cooking

One of the first things I noticed at the 2017  Winter Fancy Food Show were delicious tasting marshmallows . There have been �gourmet� marshmallows in the past, but frankly, I haven't been very impressed with them. The ones I tried this year were much better. There were three brands that stood out.  Smashmallow has very unique flavors like Root Beer Float, Strawberries & Cream, Meyer Lemon Chia Seed and Roasted Coconut Pineapple. Dandies offers all natural vegan marshmallows with a very light fluffy texture in vanilla, vanilla peppermint and pumpkin. Another discovery was Madyson�s Marshmallows . They offer various flavors but also marshmallows stuffed with chocolate and peanut butter chips. I can only imagine how good they would be toasted over an open fire!  Moroccan spice is nothing new, but it does seem to be showing up in new ways�as a flavoring for popcorn, crackers, chips and peanut butter. I didn�t try each of these but I found them interesting as a develop...

The Winter Fancy Food Show always showcases new products but also new flavors and flavor combinations. The combination of sweet and heat has been around for a while, but I saw it in new and different ways this year. Here are some of the most compelling things I tried. A couple of citrus and chili combinations stood out. Just Jan�s  offered Tangerine Sriracha . I�m not a huge Sriracha fan, I find it generally to be a little one dimensional. But this product was layered with a bright tang. Orange cayenne offered a kick to the flavor Tropic Wonder from  Revive Kombucha , a somewhat less puckery brand of the fermented beverage.  Oregon Growers always offers luscious flavors, though still in development, marionberry habanero jam is a winner. Another favorite of mine is The Preservatory based in British Columbia. In the past they have offered Heirloom Tomato with Chile and fruit jams with peppercorn. This year was the tangy and fresh Yellow Plum, Turmeric and Chile preserve...

I can�t seem to get enough crab this season. Dungeness crab is only about $7 a pound or so at local markets. I think I�m starting to get better at removing it from the shells; it�s a tedious job but worth the effort. Rather than dousing it in drawn butter, I have been tossing it with pasta and folding it into omelets. I was inspired to make crab omelets after frequently seeing crab versions of Eggs Benedict. Omelets are much easier and less fussy. With the exception of shrimp and feta, I tend to shy away from seafood and cheese. But I find that crab actually pairs pretty well with mild cheeses. If you�ve ever had a crab melt or hot crab dip, you know what I mean. I particularly like combining crab with a little bit of cream cheese. It adds richness and a velvety texture and it extends the flavor of the crab.  I prefer my omelets to be extremely tender. The key is cooking the eggs over low heat, very gently. I use a non-stick pan and plenty of butter. Chives or green onions are a n...