Salt cellars are back in style. Check out this cute oyster shell cellar (at left) from Provisions in Roanoke. Photo by Lindsey Nair l The Roanoke Times.

We love our mothers, but sometimes it’s devilishly difficult to buy them the perfect gift.

“I don’t need anything,” she might say, or “Just buy me a card.”

But if a card doesn’t seem like enough and your favorite mother figure loves to cook, today’s column might help.

I’ve scouted four local kitchen shops, asking owners and employees to suggest hot new products and must-have gadgets for the chef/mom.

If your mom doesn’t like to cook, don’t worry. Some of these gifts are just right for a lady who wants to sit back and sip coffee or relax with breakfast in bed.

Warning: Some of these items are so neat you may find yourself shelling out for two of them — one for Mom, one for yourself (I’ve already asked for some of those silicone lids for my birthday). In that case, you’ll be well-equipped to prepare a special meal or dessert for the occasion, so check out the recipes on Page 3 that two local chefs learned from the women in their families.

Happy Mother’s Day!

Update: I got an email from the owner of Steger Creek, which was not featured in this article. He said they carry a wide array of gourmet foods and kitchen items, including the Charles Viancin lids and the corkcicles I suggested in the column. Those lids are apparently really hot right now, so this is another place to find them. Plus Steger Creek has lots of non-food-related gift items, as well. Click the link to learn more about the stores (they have one in Roanoke and one in Forest).

Check out the full gift guide here, along with these recipes:

Lemon Cake (submitted by Sandy Krebs, head chef of the Regency Room at Hotel Roanoke & Conference Center)

Cracker Jack Balls (submitted by Alex Eliades, owner, Bread Craft)

What do you plan to do for your mom for Mother’s Day? If you are the mom, what are your hopes for that special day?

A Carolina dog and a Boston dog from Swine Drive Deli Dawgs at Salem Memorial Baseball park. Photo by Kyle Green | The Roanoke Times.

If Tim Anderson had written the song “Take Me Out to the Ball Game,” he probably would’ve asked for more than peanuts and Cracker Jacks.

Instead, that line might have gone something like “Buy me some smoked wings and cold craft beer” or
“Buy me a pizza and milkshake, dear.”

Anderson, 52, who is in his second year as food and beverage manager for the Salem Red Sox, understands the appeal of standards such as nachos and popcorn. Nevertheless, he wanted to start this season with the most varied food options the ballpark has boasted since it opened in August 1995.

“We just want to make it better,” he said. “We want for people to be able to get what they want.”

Anderson, a graduate of Staunton River High School and Radford University, was the food and beverage manager for the Roanoke Civic Center for 12 years. He said he spent the first year in his new job “laying the groundwork” for this year’s concessions changes.

This season just began April 12, but Red Sox Vice President and General Manager Todd Stephenson said fans have been pleased about the new offerings.

“The reviews we’ve been getting are very good,” he said. “You always want options. We like to tell people we have something for everyone.”

To continue reading this column and see some pricing examples, please click here.

Introducing the Lady Alice. Photo courtesy Rainier Fruit Co.

The emails piled up in my inbox while I was away last week, so it is time to clear them out and share all of the interesting food-related tidbits. This list of news ranges from a new apple you’ll soon find in grocery stores to upcoming cooking classes at The River and Rail in South Roanoke.

Read on, and then I hope you’ll go on to have a wonderful weekend!

* Kroger is going to spotlight Sunkist Cara Cara oranges with a special lunch at the Bonsack store on Saturday. The lunch will be prepared by Kroger Chef Tanner LaPrade.
LaPrade said these oranges are not new, but they have become very popular of late. He described them as a very sweet orange with a lot of flavor.
LaPrade will make Cara Cara cabbage salad with skewered shrimp or salmon and Cara Cara salsa. There will be free samples of the food in the deli/produce area of the store, and the dishes will be available for sale on the bistro bar from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.
The oranges will be on sale in the produce department for $3.99/3 lbs. Salmon and shrimp will also be on sale at $4.99/lb. and $5.99/lb., respectively.

* Also in produce news, it seems a new apple will soon emerge in grocery stores across the country courtesy of the Rainier Fruit Company in Washington. The apple is called the Lady Alice, and a press release describes it as “an heirloom-like fruit that is similar to a fine wine – flavorful and complex, and one that gets better several months after it is picked when the flavor reaches its peak.”
This part is also interesting: “The rarity of a chance seedling creating an apple that is quickly becoming a national favorite is a story in itself. It was discovered quite by chance on a farm near Gleed, Washington in 1978 when a grower accidentally cut an apple tree with his farm equipment. A chance seedling grew from the base and over the next 25 years, steps were taken to preserve and propagate the distinctive characteristics of the Lady Alice.  The Lady Alice brand apple is named after Alice Zirkle, the co-founder of Rainier Fruit Company in honor of her memory.”
Lady Alice apples are reportedly good for cooking and eating out-of-hand, with flesh that is slow to brown when cut and retains a firm shape when cooked.

Read more »

Today’s Front Burner column is about the sights, sounds, and – most importantly – flavors I experienced at the Virginia Food & Beverage Expo in Richmond last week. I took a lot of pictures and wanted to share with all of you the variety of different food products represented at the show.

To see captions, maximize this slide show to full screen and click “Share info” in the upper right corner of the screen. I hope you enjoy this slideshow. In case you hadn’t noticed, I’ve started to experiment more with slideshows on this blog. I welcome any feedback about how well they are working on your computer.

The Roanoke Times l File photo

Update: I found some stores in this area that carry powdered peanut butter. Please see my comment below for details. End update.

I’ve heard of powdered peanut butter before but I’ve never had an opportunity to try it. For March, which is National Peanut Month, I received an email with a gluten-free recipe (below) that called for this ingredient. My curiosity was piqued again, so I wrote to a company and asked for a sample. I’m eager to receive it and see what I think, because this is one of those things that just sounds too good to be true.

I say that because powdered peanut butter supposedly has 75 to 85 percent fewer fat calories than regular peanut butter. It sounds like a Frankenstein food, but I looked into how it is made and it sounds fairly simple: Roasted peanuts are pressed until all of the oils come out, leaving nothing but a floury substance behind. One of the companies that makes powdered peanut butter, Bell Plantation, saves the peanut oil and sells that separately.

Bell Plantation’s product, called PB2, contains (per 2 Tbsp. serving) 2.8 grams of fat, .55 grams saturated fat, 0 grams trans fat, 0 grams cholesterol, 94 mg sodium, 3.7 g carbs, 1 gram sugar, and 4.3 grams protein. The listed ingredients are peanuts, sugar and salt. Some – particularly raw foodies – may be turned off by the fact that the peanuts are roasted first.

Powdered peanut butter is reconstituted with water to form a paste that can be used just like regular peanut butter. From what I understand, you can add as much water as you like to achieve the consistency you like. According to Bell Plantation’s website, you can also mix it with jams or jellies or fruit juice or dip fruit straight in the powder as one might dip strawberries in sugar.
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I am excited to announce that “Flavors of Home,” The Roanoke Times 125th Anniversary cookbook to benefit the Good Neighbors Fund, is here!  This book is packed with great recipes from our archives, local restaurants and members of the community, and it is sprinkled with History Highlights from our archives.

“Flavors of Home” makes a great gift for any cook on your list. It is also a wonderful gift for teachers!

You may place your order using our online order form. The order form may be accessed on your Internet browser at the following address: https://secure.roanoke.com/cookbook/default.aspx.

The books cost $15 each plus sales tax. If you would like to have your order shipped to you by FedEx, the shipping fee is $5 for the first book and $1 for each additional book. Supplies are limited. All sales are final.

You will also see options on the online order form for picking up the book in person at the FedEx Office Print & Ship Center at Towers Mall in Roanoke OR on North Franklin Street in Christiansburg (no shipping fees). With this option, all you need to do is place your order, print out your receipt and take it, along with identification, to the store of your choice ON THE FOLLOWING BUSINESS DAY.

And — as a final purchasing option — we’ll be set up at the 23rd Annual Stocked Market at the Roanoke Civic Center on Saturday, Nov. 12 from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. So if you plan to be there or if you’d like to stop by and purchase a book (no shipping fees) please come and see us. If you are a blog reader and you see me there, please introduce yourself! I would love to meet you!

I hope you and your family and friends will enjoy the recipes in this book for many years to come. And I thank you for helping us to support families in need during these difficult economic times.

If you have any questions, you may email cookbook@roanoke.com.

I know a few people who cannot make it through a Monday — particularly a dark, dreary Monday such as this — without a little chocolate pick-me-up. Whether it’s a chocolate muffin for breakfast, a mid-morning mug of hot cocoa, a chocolate chip cookie after lunch or a mini-Snickers in the afternoon, it just seems to help a little bit.

The other day, I discovered a great cookie bar recipe, and it was so ridiculously easy I’m almost embarrassed to make something of it. But “ridiculously easy” is sometimes quite welcome in the kitchen, particularly if you’re making something for a school party or you’ve been tasked with bringing a treat to a weeknight gathering.

First, get thee to the grocery store and pick up a box of Pillsbury Oatmeal Chocolate Chunk cookie mix and a bag of dried cherries. Then, follow the recipe on the back of the box for Oatmeal-Chocolate-Craisin bars, but instead of the Craisins use chopped, dried cherries.

I did this on a whim the other day because I didn’t have dried cranberries, and I daresay the dried cherries were probably better. They earned raves. Just realize that when you are spreading the mix into the bottom of the 9×13-inch pan, it’s going to seem as if you don’t have enough dough to cover the bottom of the pan. I oiled the palms of my hands well and just used them to press all of the dough out in an even layer. These treats would be even better with a little melted chocolate drizzled over the top.

Since dried cherries are kind of expensive, you may want to get double-duty out of that bag. Use the leftovers for Herbed Cherry Chicken Salad or revisit last year’s winning PlateUp Winter Recipe Contest winner, Cherry-Chocolate Bread Pudding.

Has anybody else discovered a new product lately that is a big time saver?

Preston’s at the Inn at Virginia Tech has a new food and beverage director named Max Kiebach and a new executive chef named Jason Smith. Why not add a private-label wine to the offerings?

The private-label Merlot and Chardonnay are made at Prince Michel Vineyard & Winery in Madison, Va. For more information about the new wines, check out this video produced by Andrea Brunais, communications director for the Outreach & Internal Affairs office at Virginia Tech:

This blog entry is jam-packed with upcoming food and beverage events, so click on “Read more” for details about:

* the release of New Belgium Brewing Company beers at local retailers
* a birthday bash at Mr. Bill’s Wine Cellar
* free tastings at Vintage Cellar
* the end of a local food retail service
* a murder mystery dinner at Hotel Roanoke
* a three sisters (corn, beans and squash) with buffalo dinner at Local Roots
* some local poultry options this fall
and
* a cookbook to benefit the Women’s Resource Center of the New River Valley

Read more »

The folks from Good Meadow Homemades, an outgrowth of the Ukrops company, are going to be beefing up their selection in area Kroger stores.

Good Meadow Homemades already was stocking some favorites from the old Ukrops stores at local Krogers, including White House Rolls, tarts and cookies. This summer, some Kroger stores also started to carry Good Meadow prepared sandwiches, salads, sides and desserts.

Now, the company is going to bring chilled, prepared entrees to the market. These include their Chicken Cobbler, Baked Spaghetti, Grilled Chicken with BBQ Sauce, Meatloaf and Cheddar Mashed Potatoes, Pork Enchiladas and Pulled Pork Barbeque. These meals will be available in the not-too-distant future at the following Kroger stores:

Read more »

Courtesy photo

Preston’s, the restaurant located inside the Inn at Virginia Tech, received an iffy review from The Roanoke Times a few years ago. But a LOT has changed since then, so I think it’s time to give this restaurant another try if you haven’t already.

According to a recent press release, they have a new food and beverage director, Max Kiebach. They have decided to focus in on locally grown/produced foods and all-natural ingredients, leaving the packaged and frozen stuff behind. They have also revamped their menu, which now includes such offerings as “artisanal cheeses crafted in Virginia (offered as a plate of three or six selections), a grilled artichokes appetizer and a fresh-market vegetable plate with quinoa-stuffed tomato. Cuts of beef, pork, and lamb will be served with a choice of Béarnaise, Bordelaise, or au poivre sauces. Salmon with a wild-mushroom garnish will also come with stone-ground Virginia cheese grits, and other seafood entrees will include scallops in a citrus reduction and a fresh fish of the day… on the hot-appetizer list are fresh corn and jumbo lump crab cakes with Meyer lemon aioli.” YUM!

The interior has also been redesigned to give the restaurant a more spacious feel. If you’ve been to Preston’s recently or if you go to discover the new look and theme, please let us know what you thought.

Read more »

Photo by Sam Dean l The Roanoke Times

It all started with a small, brown leatherbound book, which appeared in John Draper’s life just long enough to change it forever.

What if he hadn’t found it nestled between the other books in his mother’s cookbook collection?

What if he hadn’t been so intrigued by one particular recipe in the book, which contained pages and pages of them in his grandmother’s handwriting, that he jotted it down on the spot?

Well, then the former loan officer would not now be running a company that rescued him from the economic slump.

Sauce bottles bearing the black-and-white image of his straight-faced, no nonsense grandmother, Sippie, would certainly not be on shelves in dozens of stores across Virginia.

It is almost as if Aunt Sippie (she preferred that name, as “Grandma” made her sound too old) had a hand in all of this.

And that would be just like her.

To continue reading this column, click here.

Check out recipes for shrimp Sippie wrapped in bacon and Sippie salad dressing.

Have you tried Sippie’s Sauce? If so, what did you think?

Southwest Pasta Skillet. Photo from Kraft.

If I’m scanning recipes for a dish I’d like to try, the word “creamy” in the title is always going to get my attention. As I’ve said before, it’s a good darn thing I’m not lactose-intolerant, because my love of creamy, cheesy soups, casseroles and other dishes is off the charts.

The folks at Kraft who make Philadelphia cream cheese products know my tastes are representative of a wide array of the American population. Just think about how many of our favorite recipes, whether savory or sweet, call for cream cheese. What’s nice is that we can use full-fat cream cheese, reduced fat or fat free, depending on the recipe and our dietary needs.

The newest product in the Philadelphia line was developed specifically for cooking. It’s called Philadelphia Cooking Creme, and it is described as “a spoonable, easy-to-blend creme that can be effortlessly stirred into skillets, casseroles and pasta.” Well, my first reaction was to wonder how much effort it really takes to soften a block of cream cheese and stir it into a dish. If the dish is hot, it will melt in pretty quickly.

Read more »

Image courtesy of The Hershey Company.

I’ve got a few little info snacks in my “fridge” and I need to clear them out, so here’s something for the afternoon hunger pangs:

* Has anybody noticed the Hershey company has come out with a new product called “Drops“? I got a news release about them, and here’s how they are described:

“Now available, Hershey’s Drops are delicious bite-sized drops without the candy shell. Each drop has a light, shiny finish to protect the product so there is no mess—making them the perfect snack to enjoy and share anytime, anywhere!”

You can see here what they look like. I will not tell you what I’m thinking because I want to hear what you’re thinking.

* Those crazy kids over at Jif are having their ninth annual contest to see who can come up with the most creative twist on a peanut butter sandwich. They recently sent me the list of their top 10 finalists. See more and/or vote for your favorite over on the Jif website. Check this out:

Read more »

Photo courtesy P.A. Short Distributing Co.

P.A. Short Distributing Company of Hollins has announced the introduction of a new craft beer line to the area their line-up. The brand is Victory Brewing Company of Downingtown, PA, which makes 11 different beers as well as a good number of seasonals. P.A. Short is carrying the entire line, including seasonals, and I’ll share with you the locations later in this blog entry.

I tried four of the beers last weekend: Golden Monkey, HopDevil Ale, Prima Pils and Storm King Stout.

Golden Monkey is made with German malts and whole flower European hops, with 9.5 percent alcohol by volume. It was my favorite, and seemed to have a slightly fruity flavor – apple-like, I would say, but I’m not an expert.

HopDevil is made with German malts and whole flower American hops, with 6.7 percent alcohol by volume. It is very hoppy, with a smooth finish.

Prima Pils was surprisingly hoppy, and I would say my personal least favorite just because I don’t get into that bitter aftertaste. But a lot of folks do, and this one’s also made with German malts and whole flower European hops at 5.3 percent alcohol by volume.

The last beer I tried was the Storm King Stout, an Imperial Russian Stout made with imported malts and whole flower American hops, 9.1 percent alcohol by volume (less than the Golden Monkey, which surprised me). It has really nice chocolatey/coffee-like flavors that I found very pleasurable.

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Kathy O'Hara

Hi, Kathy again.

Today, Lindsey’s Front Burner column is about www.runner-bean.com, a new website that Roanoker Kathy O’Hara started to help connect products from local farmers with customers who want them.

Here’s an excerpt from the column:

Customers of Runner-bean.com purchase a 6-month membership for $60, which O’Hara said is mostly to defray the cost of transporting products.

The virtual market opens at 1 p.m. Sunday, and members can place orders by 9 p.m. on Tuesday. On Wednesday, O’Hara passes the orders on to farmers, who work to fill them. She picks up the goods and sorts them into individual orders, which can be picked up at one of four drop locations on Thursday afternoon. Those locations are Grandin Gardens on Grandin Avenue, the Roanoke Higher Education Center and Ram’s Head  Book Shop  in Roanoke, and the Vita Zen store in Hardy near Smith Mountain Lake.

O’Hara takes a 15 percent cut on orders, and eventually she hopes producers will be able to bring their goods to her. She also hopes to add more customers and, as the business grows, more drop sites for their orders.

Question is, are you someone who might be interested in a service like this? I worry a little about being able to pick up on Thursday afternoons, but then again, the Higher Education center is not far from my office. What do you think?

Beth Stewart's Sticky Toffee Pudding Cake. Photo courtesy Beth Stewart.

Beth Stewart caught a love of baking from her mother, who every Christmas made platters of cookies for family and friends.

“My mom had my sister and me in the kitchen when we were young girls and we used to always bake with her,” said Stewart, of Botetourt County.

When her second child was born 6 1/2 years ago, Stewart decided to quit the nursing profession to be a stay-at-home mom. And about a year ago, she decided maybe she could earn money for the family out of her home instead of going back to nursing.

She started her business, Beth’s Cookies and More, in January 2010. She bakes and sells a variety of cookies, dessert bars and cakes. A few weeks ago, a friend brought some of Stewart’s cookies by the newspaper office for me to try. Along with some co-workers, I tasted her raspberry almond thumbprints, her pecan pie cookies and her oatmeal raisin spice cookies. They were extraordinary — soft, rich and full of flavor.

Stewart says the raspberry almond thumbprints are her best seller, and I can understand why. They were my favorite, too. Other offerings include cranberry white chocolate chip, gingersnaps with cream cheese frosting, almond bars, whoopie pies and brownies. Stewart does cakes, too, including a chocolate pound cake, a sour cream pound cake and an old family favorite called the sticky toffee pudding cake, a Christmas tradition for the Stewart clan.

“How can anything be better than brown sugar, butter, heavy cream and then the dates?” she asked. Indeed.

Beth’s goods cost $6 to $14 per dozen for cookies and bars. Cakes are sold in halves (or loaves) and full-size for $8 to $28. She uses no preservatives and features seasonal specials sometimes, which can be seen on her website, www.bethscookiesandmore.com. To learn more or order dessert from Stewart, call (540) 580-2662 or e-mail bethscookiesandmore@yahoo.com.

Unless you’ve been in a food coma, you’ve probably heard about KFC’s newest product, a “sandwich” called the Double Down. Instead of bread, the melted cheese and bacon are sandwiched between two breaded and fried boneless, skinless chicken breasts.

Ever since it was announced, a couple of my co-workers have been slobbering with anticipation, just dying (ha) to try it. And so today, on the first day the crazy creation became available, Roanoke.com’s Jordan Fifer went out and bought one. And of course, he was able to convince music writer Tad Dickens to eat it, because Tad will eat just about anything.

If you don’t like to listen to/watch people eating, then this video may not be for you. But if you want to see someone down the Double Down, click the arrow, yo. For the record, Tad says he felt a little “off” later and he chalks it up to too much grease. Ya think??

Okay, here’s the scene: It is about 6 p.m. on Friday night and I have met a group of friends at a popular chain restaurant and bar to celebrate someone’s birthday. When I arrive, part of the group is shooting pool while the rest sit on bar stools, chatting. Enter my pal, who is carrying his 17-month-old son. His wife is working late, but if she was off, I know they would have probably brought their boy anyway.

The bar takes up about half of the restaurant, with the rest dedicated to sit-down dining space. The two areas are separated by a half-wall. As you know, there is no longer smoking in most bars and restaurants in Virginia, and this restaurant is no exception.

Not long after my friend came in with the baby, the waitress approached him and told him the child was not allowed in the bar area. More specifically, she said “Children who are not old enough to sit on bar stools are not allowed in the bar. Kids under the age of 8 are not allowed in the bar.” After a few moments of brief confusion (can’t 5- or 6-year-olds sit on a bar stool?), I joined my child-toting pal on the other side of the divider for one beer before the whole gang decided to relocate to a friend’s house and order pizza. We hadn’t planned on staying for more than a beer or two anyway, but the rule caused us to leave a bit earlier than we had planned.

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Sam Dean l The Roanoke Times

 

Increased demand for fresh, local food persuaded two Lexington families to reopen a meat-processing facility that will help small farmers and customers alike.

LEXINGTON — Steve Donald was a high school senior when his father decided it was time to fully initiate him in the family business.
“I came home from school, and my father looked at my brother, Rick, and I and said, ‘There’s four cattle down in the pen. Go butcher them on your own.’”
It was daunting, but Donald and his five brothers and sisters had grown up around farming — and slaughtering.
Their grandfather opened Donald’s Slaughterhouse in Lexington in the 1930s, and their father, Bill, took over the business when he left the military in the early 1950s. As long as they were old enough, helping out at the plant was a regular occurrence for the Donald kids.
But by 1988, Bill Donald was suffering from rheumatoid arthritis and the custom slaughtering business seemed to be dying out.
The plant was shuttered, and neither Steve nor Tim Donald thought they would ever see it reopen. Then the local food movement, and a very persuasive farmer, came along.

To continue reading this story I wrote for today’s Extra section of The Roanoke Times, click here.

Magic Hat promotional coaster

Blog reader Emma requested that I use the “cocktails” tag more this year, and her wish is my command. Yesterday, I received samples of two new Magic Hat brews in the mail. One is called Magic Hat Vinyl and the other is the Spring ’10 addition to their Odd Notion Series. Take a look at the cute little coaster they sent along as a promotion for Vinyl.

I cracked open the Spring ’10 brew last night, and let me just say that it is delightful. It’s an unfiltered American wheat IPA with incredibly subtle citrus undertones. I found it to be very refreshing, with just the right amount of bitterness. For all you beer geeks out there, the Spring ’10 has a bitterness score of 35 and 6 percent alcohol by volume.

I haven’t had a chance to check out the Vinyl yet, but according to Magic Hat it is an amber lager with a bitterness score of 16 and 5.1 percent alcohol by volume.

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This is my granola bar. It’s a Quaker “True Delights” Toasted Coconut Banana Macadamia Nut granola bar. And let me just say that it is delicious — all two bites of it!

I don’t want a granola bar the size of my leg, but seriously, look at this tiny thing. I had to place it next to my stapler for context. When you buy a box of these (they were on sale for $2.49 this week), you get five bars. And then you open them and they are miniscule. Hey, I think Barbie might be hungry, guys. If I give her one of these, she MIGHT have enough to share with Ken.

Maybe it’s my imagination, but I still think we are getting less food for our money in some cases at the grocery store. Has anyone else continued to notice this? If so, got any specific product examples?

www.amazon.com

I have run across the perfect gift idea for your favorite foodie. And if that happens to be you, well, now you’ll have an excuse to spend a little money on yourself!

The ever-vivacious Rachael Ray has come out with a new product called “Make Your Own Takeout.” But I can’t call this a cookbook in the standard sense because the recipes actually come in a little box and are printed on removable cards that are categorized by the cuisine. There are categories for Thai, Chinese, Indian, pizza, burgers and sandwiches and Tex-Mex. At a time when lots of us are trying to spend less money on entertainment, this strikes me as a genius idea!

The question is, do the recipes look good and do they cook good? Well, here’s a sampling of what the M.Y.O.T.O. deck has to offer (she really likes those acronyms for some reason).

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Today is Dairy Day on the old Fridge Magnet blog. I’ve got two udderly exciting food developments to pass along.

First, the Got Milk? campaign is coming to Roanoke next week, and they’ll be hosting a fun day on the Roanoke City Market on Tuesday, June 30 between 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. That day, you’ll be able to pose for your own milk moustache photo, watch behind-the-scenes footage from celebrity milk moustache ads, gather wellness information about milk, enter a contest to win a year’s supply of milk and enjoy free smoothies. The Got Milk? folks will also be sampling milk from local dairies.

Next up, what’s better than milk? Ice cream! And here’s a little ice cream trivia for you guys: Did you know that Rocky Road ice cream was first introduced in 1929 during the Great Depression? Yep, Bill Dreyer and Joseph Edy of Dreyer’s/Edy’s Grand Ice Cream invented the beloved flavor to cheer people up during the depression. According to the Edy’s company, ice cream was typically only made in chocolate, vanilla and strawberry back then. But Dreyer decided to add walnuts (they later switched to almonds) and used his wife’s sewing scissors to snip marshmallows into bite-size pieces for the ice cream.

Eighty years later, the same ice cream company has introduced a temporary new flavor designed to brighten the mood during this latest recession. It’s called Red, White and No More Blues, and it consists of vanilla ice cream with swirls of real strawberry and blueberry throughout. Sounds incredibly delicious to me, but then I’ve always preferred fruity ice cream flavors to chocolatey ones.

Red, White and No More Blues will be available  in 1.5 quart cartons in your grocer’s freezer for $5.99. Hurry up and buy a carton before summer ends and … well, I guess we are allowed to get the blues again.

Laura Tucker, a regular contributor from Salem, sent along these pictures from the Virginia State Championship Chili Cook-off, which took place in downtown Roanoke on Saturday. Most of these pictures are of a chili-eating contest. It looks like some folks really got into their chili — LITERALLY.

Check out the slide show. Or if you want to see the pictures individually on Flickr, go here.

These flippin’ bears really think they are something special because they were released by the Just Born company especially for Valentine’s Day. Just Born is the crazy company that makes marshmallow Peeps.

These bears are all high-falutin because they are “chocolate mousse” flavored instead of plain marshmallow like the originals, those little yellow chicks. See how the bear on the far right can’t even bother to have his picture taken? He’s all rolling his eyes to the side like he has better places to be.

When I took the bears out of their package, I thought the chocolate odor was a bit contrived. Really a bit fake. I didn’t bite anyone’s head off about it, though. Truthfully, I don’t care for Peeps.

I hope you guys and gals all get much better Valentine’s Day gifts than these bears. But it was all I had to offer, so HAPPY VALENTINE’S DAY with love from me and the Fridge Magnet blog.

I first started to hear about Hint about a month ago.

I swear, I must have received e-mails from three different publicists urging me to write an article about Hint, a naturally fruit-flavored water with no sugar, no artificial sweeteners, no preservatives and no dyes.

Finally, I asked one of the writers to send me samples, so they shipped two bottles of the stuff. One raspberry-lime; one hibiscus vanilla.

I was pretty excited about the beverage because I’ve long wished that a company would produce a product just like this. I hate the fruity waters flavored with artificial sweetener. They are often carbonated and just taste kind of salty and fake to me.

I wondered why someone couldn’t take real fruit juice and infuse it into water to make a refreshing beverage that tasted just a little more exciting than ordinary water, but not so sweet that it’s reminiscent of Kool-Aid, which is sort of what Sobe Life Water tastes like to me.

Hint has accomplished this. The drink is wonderful and refreshing served ice cold. But the fruit flavors are much more of a “hint” than I had even imagined. The raspberry-lime had a tiny essence of fruitiness, but it was barely discernable at all.

image source: www.drinkhint.com

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I’ll probably never again have the opportunity to title a blog entry like that. I’m taking advantage of it while I can.

As you may have guessed, today’s entry is about two different topics. First, I want to share news about a cool new product. Then we’ll move on to a reader’s question.

I’m intrigued by the Easy Whip, a new kitchen tool by a company called iSi North America that makes homemade whipped cream and dispenses it with the ease of a store-bought canister such as ReddiWip.

All you do with this device is pour in heavy whipping cream and a sweetener such as confectioner’s sugar, “charge the whipper” (whatever that means) and squirt it out. How nifty is that?

This is what the Easy Whip looks like. It reminds me of the Aunt Jemima bottle’s thinner, more elegant cousin. For more information about the Easy Whip, go to this Web site.

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Those crazy kids over at Pace have launched a new line of salsas and were kind enough to send us samples here in the Features department at The Roanoke Times.

My anal side immediately took over, so I arranged the salsa with chips for taste-testing and passed out score sheets to all of my hapless co-workers. It’s another Lunch Ladies, on the cheap! Oh, apologies to Kevin Kittredge, the one dude who did take part in the test.
Here are the results of our unscientific poll:

Pace Pico de Gallo
Company description: “Inspired by the classic, with chunks of hand-picked jalapenos, onions, and diced tomatoes and a touch of fresh cilantro.”
Average score (out of 5): 3.1
Comments: “Strangely sweet and sour with a hot aftertaste. Very chunky.”
“Not like the real, fresh thing, but pretty spicy.”
“A little tangy and sweet.”
“Not bad for factory salsa”
“Average restaurant-style salsa.”

Pace Salsa Verde
Company description: “Hand-selected jalapenos and chunks of tomatillos, seasoned with a splash of lime and spiked with smoked Spanish paprika.”
Average score: 2.4
Comments: “Too vinegary, but I’m not a fan of salsa verde to begin with.”
“Weird smoky flavor. Good spice.”
“The smokiness is nice. It has a nice heat. There’s a strange canned aftertaste.”
“Can’t get past that pukey color.”
“Kind of bland and a little bitter, but probably good on a taco.”

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I received a pretty little press kit this morning from the folks at Memorable Entertaining, a new Web site. It was a gold box wrapped in a purple ribbon which contained an invitation to visit the site.

Also inside the box was a package of two cookies and a tiny plastic baggie containing a strange green and pink ball. Was it animal, vegetable or mineral? It appeared to be vegetable.

My apologies to Memorable Entertaining (I will check the site, I promise), but it was this little ball that really drew my attention.

I found, after reading the attached pamphlet, that it is a Numi flowering tea. If you steep the little tea ball in hot water, it gradually unfolds into a beautiful underwater flower. I guess it wouldn’t have the same effect if you tried to steep it in anything other than a clear glass teapot, though.

Still, these flowering teas are so lovely that it might just be worth it to buy a glass teapot and a collection of these teas for the tea-lover on your gift list. What a wonderful birthday or Christmas gift that would be.

Not only is it soothing to sit down with a hot mug of tea when you’re chilly or tired, but now your private tea party can be soothing to the eyes, as well. Or better yet, invite some friends over, open a box of butter cookies, arrange a few truffles on a plate and catch up while your tea blooms in front of you.

Check out the Numi Web site to watch a tea ball flower before your eyes. You can also find flavors and ordering information there. Looks like a box of 18 tea balls can be had for only around $26.

Photo source: Worldpantry.com

We used to run a little wire piece in Inside Out every Thursday where several women who called themselves the “Lunch Ladies” would eat and rate convenience food products like frozen dinners.

I had to think of the Lunch Ladies recently when I received a huge box packed with four frozen dinners inside a styrofoam cooler. The brand was Claim Jumper, which owns a chain of restaurants out West. They have also staked a claim in the land of frozen foods, and although you can’t find one of their restaurants in our area, you can now purchase their frozen dinners, pies and other goods at local grocery stores.

They looked pretty good in the boxes, which were huge. The flavors were Chicken Marsala, Cheese Ravioli, Beef Pot Pie and Shrimp Scampi. I believe they go for around $4 or $5.

Four co-workers agreed to eat and rate the frozen dinners. Check out our ratings (on a scale of 1-5) after the jump, then tell me whether you think you’ll try Claim Jumper frozen foods sometime soon. If you have already tried them, feel free to add your own ratings!

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I’m about six hours away from vacation, and I’ve just about finished all the work I needed to do before I leave. Needless to say, I’m in a giddy mood. As a result, I decided to dedicate this blog entry to a few odd new products and some of the weirdest cookbooks I’ve received of late.

We’ll start out with Kraft’s new brainchild, Macaroni & Cheese crackers. The box you see here came shipped in a much larger box that, when opened, made crunching noises. I swear it’s true.

We tried the crackers and found them to be rather good, actually. They are a bit like noodle-shaped Cheez-Its with a powdery cheese coating on the outside. Within a half hour, they had been polished off by two of my co-workers. On the other hand, it was about 4 p.m. in the afternoon, which is generally munchie-time in the Features Department.

Next up: Those crazy kids over at McCormick are at it again. This time, they’ve developed new black pepper blends that are infused with the flavors of Worchestershire or Smokehouse, depending on which you choose.

McCormick recommends the Smokehouse flavoring for burgers and the Worchestershire blend for steak. They even include a marinade recipe on the back of the Worchestershire blend: 3 Tbsp. each of oil, water and red wine vinegar, mixed with 2 tsp. each of the pepper and minced onions and 1/2 tsp. of salt. Sounds pretty good!

Not to be left out, the folks at KFC have developed a new flavor called Smoky Chipotle Crispy Fried Chicken. It is only the third flavor to be introduced at KFC since the restaurant was founded 65 years ago, a spokeswoman said.

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