When the package arrived, I noted the typical plastic packaging, shaped and colored appropriately for each flavor.  I placed both of them in the refrigerator and decided I would find a recipe in the future in which to use them.  As things go with refrigerators, the lemon and lime were pushed to the back and hidden by other condiments.  Every few days I would see them and think, “I do need to use those.”

So, after a good deal of procrastinating, I took the containers out of the refrigerator.  I decided that the best way to determine how unique these juices were would be to sample them plain.  I placed a couple drops of lemon juice on a spoon and sipped.  I was amazed; the juice had the greatest depth of flavor of any lemon juice I’ve had from a bottle.  Wondering whether the lime juice could deliver such a profound amount of flavor, I tried that next.  Again the taste of lime and zest was astounding.

So, how does the maker, Dream Foods International, make a juice with so much intensity to it?  According to them, “What gives both of these diverse products that “fresh-pressed” taste and smell is the fact that they are made from 100% organic juices and are fitted with a revolutionary cap which includes the essential oils of the lemon and lime fruit and is released with the juice when squeezing the bottle.”

Sampling the Lemon Burst and Lime Burst reminded me again of the importance of buying quality ingredients.  Seeking out the best ingredients will provide the tastiest dishes.

Dream Foods suggests using these juices in place of calorie-laden dressings as a topping for your salad.  Not only will they provide a lower calorie meal, they will deliver a vast amount of flavor.  Additionally, I think these juices are excellent used in beverages (such as iced tea or a cocktail) or on seafood dishes.

In hindsight, I misjudged this product.  Lemon Burst and Lime Burst should have been in the counting the minutes until they arrive.

Entering the store, our eyes were greeted with the site of an island and a wall counter covered with stainless steel tanks filled with olive oil and balsamic vinegar.  Within each of these product lines, there were so many options.  The olive oil was available in varietals and fused, and infused flavors.  (During our visit we learned that fused oils have the added ingredient, such as orange, pressed at the same time as the olives, which creates the added flavor.  Infused oils are made by allowing the immersing the ingredient, such as basil, in the olive oil for a period of time.)  Not to be outdone, there were a wide array of balsamic vinegars available with infusions I had never seen before, such as Cinnamon Pear.

In addition to having a wide variety of offerings, Boston Olive Oil Company had knowledgeable and helpful staff at our disposal.  Although we could browse as we desired, Patrick and Gail (the owners) generously offered to answer questions and suggest pairings.  With their attention and many tastings at our disposal, we gladly accepted their pairing offerings.  The first that we tried was Pineapple Balsamic and Garlic Olive Oil.  While garlic and pineapple may not seem like natural partners, the taste was amazing- the perfect combination of sweet and savory.  The next pairing was Cinnamon Pear Balsamic and Wild Mushroom and Sage Olive Oil.  Even though that may sound perplexing, its taste was akin to a Thanksgiving stuffing and was quite tasty.

All of the olive oils are imported seasonally from different locations.  As the freshest olive oil is sold at Boston Olive Oil Company, they purchase from locations that are producing at the time of the order.  The balsamic vinegars are from Modena, Italy, some of which have aged for eighteen years.

The olive oil and balsamic is bottled at the store, and all are able to be tasted before purchasing.  We tasted many of the oils and balsamics.  Although it was a difficult decision, the pairing of pineapple and garlic was the winner, and thus we brought a bottle of each home.  Of course, with Boston only an hour away, I am sure we will be returning to sample (and buy) more olive oil and balsamic vinegar.

However, when I was offered some samples of popcorn from Popcorn Palace, I decided to give it a try.  I figured a few of my family members might be willing to help with taste tests.  Unsurprisingly, I did have volunteers who enjoyed not only eating the popcorn but offering in-depth analysis of each type.  Popcorn Palace was kind enough to send five samples:  Chocolate Drizzle Caramel Corn, Fleur de Sel, Sea Salt and Cracked Pepper, Chipotle Cheese, and Softly Salted.

Fleur de Sel was the first flavor we sampled.  As noted by my daughter, there is a delightful caramel taste that is followed by a hint of salt.  For anyone who likes the combination of sweet and salty, this popcorn is the perfect choice.

Sea Salt and Cracked Pepper was next, tried by just my husband and me.  While I liked the saltiness of this popcorn, I found the cracked pepper to be too strong.  However, I don’t enjoy spicy foods, so I decided that it was matter of personal preference.  That was verified by my husband who has a stronger affinity for spiciness and enjoyed every bite of this popcorn.

Chocolate Drizzle Caramel Corn was appraised with two of my children.  I do not enjoy most chocolate-covered foods, so I did not have high expectations for this popcorn.  However, considering that it was covered in chocolate, it was decent.  For the kids, who adore chocolate, this popcorn was fantastic.  (I would trust their judgment more than mine.)

Again, my two younger taste testers were available for the Chipotle Cheese sampling.  This popcorn presented itself with a cheese-forward flavor, followed by the smokiness and light heat of chipotle, noted my son.  It seems that it would pair well with a cola for the kids and a margarita for the adults.

Finally, Softly Salted was tested by all of us.  To me, the popcorn tasted a little more than slightly salted but was thoroughly enjoyable.  As the kids were silent while they devoured their bowls of popcorn, it was apparent that they liked this popcorn a lot.

While the five samples had unique flavors, they did have commonalities.  All of the popcorn was incredibly fresh, so fresh that you would think someone had just made a batch on the stovetop.  Additionally, each package of popcorn was filled with many, full-sized pieces of popcorn and relatively few crumbs.

For a person who isn’t a fan of popcorn, I enjoyed sampling the various flavors that were sent, as did other family member.  To learn more about these flavors from Popcorn Palace, or any of there twenty-five other flavors, visit their website.

After an email to Diane Romagnoli, one of the three co-founders of Craquelins, it was arranged for me to visit their production floor.  Located in Dover, New Hampshire, Diane bakes these flatbread crisps twice a month with David and Heidi Aguiar, the other two co-founders.  While David and Heidi made preparations for the day’s baking, Diane shared the story of how Craquelins came to be.

Diane has enjoyed cooking for a long time.  In recent years, she has started baking bread and received rave reviews from family and friends.  In fact, she received public attention when she served as the amateur chef at Z Food and Drink in Manchester in October 2010.  Serving her homemade breads as part of the meal, any leftover breads were popular requests for doggie bags.

During this time of bread making, Diane’s friend David became interested in not only eating the bread but in making it also.  Together Diane, David, and his wife Heidi formed Good Bread Company and began planning the launch of Craquelins for early 2011.  However, as these things happen, the opportunity arose for them to display their crisps at a specialty food and craft fair in November 2010, and their launch date was made earlier.  Sales were so amazing at the fair that by the second day, they had sold out of all of their crisps.

With the popularity of these crackers, they moved from a small space in Chester to their bigger location in Dover.  The making of these crackers truly is “a labor of love,” as Diane explained.  Their baking location is approximately an hour from their home bases.  Two Fridays nights and two Saturday days each month are spent making the dough, baking, and packaging.  While they could  bake more in bulk, these are artisanal crisps made in small batches.  Thus, the biweekly bakings are needed to fill the demand.

Currently, the flatbread crisps can be purchased at several farmers’ markets, Black Forest Café, and NH Made in Hampton.  Additionally, online orders can be placed.  At this time, they have four varieties:  Black & Whites, Spicy Ten Seed, Sweet Cinnamon Sugar, and their newest, Olive Oil & Sea Salt.  I have sampled all of these, both through my purchases and a generous gift bag during my visit.  My family and I are hooked on these crisp, tasty crackers.

At only four months old, Craquelins is off to a fabulous start.  Diane stated that their goal was to “bring goodness back to bread”.  With a product so young, yet so well-received, it seems quite likely that they already are making excellent progress on that goal.

To learn more about where you can find Craquelins or to place an online order, please visit their website.

A favorite indulgence of mine when dining at a restaurant is enjoying fresh bread and dipping oil.  Well, on a weekend that is all about indulgence, it was my delight to find the California Olive Ranch booth, for they had an assortment of oils to be sampled.  Mind you, these oils weren’t infused with herbs or spices.  No, these oils were served straight up with a piece of bread.  After one bite, I knew why they were done as such.  These were exquisite olive oils.

Mike was kind enough to offer send samples for me to try at home.  Being raised to be polite, I accepted his offer graciously.  The olive oil samples arrived a few weeks ago.  Since then I have had numerous occasions to cook with and enjoy both the Arbequina and Miller’s Blend oils.

Of course, we had to sample them plain first.  As noted in its description, the Arbequina truly has a fruity flavor to it.  The Miller’s Blend has more of a nutty flavor infused with fruit.  These olive oils are prime examples of the way olive oil was meant to be made.

Next, we infused each of the olive oils with herbs and spices.  The Arbequina was combined with basil, oregano, salt, and pepper.  The Miller’s Blend had garlic, red pepper flakes, and salt added.  Both oils blended well with their seasonings and produced some of the best infused dipping oils I have had.  Using a higher quality olive oil gave so much more flavor and a better mouth feel to the dish.

Finally, we have been cooking many different dishes using both oils. What I have noticed with each and every item is that the olive oil provides a little something extra.  For example, instead of simply being used to prevent onions from sticking to the pan when sautéing, the olive oil becomes a key flavor in the onions.  The olive oil gives the onions a richer, deeper flavor.

Through the last few weeks of culinary exploration, I have had a revelation.  Getting a better quality olive oil is imperative.  Oddly enough, I have skimped on the olive oil I purchase.  I always buy extra virgin, but I haven’t made the effort to look for an olive that is the best.  As it often is used as a pan coating or is infused with other flavors, I thought that buying the best olive oil may not be that important.  Apparently, I was wrong.

To learn more about California Olive Ranch, visit their website.

I met with Margaret Hammill, founder and owner of To Die For Dips on a recent winter morning at the company headquarters in Concord, Massachusetts.  Margaret has always enjoyed cooking, especially snack sort of foods.  As a customer at a local wine shop, she became friendly with the owners and would talk about food and wine with them.  One week the owner made a suggestion that has since changed Margaret’s life, “Make some dips, and we’ll sell them.”

Not surprisingly, the dips sold quickly.  One other shop asked to start selling the dips, and To Die For Dips was born.  Working full-time in a corporate job, Margaret spent her weekends making dips for the two stores.  After two years working in a small space, it was time for expansion.  Margaret moved her production to Verrill Farm.  From there she continued to work independently on Saturdays  filling orders for her growing list of customers.

As her customer list grew, Margaret needed to find a bigger space.  Three and a half years ago she moved to her current location on Beharrell Street.  For the first six months she continued to work on her own.  In January 2008, Margaret asked her sister Kathy to join her and become her production manager.  Since then, her staff has continued to grow to a team of six that assist in the production and marketing of the dips.

These dips come in a variety of flavors and are quite delicious.  (My family can attest to the truth of this, as we were graced with some samples.  They were devoured quite quickly.)  There are over twenty-five different varieties of To Die For Dips, some of which are seasonal. Each container is made from scratch and packed by hand.  Made with fresh, quality ingredients, the dips are made and shipped the same week.

Even though To Die For Dips has an assortment of varieties, there are favorites.  Some of the most popular are Smoked Salmon & Dill, Cheddar & Blue Cheese, Sun-Dried Tomatoes & Gouda, and Red Pepper Jelly with Pecans.  Served with pita chips, crackers, or veggies, they make a tasty appetizer. (My personal favorite is the Blue Cheese, Dates, & Pecans on a graham cracker- the perfect salty/sweet combination.)

What is amazing about To Die For Dips is not only the amazing product that they create, but also how it came to be.  One small request to produce some dip for selling, and a company was born.  Granted it has been years of hard work, often with Margaret working two jobs, but now it is a successful business that produces a fabulous dip.  Currently, you can find these dips at select stores in Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, New Hampshire, and Delaware.  Click here to find a store near you.

Zac Normandin and his wife had the same experience.  During their search for healthy snacks, they discovered that even organic foods had sugar and corn filler added to them.  Organic labels alone were not good enough.  However, instead of making foods just for their daughter, they launched a line of snacks for toddlers.  Thus, Little Duck Organics was created in July 2009.

Currently, Little Duck Organics consists of a line of finger snacks, Tiny Fruits, which come in three different varieties:  blueberry/apple, strawberry/mango, and apple/banana.  All three of the products are made with organic, non-genetically modified fruit that is freeze-dried.  In addition, all of these items are unprocessed, Kosher Parve, and gluten-free.

Little Duck Organics initially launched their product in December 2009.  By August 2010, their product was available in Boston-area Whole Foods stores.  They now have expanded to Whole Foods stores in New York, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania. What makes their product both interest and unique is the fact that Little Duck Organics is the only baby/toddler snack product in Whole Foods that doesn’t have added sugar or fillers.  With a product as distinctive as that, it’s not shocking to learn that although this company has been selling its product for only 14 months, they currently are selling 20,000 units per month.

Now that my babies are teens and tweens, I am no longer in the market for toddler snacks, but I do appreciate how beneficial a product this is.  If you aren’t fortunate enough to live near a Whole Foods or other store that sells Tiny Fruits, they can be bought online.  To learn more about this product or purchase a bag or two, please visit Little Duck Organics’ website.

My favorite food discovery at this year’s Expo was To Die For Dips.  These wonderfully delicious dips created by Margaret Hammill were my favorite snack at the show.  With a plethora of options from cheese to chocolate to Alaskan pasta salad, the choice should have been difficult.  However, with one bite of Blue Cheese Dates & Pecans dip, I had found my must-eat snack.  Return to Think Tasty in the coming weeks to learn more about this company.

Being a wine expo, there were almost two thousand wines to sample.  Obviously, I didn’t taste even a fraction of them, but of the wines I tried, there were a few that were quite memorable.  Turtle Creek Wine from Massachusetts provided some of the best local wine I have sampled recently.  Producing 900 cases each year, this small scale winery does a fabulous job.  Another wine of note was Piera Martellozzo’s Blu Giavello line.  The four wines in this line are all sparkling, which makes them even more endearing.  Each of these wines had a varying amount of sweetness but all were light on the palate, which created a wonderful tasting.  These wineries will be profiled on our beverage publication, Parched No More, in the next month.

The quick summary to the Boston Wine Expo: fabulous.  For an afternoon that delights your tastebuds, make sure you attend this event next year.

Ricky’s Lucky Nuts come in five different varieties:  Original, Spicy Chile Chipolte, Bombay Curry Coconut, Black Pepper & Salt, and Cocoa & Vanilla Bean.  My husband, two of my children, and I sampled all five varieties.  Each of us found these nuts to be quite flavorful. Here is our assessment of the five:

1. Original- This was a perfectly roasted peanut that could be used as a snack or within a recipe.
2. Spicy Chile Chipolte- With a coating that has a little bit of heat, but not too much, this peanut would be the perfect accompaniment for a fruit drink or margarita.
3. Bombay Curry Coconut- This way my personal favorite.  The flavors of curry and coconut give a nice balance of spicy and sweet, which work well with the peanut.
4. Black Pepper & Salt- This was my  husband’s favorite.  With half of the nuts coated in salt and the other half in black pepper, your mouth gets to experience each flavor separately, if eaten singularly, or combined, if eating a handful at once.
5. Cocoa & Vanilla Bean- This was the kids’ favorite.  Again, half of the peanuts had cocoa coating, and the other half had vanilla bean coating.  The cocoa had a nice semi-sweet chocolate flavor, and the vanilla bean peanuts were the sweet half of the pairing.

After sampling all five varieties, I spoke with Chef Paul about Ricky’s Lucky Nuts.  We spoke first about how these peanuts are processed.  The peanuts are blanched and shipped to Chef Paul in 2,000 pound totes.  When he receives them, they are raw, whole kernels.  They are stored in walk-in refrigerators until it is time for roasting.  At Ricky’s Lucky Nuts, the peanuts are roasted in small batches that contain about 250 pounds of peanuts.  As for the roasting process, I didn’t learn any of the exact steps.  As Chef Paul explained, “The exact roasting and glazing processes are proprietary secrets.”  However, I did learn that no oil, preservatives, or artificial ingredients are used.

Noting that no artificial ingredients are used, I asked about the ingredients that are used to flavor the peanuts.  For the Spicy Chile Chipolte, dried vine ripe jalapenos are used.  For the Cocoa & Vanilla Bean, organic vanilla extract and vanilla bean from Madagascar and organic, fair trade cocoa from Peru are sourced.  Bombay Curry Coconut is flavored with sulfite-free, organic coconut from Philippines.  With ingredients such as this, it is easy to see that these peanuts really are all-natural.

Currently, these nuts are distributed in fifteen states.  If you don’t happen to be fortunate enough to be located near one of these states, you can place an order online.  For a tasty, all-natural snack, Ricky’s Lucky Nuts are a sure to please product.

On day two of our visit to the expo we discovered several wonderful, new-to-us foods.  The first was a decadent sweet, Wheeler’s Black Label Sorbets.  The second was a wonderful balance to this treat, Saratoga Garlic.  As their name suggests, this company sells pickled garlic and a line of aiolis.

Saratoga Garlic was formed fifteen years ago in Saratoga Springs, New York, at Homestead View Farm, which is a certified organic grower.  All of the garlic for their products still is grown there.

The first product introduced by this company was the Lemon Dill Pickled Garlic. With a satisfying crunch and a zesty flavor, it would make a wonderful part of an antipasto platter or a delicious garnish for a martini.

Saratoga Garlic also has a line of aiolis, all of which were released at the same time.  The five sauces are:  Homestead Aioli (the original), Wasabi-Horseradish Aioli, Curry Aioli, Sambal Aioli and Saffron Aioli.  I sampled the Homestead and Saffron aiolis and found both of them to be quite flavorful just served on top of a cracker.  Of course, these aiolis would be a terrific addition to many dishes, such as topping roasted vegetables or used as a spread on a sandwich.

Saratoga Garlic is a growing company.  They have plans to create new aioli recipes and a line of garlic-infused oils and vinegars.  More tasty garlic treats loom in my future!