet tooth I’ll be trying their famous Scandanavian speciality, the Kringler. Leske’s, you have a new fan.

Leske’s Bakery
588 5th Avenue (Between 16th and Prospect Avenue), Brooklyn
R to Prospect Avenue

Grilled Cheese

Tags: leske's bakery, leske's park slope Permalink

2 Comments

Smelly Hippies Make Good Wine: Pepperwood Grove Pinot Noir (Chile, $6.99)

Posted by roodonfood on April 7, 2013 in Beer and Wine Reviews

Image Source: Cheap Wine Ratings

Pepperwood Grove is new to my local wine shop or perhaps unnoticed before because I didn’t crane my neck high enough. A wine from Chile, the brand prides itself on it’s many accolades which includes 17 Wine Enthusiast Best Buys and 21 Wine Spectator Best Values. This pinot noir was thinner tasting than expected but had a unique, almost smoky taste. The flavor was a little tart but very, very drinkable. This is definitely in the running for new favorite wine.

I managed to lose my last wine stopper so bonus points to Pepperwood for providing a reusable, recyclable cork they refer to as a zork. The labels are sourced sustainable forests. The brand’s color motif is also green and white. Get it? The only annoying aspect is that they call it the “groovy green bottle.” The wine is great but I will never use the word “groovy” you smelly hippies!

Here are 2 other pro-Pepperwood Review:

Cheap Wine Ratings.com

Homemade Delish

Tags: budget wine, pepperwood grove, pepperwood grove pinor noir, wine, zork Permalink

4 Comments

Fruity Pebbles: It’s What’s For Dinner

Posted by roodonfood on April 6, 2013 in gluten free, Pop Culture

Source: Bargain Blessings

Sometimes being an adult is a double-edged sword. On the positive side you’re free to do what you want. On the negative side no one tells you not to buy fruity pebbles.

But what adult doesn’t enjoy an occasional kids cereal like this or Captain Crunch? No one I’ll be doing business with. Fruity Pebbles is gluten free by the way.

What are you favorite kids cereals? On my short list I’d also include Froot Loops.

Tags: captain crunch, froot loops, fruity pebbles, Gluten Free, kids cereals Permalink

2 Comments

Non-Traditional Upma (Gluten Free) – An Indian Breakfast With Attieke Cassava Couscous

Posted by roodonfood on April 5, 2013 in gluten free, Hybrid Foods, indian, Recipes, Snacks, vegan

Gluten Free Upma Using Attieke Couscous

Upma is a delicious breakfast item in South India made with semolina/cream of wheat. Ingredients consist most commonly of curry leaves, lemon juice, mustard seeds, ginger and a few other spices. The veggies vary depending on what you have on hand.

To create the gluten free (and vegan) version, I used leftover attieke, the fermented cassava couscous. I previously posted about attieke as couscous here and accompanying stew here.

Aside from the grain change, I skipped lemon juice since the fermented cassava already has just the right amount of natural tang. I might just enjoy this more than regular upma.

Ingredients
5 oz Attieke Couscous ~ 150 grams (Roughly half the box)
1 or 2 small potatoes, chopped very small
1 carrot grated
4 or 5 small curry leaves
½ onion, chopped
1 t mustard seeds
1 t cumin seeds
1 t ginger paste
salt to taste
chilies / chili powder to taste
cilantro for garnish

Method:

Bring ~10 oz of water to a boil. Once boiling, turn it off, add attieke, then put on lid. In the meantime, in a pan add oil, onion, potato and curry leaves. Cook for 5-7 minutes on medium until onions begin to turn a touch translucent and potatoes soften. Now add ginger and mix in. Cook another minute. Be sure to stir on occasion. Next add in mustard and cumin seeds and cook around 2 minutes. If necessary to cook potatoes fully add a touch of water. Next, add in your attieke. Mix well and cook together for 1 minute. There should be no excess liquid. Texture of grain should be fluffy. Garnish with cilantro and a lemon slice. Serve hot.