is aka as Lebanese couscous. It is a nutritious grain-based pasta made from semolina flour rolled into pearl shaped pellets. Couscous is ideal for soups, stews, salads and side-dishes, like my Couscous and Tomato Salad.
Zürsun, well known for their heirloom beans now produces their own moghrabieh. Their wheat is the highest quality and sustainably grown on Lebanese farms, creating a creamy and authentic tasty couscous. Thumbs up.
Zürsun products, available at specialty food markets.
Saint Petersburg, Russia is where the roots of today's Paris based Kusmi Tea company began. The creator, Pavel Michailovitch Kousmichoff started working at the age of 14 for a tea merchant who saw his talent and taught him the art of blending. You could say Pavel stepped into the right place at the right time. He married well, his boss gave him his first tea house, and prosperity followed. His peasant upbringing brewed into a life of great wealth and success; with a large family to carry on the tea business and make it flourish for generations to come.
Kusmi 25, rue Danielle Casanova Paris 01
The company became one of the three largest tea houses in Russia and was a supplier to the Court of Tsars. It would be the keen insight of Pavel's son, Viatcheslav, to open a workshop in Paris; escaping the pending Revolution in 1917. It would be known as the Maison Kusmi-Thé, a shortened version of the family's surname.
The company is no longer owned by the Kousmichoff family. The Orebi Family took over Kusmi in 2003, harnessing this 140 year old company to be the international Kusmi Tea brand. Kusmi expanded into North America this year, opening a location in Motreal, Quebec and there's word of a NYC expansion soon.
A Few Health Benefits Drinking Tea
Tea contains antioxidants. Antioxidants can help slow down the aging process, and help cells regenerate.
Tea aids your body in digestion. Tea has been used for thousands of years as a digestive aid after meals.
Tea keeps you hydrated. Every cup of tea you drink, especially low or no caffeine varieties, counts as a cup of water with the added bonus of providing antioxidants as well.
George's Cake Recipes that go well with tea.
images: Kusmi Tea
Brooklyn New York's own Mast Brothers Chocolate Factory makes no ordinary chocolate bar. Wow. Not many chocolatiers still have the two brother's artisanal approach to this process; their hand picked cacao beans are roasted, ground up, processed, aged, tempered and packaged on premises. Mast Brother's bars have no golden ticket inside (not yet that is), but each is hand wrapped in that same "winning" gold foil lining with the opportunity to learn everything you can about creating great chocolate from the "Mast-ers". Available online or at the factory location.
I'm always on the lookout for better made products, and I recently met energetic Anke, the "fittest" baker and founder of Anke's Fit Bakery. Her Cocoa Banana Granola made my Good Stuff pick!
As a fitness trainer and a fit baker she is a baker who is fit. She founded Anke’s Fit Bakery to bring her two passions, exercise and baking, together, and to offer clients and customers delicious food that tastes like the “real” thing, while providing energy based sweets while bringing a little fun back into fitness.
Growing up in Germany, Anke's grandmothers and mother would bake everything from scratch. She has created delicious treats, made from just a handful of natural ingredients that deliver on energy and taste. I enjoy Anke's Cranberry Almond Oat Cookies on afternoon coffee breaks (the truth is I can be satisfied with just one, but my good friends can consume the full 6 pack in one serving). I've recently tried her Cocoa Banana Granola which is sweetened only with organic Maple Syrup. It's the ideal breakfast treat after an early morning work out. It's a good feeling, knowing a bowl of Anke's Granola is waiting for me after my workout cool down. BTW, it is delicious on top of ice cream too!
Anke states, "...Read the labels! In many low-calorie snacks and desserts, most of the ingredients are processed. I believe strongly that the body just doesn’t know what to do with those manufactured components masquerading as food."
California's own olives pressed to perfection. Inspired by pressing facilities of Italy and Southern France, Award-Winning Olive Oil Maker and Olive Queen, Deborah Rogers has made her mark in the olive industry with award to prove her hard work is worth it. Her impressive opperation turns-out high quality olive oils sought after by chef and culinarians going toe-to-toe with European imported products.
Drizzle, Dip and Drool.
Great for dipping fresh bread or drizzle on bruschetta.
Tasting Notes:
A blend of three fruity olive oils, this MEDIUM Intensity oil is a crowd-pleaser. It has green grass and tropical flavors, enhanced by a fruity peppery finish.
Suggested Pairings:
Because of its complex flavor profile ranging from fruity to peppery, Master Blend pairs well with all types of cuisine. It brings out the more robust flavors of roasted vegetables, bean purees, spreads and homemade salad vinaigrettes. A perfect "every day" olive oil.
The Olive Press is dedicated to anything and everything having to do with olives and olive oil. Visiting one of the tasting rooms in Sonoma and Napa is an experience. The best and freshest award winning California extra virgin olive oils are offered for tasting, along with a variety of vinegars for unusual, creative and sometimes explosive pairings. In the artisan & gourmet gift shop you’ll find many unique and distinctive items and a variety of culinary delights for the chef and novice alike.
George's Bruschetta
Recipe by Chef George Hirsch | Makes 6 Servings | From Grilling with Chef George Hirsch | The cookbook By George Hirsch with Marie Bianco © 1994
3 cups seeded and diced plum tomatoes
24 cloves caramelized garlic
2 Tablespoons grated parmesan cheese
1 Tablespoon capers, rinsed
Salt and pepper, to taste
12 slices round country- style bread, sliced 3/4 inch thick
1/4 cup olive oil
6 basil leaves, chopped
Grated parmesan cheese
To make the topping, combine the tomtoes, garlic, parmesan cheese, capers, salt and pepper.
Brush the bread on both sides with olive oil and grill 10 to 15 seconds on each side. Press down on the bread with a spatula so that the bread picks up grill marks.
When the bread is grilled, top off the slices evenly with the tomato mixture and place them in a foil pan on the grill. Close the hood and heat for 4 to 5 minutes. Remove the pan and sprinkle each bruschetta with basil and parmesan cheese.
