If you follow us on twitter, you might already know that we were hanging out in Atlanta this weekend. The main attraction that brought us there wasn’t the food (although that aspect ended up being quite wonderful.) It was the Georgia Aquarium. It’s actually the world’s largest aquarium & the pictures of it online look amazing. Excited by that, we decided it was time to start planning a trip to ATL…
Which brings us to the awesome trip we took to the World of Coca-Cola. Right across from the aquarium, it stands as a mecca to all things Coke. There’s a ton of vintage Coke ads & memorabilia, an example of a bottling line, a little 4D theater, & photo-op with the Coke Polar Bear… Overall it’s very cool, but the thing that makes it a place you need to visit while in Atlanta is the Tasting Room.
See, as you would probably guess, Coke isn’t just Coke & Diet Coke & Vanilla Coke etc. The company manufactures almost 400 different beverages around the world from Fanta to Vitamin Water & Odwalla. In the Tasting Room you get sip as much as you please of 60 different flavors from North America, Latin America, Europe, Asia, & Africa. Divided by continent, the fountains offered everything from familiar flavors—Fanta tastes the same in every language—to the bitter & bizarre (more on that in a bit).
On the highlights reel are two sodas from Latin America: Inca Kola (Peru) & Mazaran Lift (Chile). Tasting like bubble gum & apple respectively, they were new & interesting without being overly sweet.
Japan’s Vegitabeta had almost no taste & their unidentifiable flavor of Hi-C Ume was bland, but unoffensive.
Sugar overload definitely kicked in after tasting Africa’s Bibo kiwi and pineapple sodas. Definitely the sweetest I’ve ever tasted. I could feel my teeth cringe.
North America’s selection was as expected, however there was one surprise. Did you know that Barq’s makes a red creme soda? Like Big Red, but better! I had never seen it before, but will keep my eye out for it. Maybe it’s a regional thing we don’t have in Texas? Or maybe I haven’t spent enough time on the soda aisle.
While Latin America’s sodas were some of my favorite, unfortunately the losing flavor came from Italy. I had a feeling it was going to be a challenging taste because one of the guides told us to “make sure to try the Beverly, it’s verrrrrry interesting—our most talked about flavor.” Distinctively bitter, it’s got to be an acquired taste because I could barely finish the small amount in my glass. What I found out through research *cough*wiki*cough* that they didn’t tell us at the museum is that the bitter taste comes from the ingredient quinine, which is also found in tonic water. The amount of quinine in Beverly actually causes it to glow under ultraviolet light! If you travel with that kind of technology on you, be sure to check that out when you visit & report back, okay?
Happy new year everyone! Thanks for reading this past year & for all the nice comments & emails. It really makes me so happy to know that people like the site. We’re talking about a little reorganization in 2010 & new ways to search the site & whatnot, so stay tuned. Rang in the new year in Missouri, where it’s snowy & so freaking cold.
Rain, sleet, wintery mix—whatever you call it, leave me out of it. It reminded me of some winter cupcakes I made for some friends & family last week so I thought I’d post the picture. They’re vanilla on vanilla. I thought about making them white chocolate & peppermint, but after having a peppermint martini that was like sipping Scope, I thought better. Individual cupcake boxes from Amazon are a cute way to present them, but prepare for some serious folding. Those little boxes are harder to put together than you’d think!
(Left to Right)
Himalayan Salt Plate
For the foodie who’s seen (& eaten) it all: a hand-cut block of pink salt that adds a hint of flavor to foods. Use it right on the grill, in the oven, or chill it to use as a beautiful way to serve sushi.
Sur la Table: $40
Selvedge Denim Apron
For the man of the kitchen, a vintage denim cira 1940 is just the right mix of style & utilitarianism. No lacy frills in this kitchen.
Hickorees: $155
Central Market Gift Card
So you can never go wrong with a gift card, but here’s what makes a gift card from Central Market special: they can be redeemed on cooking classes there. I’ve both given & received cooking classes from CM with great success. You can pick up a calendar of classes at the store to include with the gift card so they can pick the one they’ll like best.
Central Market: Any $$$. Classes are in the $50 – $60 range.
BeeHouse Iced Tea Pitcher
Their signature tea pots are round & cute, which makes this structured iced tea version even more unique. Brew it right in the pot using the included diffuser & put it right into the fridge.
Rare Device: $50
Brooklyn Brew Shop Kits
Kits that include everything you need to brew at home! Originally included on a matthew jacob’s annual gift guide. (He’s a good friend of the little dish & beer connoisseur.) While he’s inclined to choose the IPA, I think the Gingerbread Ale is where it’s at.
Brooklyn Brew Shop: $40
Renzo Oven Mitt
Cheery & useful. It’s a perfect complement to a baking book & they’ll use it all the time.
Built: $15
Animal Lunch Bags
Boo the pink panda(?) is on my personal wish list. Fill it with yummy snacks for double elf status.
Target: $10
Komforte Chockolates
Forgive them the quirky spelling; one look at their line of candy-bars & you’ll see they can’t help being different. The Seattle-based company currently has 3 flavors ranging from the insanely delicious-sounding French Toast flavor to the plainly insane Ramen Noodle. Availability is limited; it looks like your best online bet is here.
Seattle Chocolates: $3
Skillet Street Food Bacon Jam
This popular Austin trailer ships only one item: bacon jam. It’s rendered bacon that’s been simmered for 6 hours with onions & other spices. Delicious. Just the kind of thing our favorite pork devotee would love.
Skillet Street Food: $12
I really love honey. In fact, it’s one of my favorite flavors. I like it even more when it comes out of a bear-shaped bottle, but I feel torn about the fact. You have to be discerning about quality & unfortunately the best kinds don’t usually come in that cute little guy. The most flavorful honeys are usually local, organic, darker in color, and probably in a plain glass jar.
One taste of white gold honey changes all those preconceptions. Made from red clover honey in Canada, it’s the most interesting honey I’ve ever tried and though it’s very mild, it’s one of the most delicious. It has a beautiful ivory color and the lovely, thick consistency of whipped frosting. Surprisingly, both of those qualities occur naturally. The raw honey comes from a white nectar and solidifies because of its low moisture content.
As I mentioned, it does have a very mild flavor, which is why I suppose Teavana chose to carry it. It won’t overpower the other flavors in their tea. However, it tastes just wonderful by itself upon a piece of toast. This honey is so special, it makes up for the fact that it doesn’t come in a bear.
Shopping Note: While I couldn’t find this particular honey on Teavana’s website, I found an organic white volcano honey. The sales associate at the location I visited was absolutely raving about it and said that when I finished this jar, that was the next one I needed to try next.
Teavana
NorthPark Center
8687 N. Central Expressway | Dallas, Texas 75225
Other locations nationwide.
In London, I had a pint at my first authentic pub. Obviously, it was a little different than our idea of a pub. Families can go there to eat dinner, there’s a wider variety of people and ages, and the atmosphere is very nice and laid back.
While there, I had my favorite beer of all time, Fruli. It’s almost unfair to call it a beer because it was more like an alcoholic strawberry juice. It’s a very mild Belgium wheat beer and it’s unbelievably good. The bar had it on draught and a lot of people seemed to be ordering and enjoying it.
Here’s the dilemma now: HOW TO GET FRULI IN THE STATES? I’ve seen some mentions of it being imported here, but I can’t find any sites where I can actually purchase it by the bottle… the case… the truckload.
Any suggestions?
So, of course the little dish is about really good food. But it’s also about being real. And you know what’s real? People, I work in a cube! And when you’re trying to make your living in a box with no lid*, sometimes food comes down to a matter of sustenance. For lunches at work, I want something that’s low-fat and good for me, simple, and relatively inexpensive. These guidelines rule out a lot of restaurant options, so I’ve started trying to bring my lunch more often.
This is usually a great plan, but sometimes when I snooze too long, it’s very sad. With no time to pack a lunch, I tend to fall back on a plan B that’s not so wonderful. Happy meal, anyone?
So this brings me to Healthy Choice’s NEW line of all-natural TV dinners. Yes, companies like Amy’s have been doing the all-natural thing already, even going one step further and making it organic. However, their price point is a tad high for a microwave lunch that’s most likely going to be eaten in front of a computer screen. (No offense, love your food!)
Healthy Choice’s new dinners were intriguing to me because:
a.) They are all-natural (no gross, weird TV dinner preservatives etc.)
b.) They are really inexpensive. We’re talking under $2.00 a piece
c. ) The flavors sounded really tasty.
d.) All of the above.
I’m not going to give the answer away, because I think you all know what it is and I don’t want to insult your intelligence. Healthy Choice’s new meals are awesome… in theory. But how are they for real? Amazingly, not a disappointment. They’re pretty good! I had the Portabella Spinach Parmesan (9 grain penne with baby portabella mushrooms, spinach, tomatoes, and parmesan cheese). It’s tasty, in fact, one of the best TV dinners I can recall. And at 270 cal. with 7 g. of fat, it’s essentially everything I need. Unless you see some sort of major retraction after I try the rest of the meals (I bought one of each), I’m a fan.
(Oh, and since everyone talks about salt all the time when frozen food comes up, I thought I’d mention that there was 600 mg in the meal that I ate. Sounds like a LOT, but apparently that’s only 25% of your recommended daily amount? Interesting.)
*I don’t want to seem overly down on cubes. They’re not that bad. Mine’s really cute, actually…
These are my new favorite candies. I bought a bag of them at a little grocery store in Tokyo and have been rationing them out since I got home. They are a LOT like M&Ms, but the candy shells and the chocolate inside are ever so slightly different. Yes, the differences are very subtle, but trust me, they mean everything. I also like the cute color scheme and the cartoon dog drawings that show up on every couple of candies. That is a major plus. Awesome: I found a candy I love. Bad: it’s from Japan. Does anyone know about these? Have you seen them anywhere here in the metroplex? Lemme know.
Ever get bogged down trying to remember how much of ingredient ‘A’ should be mixed with ingredient ‘B’? Well here’s a handy little chart that writer Michael Ruhlman has assembled and presented. It’s not cheap ($20), but if you are looking for a quick gift for someone who likes to bake, this is the ticket. Maybe it will also inspire you to bake more. Everyone loves homemade dough!
via Michael Ruhlman
Less than two weeks until Christmas and you’re still making your list? Just in time, it’s the First Annual Little Dish Gift Guide! Delicious, whimsical, even spooky—it’s got a little bit of everything for your favorite foodies…
Genius Design
Designed by Jakob Wagner, it’s the prettiest wall-mounted wine rack. Ever.
$40.00 & up (depending on the configuration)
For The Naughty List: Death By Chocolate
Seriously luxe chocolate, the Mori Ex Cacao Gift Set from DL & Co. features 3 skull-shaped chocolates in the delicious flavors: Curious Chili, Scorched Caramel, and Bitter Brandied Cherry.
$65.00
Barefoot Contessa’s Grab & Go
Cute kits from my very favorite, Ina Garten. The perfect holiday one? Gingerbread Cake Mix with Lemon Curd and a cute Barefoot Contessa spatula.
$14.99
Modular Mixing
The unique nesting design and beautiful colors make this 8-piece Nest Bowl Set the perfect gift for the chic chef who’s short on space. (From UK designers Joseph Joseph)
$58.00
Not For The Faint Of Heart
Chocolate-covered Giant Ants? BBQ Worm Crisps? Edible features seriously out-there snacks for the most adventurous gourmand. (And if you go with the Reindeer Paté, you better make sure they have a sense of humor too.)
£15.00 GBP (Shipping to the US available)
Hippie Love: DIY Granola
With a gift certificate from MixMyGranola.com, the recipient will be able to mix their custom granola blend just the way they like it. Organic granola + Goji berries + Roasted Hazelnuts + Chocolate Raisins? The combinations are endless.
3.99 & up (for 16 oz.) + the cost of mix-ins
Haute Chocolate
Watch the how-to video for this Bialetti Hot Chocolate Pot and you’ll be sold. The electric pot heats and froths milk so it can be used for making lattes, chai teas, and whatever else you can dream up.
$79.99
Gum Drops & Lollipops
A celeb-fave, New York’s Dylan’s Candy Bar is the perfect place to find something for the sweet tooth on your list. Everything from sour treats to premium hot chocolate (my favorite) in the cutest packaging.
$10.00 & up
The Classic (For A Reason)
I’ve never received fruit-of-the-month as a gift, but if I did I’d be really excited. Beautiful, seasonal fruit for 5 months. It’s healthy and this organic version from Harry & David offers a modern take on this classic gift.
$189.95
Want more gifts? Our friend Matthew Jacob’s annual gift guide is always too cool for school.
Consumer alert! Children of middle America are in a state of panic! Parents not sure what to feed their children for their afternoon snack!
Aug. 22, 2008 — Nestle Prepared Foods Company is recalling about 215,660 pounds of its “Hot Pockets Pepperoni Pizza” stuffed sandwiches because they may contain pieces of plastic.
Oh man, plastic in my Hot Pocket, what to do? I’ll tell you what to do, throw out those Hot Pockets or take them back for a refund. Not only because they might contain a foreign object, but are probably kinda bad for you anyway. These are the reasons why I eat out.
