reviews

my opinion.

Thanks for the samples!

11/04/2010 | 5 Comments | Topics: reviews

One very rewarding part of being a food blogger is the opportunity to try new foods. Food companies know that food bloggers have dedicated readers, so reviews of their products will not be lost on deaf ears. Its ‘targeted’ at you—through me. And since I am forever searching for good food, new food and ‘what’s next’ when it comes to all-things-food… then I will be excited to try new products.… [more]

really, its all about the tongs.

09/30/2010 | 2 Comments | Topics: reviews

Hehe. I have a tong drawer: a dedicated, tong-only drawer in my kitchen. Wow—she must have a big kitchen. Far from it—in fact I have very few drawers and have to be quite creative with stashing all my kitchen tools, pots, pans and [note my mild addiction to] small Italian bowls. Even with all that creative stacking and cupboard cramming: one skinny little drawer boasts 9 pairs of… [more]

I am going to be a ZIPLOC BAG for Halloween.

09/22/2010 | 1 Comment | Topics: reviews

And if for some reason I suffocate myself, well then: body in a bag! Still in theme with Halloween, don’t you think? I know: bad humor. And I know. I shouldn’t be talking about Halloween yet… but I have more Halloween boxes—and made-up cocktails—for this holiday than any other. October is knocking at my door and my MUMMY JUICE is in Foodista’s Best of Food… [more]

My favorite olive oil store in Florence.

01/12/2010 | 9 Comments | Topics: Italian food, places to go, reviews

I went by there again today. Do you have a favorite store or street? Shops you like to walk by—because for some reason it just makes you feel good? There are many days, while living here in Florence, that I find myself taking a ‘random’ 30 minute walk. But just like reading sites online, ordering from a menu or driving from A to B… routine happens. Familiar develops. And it… [more]

Nuovo Olio in Tuscany (new oil, old oil and oil tasting)

11/12/2009 | 10 Comments | Topics: dip, sauce & syrup, places to go, reviews

Sigh. I have been smiling since yesterday; we went to a frantoio. A frantoio is a an olive-oil pressing facility/palazzo. It is the olive oil version of a winery. October and November represent the time frame where olives are shaken or combed off trees—into nets—and gathered for pressing. It is when nuovo olio (new oil) shows up at outdoor markets (last week we rounded 4-5 tables in our nearby… [more]

book: knives cooks love

06/14/2009 | 2 Comments | Topics: reviews

I am slightly behind on a few reviews, primarily because I was packing up our lives and planning the adventure of a lifetime! As you now know, we left Seattle in the latter part of May, and are cycling across Holland and parts of Belgium and France. By we, I mean our family of four: husband James and sons Anthony and Caleb. For excerpts on our adventure visit [more]

10 things to keep in mind re: cast iron skillets

06/08/2009 | 8 Comments | Topics: reviews

Cast iron pans are a favorite of many a great chefs. I never owned one; but in culinary school used them and I learned a thing or two. And a few weeks ago, KaTom Restaurant Supplies offered to send me a cast iron skillet to use and review and I said I would love to. Because I really do want to add a cast iron skillet to my… [more]

Poms Pomegranate

04/18/2009 | 4 Comments | Topics: reviews

One reason I don’t currently have advertising on my site, is that it affords me the opportunity to accept and review books, food products and/or kitchen items on my own terms. I find it impressive that companies are engaging in grassroots marketing—seeking bloggers to review their product(s). It is a new medium, a new venue to reach consumers, another means to communicate brands. I was formerly in marketing, and… [more]

Amy Goldman: The Heirloom Tomato

09/11/2008 | 3 Comments | Topics: reviews

It has taken me a few weeks time to muster up the courage to write about this very book. For no other reason than the fact that it is my blog’s namesake. It is like commenting on fashion after reading the annals of Vogue, or sharing your thoughts on politics to the nearest, listening governor. Even better, it is being a backseat driver (we are talking caboose) or being… [more]

Everybody's Nuts!

09/05/2008 | 6 Comments | Topics: reviews

I loved this company even before I tried their pistachios. And not just because they sent me a box full of goodies—though that didn’t hurt. I love them because of their branding. So few foodstuffs impress me when it comes to creative marketing, but this company is dedicated to giving pistachios their [fun] day in the sun. Remember Cracker Jacks? When I was a kid, it was all about… [more]