FUN FOOD FINDS
Up your kitchen game with some of our fave culinary discoveries
Happy Thursday Friends! Today we’re focusing on unique food finds we’ve tasted and loved so much, we want to recommend them to you! Plus, Elizabeth is putting some of her finds to good use in a “smoothie” that you can make with or without the booze during these “Dog Days” of Summer.
FABULOUS FOOD FINDS
AU: As people who enjoy the food world, we are always looking for cool new ingredients to use in our home cooking, or for the next fun product to hit store shelves, so I thought I’d drop a few that I’ve found (and love) here.
*BTW, none of these are paid placements.
ZAB’S HOT SAUCE
Zab’s Hot Sauce - Rarely does a hot sauce come along that blows me away. I’m not a chili head, and I enjoy spicy food, but I don’t crave it like some people. This hot sauce has changed me. I want to put it on EVERYTHING. It’s made from the Datil Pepper grown in St. Augustine, FL. They say it’s a “sweet heat,” but I find the spice level and vinegary tang to be just perfect in every way. They also make a “St. Augustine Style,” which I have not tried, but is supposedly a sweeter, less-spicy version than the original. If you want to take your delivery pizza to the next level, use the Zab’s Hot Honey on it, and you’ll never be able to eat pizza without “a dab of Zab’s” again.
GRAZA OLIVE OIL
I’ve been using Graza Olive Oil for a while now, and I can honestly say it’s perfection. You don’t realize how bad your current selection may be, until you’ve tried one that’s popping with flavor. Graza believes that every kitchen deserves good, fresh olive oil that’s affordable enough to be used every day. And that’s why the single origin oils (made from Spanish Picual olives) come in squeezy bottles. There are two types (for now): Drizzle & Sizzle. Drizzle is a young, fruity, high-quality olive oil that is perfect for finishing dishes (and even martinis!). The Sizzle is harvested later in the year from more mature olives and has a higher smoke point that makes it perfect for cooking, even searing/sautéing at high heat. I’ve started spotting the signature green squeeze bottles at my local Whole Foods, but I signed up for a subscription directly from their website.
CASCATELLI PASTA
Does the world need another pasta shape? Probably not, considering how many there are… but what about one that was created by a food-obsessed (and James Beard winning) podcaster? This Cascatelli shape (which means “waterfalls” in Italian) was designed to maximize “Sauceability, Forkability, and Toothsinkability.” Meaning the geometry of the pasta makes the sauce adhere better, it’s easy to stab with your fork tines, and it’s got a satisfying chew. I used to be a cavatappi girl, but now that this shape is available at Trader Joe’s, I may have a new fave. Pick some up and try making my Broccoli & Sausage Pasta with Vodka Sauce.
CUTE NEW PLATES!
If you’re like me, you need a little refresher every once in a while. And I have a ceramics habit. I would buy a new bowl or vase everyday, if Josh would let me. When you cook and entertain as much as we do, you’re gonna get some chipped plates after a while. My old set was starting to show its wear, so when I saw an ad for these everyday plates on instagram (of course), I purchased them immediately. I love that they’re simple, but have some texture, and the price tag was surprisingly affordable. These are from the Mercer Dinner Collection at Crate & Barrel, and they have lots of different options.
Tell us what YOU have been loving in your kitchen, and we’ll try them out!
BOOZY MANGO-PEACH SMOOTHIE
EK: In advance of National Rum Day (August 16th), I am sharing my favorite way to enjoy rum in the summer—this boozy, fruity, icy Mango-Peach Smoothie. To tell you that it is good—even great—is an understatement!
Like most people, I have fond college memories of making piña coladas at the beach—and this time of year, I always crave one. And, even though my taste has changed and I now prefer a less-sweet, lighter cocktail, the craving remains.
AU: Yes, I have a very strict “Obligatory Piña Colada at the Pool” Policy whenever on a beach vacation. It’s a must. Something about it just puts you in that relaxation state of mind…
EK: That college piña colada has been in the back of my mind for a couple of weeks now. So it was not that big of a surprise that the peaches at the Farmer’s market made me think first about turning them into a cocktail before eating them over a sink, or making a peach pie.
A frozen peach cocktail immediately came to mind. I thought about a daiquiri or a piña colada with peaches, but ultimately scrapped those ideas in favor of a boozy “smoothie” bursting with tropical fruit flavors.
First, who doesn’t love a smoothie?
AU: Well, I love that your definition of a smoothie includes rum. You won’t find this at the Tonic Bar at Erewhon!
EK: Haha! Well, the key to a great smoothie is making sure that the fruit is frozen, so that you don’t need to add ice. Ice keeps things frosty, but ultimately dilutes the flavor. If you want it more frozen, you can add a few cubes, but use them sparingly.
This smoothie is made with pressed coconut water, instead of dairy. Pressed coconut water is simply coconut water plus a bit of the pressed coconut flesh/puree to give the juice a richer, more coconutty flavor. I like to use it because the pressed coconut water adds a little more substance than the clear coconut water. If you can’t find pressed coconut water, you can just use your favorite coconut water.
Instead of sweetening the smoothie with sugar or simple syrup, I like to make this smoothie with mango sorbet, which is frozen and already lightly sweetened. The good brands also taste like perfect ripe mangos, and although this is not traditional, the end result is delicious. The beauty of using sorbet is that if you don’t like mango, you can use your favorite fruit sorbet. Raspberry sorbet would be great with the peaches and it would taste like a “Peach Melba.”
AU: I love the idea of the spirit you’re using in this drink… what a food find!
EK: Yes, rum is the perfect spirit for spiking the smoothie and the perfect rum for this is Plantation Stiggins Fancy Pineapple. If you aren’t familiar with the rum, it is literally made from fresh pineapple and not pineapple extracts. The unusual and special rum is a collaboration between the brand’s founder Alexandre Gabriel, and author and drinks historian, David Wondrich.
The rum is “a tribute to the character created by Charles Dickens in the Pickwick Papers, Reverend Stiggins, whose favorite drink was ‘pineapple rum,’” according to the brand website.
And, it’s not pineapple in name alone, the two-step process uses the whole fruit; “the barks [rind] of Victoria pineapples are infused in Plantation 3 Stars rum, which is then further distilled. Separately, the pineapple fruit is infused in Plantation Original Dark rum. Both [the] distillate and fruit infusion are finally blended together, creating a rich and delicious pineapple bouquet…”
One sip and you will never use another rum for any of your fruity tropical concoctions again! And, incidentally, it’s a great addition to a pineapple upside-down cake.
The recipe below is for one large smoothie-sized drink, but it is easy to bulk up. For example, a pint of mango sorbet and 4 peaches will make 4 drinks. And, if you live somewhere where you can’t find summer peaches, this drink can be made with frozen peaches–or other fruits—as well.
Boozy Smoothie: Mango Peach Edition
If you are making a pitcher of fruit smoothies for a crowd and not everyone drinks alcohol, float the rum on top of the smoothie and let each person decide if they want it spiked or not.
1 large ripe peach, cleaned, sliced and frozen
½ cup Mango sorbet
Juice of ½ lime
½ cup Pressed Coconut water such as VitaCoco
2 ounces Plantation Stiggins Fancy Pineapple (Rum)
OSMO Mango-Chile cocktail-rimming salt
If rimming your glass, wet the rim of the glass with the lime that you’ve squeezed and dip the rim of the glass in the Mango-Chile rimming salt. Set aside.
Place frozen fruit, sorbet, lime juice, coconut water in a blender or smoothie machine. Process until smooth and add rum. Process to combine and serve in rimmed glass or un-rimmed glass immediately.
That’s it for this week! As always, if you make our recipes, tag us on the ‘gram (@kitchensitch & @elizabethkarmel), and use the hashtag #whats4dinner. Happy cooking!!