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Too cute to eat—but you’ll manage—are these barbecue cookies from Eleni’s Cookies. There’s a grill, a cooler, hamburgers, hot dog, two fries, two lemonades, three ice cream cones, three ice cream sandwiches...and two smiling bees to buzz over it all. Gift tin, $48.00.
August 2005 |
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Marketplace / Entertaining GuideSpice Up Your Labor Day WeekendHere’s What We’re Serving Up At THE NIBBLE Barbecue
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1. What To Drink: Natural Sodas |
Natural means the flavors are |
Boylan’s Old Fashioned SodasThe taste of all natural sodas is eye-opening. Boylan’s has all the classic flavors—Birch Beer, Black Cherry, Cola, Ginger Ale, Grape, Orange, and Root Beer. The sugar-free flavors are spectacular—you won’t know you’re drinking diet soda. Suggested Retail Price: $1.59, 12-ounce bottle. Click here for our review and shopping information. |
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Izze Sparkling JuiceIf you’re not into the classics but would like a more sophisticated sparkle, try an “adult soda” like Izze, in fashionable fruit flavors like Blueberry, Clementine, Grapefruit, Lemon, Pear, and Pomegranate. It’s 100% juice, 100% natural. Suggested Retail Price: $1.49, 12-ounce bottle; $4.99, 4-pack. For more about Izze and other alternative sodas, click here. |
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2. What To Grill: Natural & Organic Meat & Poultry |
Natural and organic meats are |
Coleman NaturalColeman Natural is the better grade of meat available in many supermarkets: you’ll find their Purely Natural beef, bison, chicken, lamb, pork, and sausage. The meat comes from animals that are vegetarian fed, and raised without antibiotics or hormones. Beef burgers are available in 1/3-pound frozen, uncooked patties made from 100% all natural, high-quality beef cattle like Angus and Hereford. Average retail price $7.99. |
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Dakota BeefPeople spend more money on organic beef because it tastes that much better. We had one of Dakota Beef’s hot dogs recently and it was an out-of-this-world experience. This year, why not upgrade to organic and see for yourself if you think it’s worth it. Dakota Beef is a relatively new company with limited retail distribution. There’s a store locator on the website—but you can order their superb products online. Suggested retail price for Dakota Dogs: $3.99/pound. |
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Niman RanchNiman Ranch began raising cattle 30 years ago in Marin County, across the Golden Gate Bridge. It soon became a favorite with San Francisco restaurateurs, adding lamb and pork. Niman fame spread across the country, and its products became the first nationally branded gourmet meats to be named on restaurant menus. Niman Ranch has franks with and without nitrates, made with premium-quality Niman Ranch beef, smoked over hickory. There are dozens of other choices including steaks, ribs, brisket, and virtually any other cut of beef, lamb, or pork you could ask for. The complete line is sold at the online store and at specialty retail distribution nationwide. Suggested retail price for a 2-pound package (4 links) of Fearless Franks, $7.95; Uncured Beef Franks, $8.95. |
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Bell & EvansIt’s hard to find a better-tasting chicken than Bell & Evans. Professional chefs, food writers and restaurant reviewers agree that these chickens are in a class of their own. The birds live in a minimal stress environment, eat an all-natural diet, and are free to roam. They produce moist white meat and buttery dark meat, with excellent flavor and aroma. You can see a visible difference in quality in a side-by-side comparison of uncooked birds, and you can certainly taste the difference. Suggested retail price: $1.59/pound for legs, $2.79/pound for bone-in breast. Bell & Evans chickens are sold in 39 states. There’s a store locator on the website. |
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3. Barbecue Sauce |
A great grilling sauce is a treasure |
Grandville’s Gourmet BBQ SaucesEveryone has a favorite barbecue sauce, whether it’s one’s own blend or a favorite brand. We’ve tasted a hundred, it seems, and Grandville’s stands out. In Original, Mild, Extra Spicy, Cajun, Tropical, and Teriyaki, these sauces are so packed with good things, you’ll want to use them beyond meat, poultry and fish on the barbecue. Spread them on toast and sandwiches, accent vegetables and potatoes, use them to dip kabobs and things that haven’t been near a barbecue. Try grilled bananas with Tropical BBQ Sauce! Thicker and more textured than a typical barbecue sauce, they have a consistency is between a dessert sauce and a jam. Cajun and Tropical are Scovie Award winners. Even if you don’t get them in time for Labor Day Weekend, just get them! Case sales only, six 18-ounce jars per case, mix and match: $36 per case plus shipping. |
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Bronco Bob’s Chipotle SaucesBronco Bob’s Smoked Bacon Chipotle Grillin’ and Dippin’ Sauce won first place in the Condiments, Meat Sauce category at this year’s Scovie Awards, and pretty much wins everything it enters. Why? Great taste, great packaging. In addition to the heat, the flavors are intense, whether you like Smoked Bacon, Tangy Apricot, Wild Cherry Berry, or Roasted Raspberry. All are great as a starter, spread over cream cheese (or blended) and served with crackers. And we love the fruit flavors as dessert sauces. In addition to vanilla ice cream, try Roasted Raspberry over raspberry sorbet. The heat and the cold are quite exciting. Set of 3 15-ounce bottles of one flavor, $28.00; gift sampler with one of each, $38.00 (prices include shipping).
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4. How to Season |
Spice it up with international flair |
French’s GourMayo Flavored MayonnaiseWe love this line of light mayonnaises: we have all four flavors. The two we’ll spice it up this weekend are Wasabi Horseradish and Smoked Chipotle. Both have just the right touch to give your potato salad, cole slaw, or dip a little something special...without being too overtly flavored. Wasabi Horseradish has zestiness, Smoked Chipotle has smokiness with a bit of pepper heat. They come in squeeze bottles so you use them on burgers, sandwiches, wraps, and hors d’oeuvres with ease. Suggested retail price: $2.59 for an 11-ounce squeeze bottle. There’s a printable 75 cent coupon on the website! |
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Salad SplashesUse a lighter dressing—called a splash—on your greens, to marinate tomato and cucumber slices, as a lighter dressing for cole slaw, to mix potato salad. Sweeter splashes can work as fruit salad dressings, even as ice cream toppers! The original Salad Splash® was created by The Silver Palate some 20 years ago. We’ve been a big fan of their Raspberry Sun Salad Splash ever since. It can glaze a chicken, grace a salad, make cole slaw, or top a sundae. Suggested retail price, 12.5 ounces, $4.39. There’s also a fat-free version, Really Raspberry Salad Splash®. Now, splashes come in many nationalities, like this Lemongrass Salad Splash from Thai Kitchen, which is also low-calorie: just 10 calories a tablespoon. Suggested retail price, 7 ounces: $3.29. Both brands are available in many supermarkets as well as in specialty food stores. |
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International SeasoningsLabor Day is an American holiday, but we’re a country of world cultures: we all reached this soil from somewhere else. Embrace the culinary heritage of another culture’s spices in your marinades, dressings and seasonings. You can find ready-made international-themed marinades, sauces, glazes salad dressings in specialty food stores, international markets, and many mainstream supermarkets. There are plenty of recipes online if you want to cook from scratch. Some ideas:
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 A Thai cuisine favorite, peanut sauce is accented with garlic, chile, lemongrass and coconut milk. There are specialty brands like Wild Thymes (11-ounce jar, $6.99, available in specialty food stores and at WildThymes.com)... |
 ...and brands like Thai Kitchen (10-ounce jar, $4.49), which is easy to find in many supermarkets and as well as at ThaiKitchen.com. |
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Spice Up Your Potato ChipsGourmet brand Kettle Chips asked consumers to vote on new flavor for 2005, and it was a Thai...actually, a tie between Spicy Thai and Cheddar Beer. If you want to make a matching dip for the former, try blending chutney and yogurt. The 2006 winners, Tuscan Three Cheese and Buffalo Bleu, will be hitting the stores shortly. Kettle Chips makes so many wonderful flavors that you can’t help but think, “so many chips, so little time.” Go Mexican with Jalapeño with Tequila and Lime or Salsa with Mesquite. Go French with Honey Dijon or Roasted Red Pepper with Goat Cheese. Classic chip lovers can have Sea Salt and Vinegar, Sour Cream and Onion, Classic Barbecue, and yes, even “regular” Lightly Salted and an Unsalted. Kettle Chips are sold at fine supermarkets and specialty food stores nationwide. The price for a 5-ounce bag can range from $2.49 to $2.99 depending on the region and retailer. |
 Tied for first place in a national vote of chip lovers. (THE NIBBLE editors voted for it!) |
| 5. Dessert #1 - Chocolate | Favorite finger food: no muss, no fuss |
Fairytale BrowniesMade with Callebaut dark Belgian chocolate in regular, walnut, pecan, peanut butter, chocolate chip, and caramel, plus the less frequently found flavors we love like coconut, mint, raspberry swirl, toffee crunch, and white chocolate. Get one of each flavor brownie for $36.00 plus shipping. |
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| 6. Dessert #2 - Spicy Fruit Salad | Spice it up with a versatile splash |
China Blue Cider SplashChina Blue is known for its gorgeous bottles and the line of fine Shanghai sauces, glazes, dressings and oils inside. Their versatile Cider Splash can be used as a dressing for green salads or, as we suggest here, to splash on fruit salads. If you don’t want to cut up an entire fruit salad, just slice pineapple or mango. Available online and at fine retailers including Whole Foods and A Southern Season. Suggested Retail Price for a 10-ounce bottle, $10.99. |
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