Chester, Vermont: Helping Hands & Wine, Cheese, Pies, Candy, Donuts, and More

Have you ever visited the small town of Chester, Vermont? 

While in Vermont, I visited my good friend, Christopher Meyer, who founded, with Jason Tostrup of the Free Range restaurant, a charitable, non-profit organization called Chester Helping Hands. It was established during the pandemic to provide food assistance for the local community, such a worthy cause. They currently offer free meals on Wednesdays, provided by local restaurants. They are also supporting local farmers who have provided foods for this program as well. All of these meals are financed through donations, and the workers who help disseminate the meals are volunteers.

On the Wednesday I was in Vermont, Chris and Chester Helping Hands set up their table on The Common in Chester, a street with a number of small businesses, from an antiques shop to a book store. A line of cars queued up to receive their free mails, and about 700 meals were ultimately disseminated. The process ran smoothly and it was inspiring to see how this community has come together to help each other during these tough times. Not only do local residents receive free food, but restaurants and farms receive support as well, helping them as they too are hurting because of the pandemic. 

If you would like to support Chester Helping Hands, you can Venmo them a donation to @ChesterHelpingHands. As they are a 501c3 organization; your donations should be tax-deductible. I'm proud of my friend Chris for having developed such an admirable program.

In the vicinity of The Common in Chester, there's a number of cool food and drink shops too. I made brief stops to a few of these places, although I would like to explore them in more depth in a future trip. Chester is a small town, of only about 3,000 people, but its worth your while to explore this interesting community. Here's a few spots I'd highly recommend you check out.

The Meditrina Wine & Cheese shop is an excellent place with a very compelling beer and wine selection, and some gourmet foods. It's a small store, but there's plenty of food and drink available, filling the shelves floor to ceiling, and I bet you find plenty to tantalize you. The shop also conducts regular wine tastings. I spoke briefly with Amy Anderson, the owner of the shop, and she evidenced the passion for wine I seek from such shop owners. I probably could have sat down with her and spoke about wine for hours.

There is a section of Vermont cheese and gourmet foods, including Torres Potato Chips, one of my favorites. If you're going to drink wine or beer, it's always pleasant to have some snacks too.

There's also a section of local beers and ciders, and this is where I bought the Shacksbury Whistlepig Lo-Ball. Vermont is well known for its craft beers, and there certainly was a wide variety of local offerings for sale. 

These photos are just a small section of the wine shop, and as I skimmed the wine shelves, I found much that appealed to me, including plenty of natural wines, small production wines, and some other intriguing wines, including a Red Vinho Verde (which I bought). They have wine at all price points and any wine lover will find much of interest. This well-curated selection would be impressive wherever it was located. Finding it in the small town of Chester was intriguing and all wine lovers need to make this a stop while they are in southern Vermont.

These "bears" stand outside the Chester Candy Company, a small spot that concentrates primarily on sweet treats made in Vermont and New England. There's plenty of decadent chocolates, fudge, retro-candies, gummies, sours, hard candies, and much more. I enjoyed their Dark Chocolate Bourbon Caramels, which certainly had a prominent bourbon taste. 

Another cool spot is the Southern Pie Company (of which I sadly didn't get any pics), which specializes in pie, especially with a southern flair. Bourbon Pecan Pie, Chess Pie, Buttermilk Pie, Sur Cream Peach Pie, and so much more. The pies looked awesome, and I was very tempted to pick up a pecan pie, but I already had too many treats at the moment. However, they also make some other baked goods, and I got some of their tasty, fudgy brownies. I will get some pie on my next visit. In addition, you'll find a variety of breakfast and lunch sandwiches, and have a variety of drinks, including various coffees. 

Less than a mile away, you should visit Smitty's Chester Market, a small grocery store with plenty of the usual items, as well as a meat counter, beer & wine, and a deli. I visited the deli a couple times, which sells a variety of customizable sandwiches, as well as salads, soups, mac n' cheese, and other dishes. Every day, there is something different offered on the menu.

Their sandwiches are ample, fresh, tasty, and reasonably pricesd. They are also made for take-out only as they don't have a dining area. In addition, they sell a variety of baked goods, made in-house, including amazing Apple Cider Donuts, dipped in cinnamon/sugar, and a hearty Cinnamon Bread. Get there early as those baked goods disappear quickly. 

And you can ever buy worms and nightcrawlers at Smitty's if you want to do some fishing in Vermont lakes and rivers.

So, when will you take your next trip to southern Vermont?

Rant: Halloween Candy Isn't For Children

Stop lying to yourself! You don't buy candy to pass out to children who go trick or treating on Halloween. You buy that candy so you can enjoy it yourself. It's a holiday where you can gorge yourself, without shame, on chocolates, licorice, and other candies. Just be honest about it.

I've heard many people say that the number of children who come trick or treating to their homes has been decreasing over recent years. However, I don't hear them saying that they buy less candy. They to continue to purchase those huge bags filled with dozens of tiny candy bars or other treats. And they specifically buy candy that they enjoy themselves, knowing they will get to eat most of that candy. Sure, they may pass out a small percentage to the children that show up, but most of the candy will never make it outside. It will be consumed by the purchaser and their family.

You'll probably end up eating too much candy, in too short of a time. And blame the fact on not enough children showing up at your house. Just stop lying to others and yourself. Just admit that most of the candy is for yourself. In the end, the honesty will make you feel better. And you won't have to gorge down all of that candy so quickly. Instead, you can take your time, enjoying just a little candy at a time.

Sure, there are some exceptions, people who buy candy they dislike so they won't eat them even if not enough children show up on Halloween. And there will be some people who have numerous children show up on Halloween so that they have little, if any, candy remaining at the end of the night. However, those are exceptions and the majority of people will eat lots of excess candy during the days after Halloween.

You also don't need the excuse of the Halloween holiday to buy and enjoy candy any time of the year.  Candy is delicious, and you can enjoy it in moderation year round. It's a bad habit to horde all of the candy for a single time of the year (or maybe two if you count Easter). Do you really need all of that sugar within a few days?  Nah, it is much better to spread out your candy love throughout the months and stop bingeing on Halloween candy.

Askanya: Compelling Single-Origin Haitian Chocolate

"The taste of chocolate is a sensual pleasure in itself, existing in the same world as sex... For myself, I can enjoy the wicked pleasure of chocolate... entirely by myself. Furtiveness makes it better."
--Dr. Ruth Westheimer

The island of Haiti was one of the first countries to commercially grow cacao, though it wasn't a very successful endeavor. However, throughout the centuries, cacao has continued to be cultivated in Haiti and there has been more success in recent years, with the potential for much more. Their cultivated cacao trees tend to be older, and more desirable varieties, such as Criollo and Trinitario. Criollo, which is difficult to grow, constitutes only about 5% of the world's production and is most often used in high-end chocolate. Trinitario is a natural hybrid, being hardier to cultivate, and can also have a superior flavor.

In 2015, Haiti produced only about 4500 metric tons of cacao, which is approximately 0.1% the of global supply. This low amount is due to a number of factors, including natural disasters like the Haitian earthquake of 2010 which decreased cacao production by about 36%. Over 90% of the cacao beans cultivated in Haiti are exported in their unprocessed state as it is difficult to ferment the beans in Haiti. There are only a small number of fermentation facilities, and it is those facilities which elevate the quality of chocolate. 90% of the cacao beans also come from small, family run farms, which, on their own, generally don't have the power or finances to market their products.

The Fédération des Coopératives Cacaoyères du Nord (FECCANO) is a cooperative of about 3000 cacao farmers, most from northern Haiti. Back in 2009, the Agronomes et Vétérinaires Sans Frontières, an international, non-profit dedicated to helping small farmers, started educating FECCANO in cacao fermentation techniques as well as helping to open four fermentation facilities on Haiti. They worked with FECCANO in other cacao matters too, such as helping them garner fair trade and organic certifications. FECCANO now has been able to export some high-quality chocolate, earning more money for its many farmers.

Locally, you might have enjoyed some Haitian chocolate from Taza Chocolate, which produces an 84% Dark Chocolate Bar sourced from Produits Des Iles SA (PISA). However, there is a new product on the market, a Haitian bean-to-bar chocolate that is produced solely in Haiti. And it is amazingly delicious.

Les Chocolateries Askanya is Haiti's first and only bean-to-bar chocolate company, located in Ouanaminthe, a town in northeastern Haiti. Their motto is "Grown in Haiti, Made in Haiti, Enjoyed Everywhere." The company was founded in 2015 by three entrepreneurs, including Corinne Joachim Sanon Symietz, her husband Andreas Symietz, and Gentile Senat. Corinne, a Haitian native, was previously an engineer and business consultant, but had a dream of returning to Haiti and starting a business to create jobs. In the end, the founders decided to accomplish this goal by creating a chocolate factory.

The name of their company derives from one of the founder's German hometown, Aschersleben, which in a Latinized form is Ascania. This is also the name of a legendary king in Roman mythology and the founders wish Askanya to become known as the Queen of Chocolate in Haiti. Askanya initially spent time investigating cacao through FECCANO, and now it has become their only cacao supplier.

Currently, Askanya produces three different, single-origin chocolate bars: Paradis, Wanga Nègès and Minuit. They are available in 55 gram bars (about $6 each) and bite-size 10 gram bars (12 for $12.50). The colorful wrappers for their chocolate bars celebrate the native flora and fauna of Haiti, including the bird of paradise (Paradis), night butterflies (Minuit), and hummingbird (Wanga Nègès).

The chocolate is available across the U.S., from New York to California, Illinois to Washington, D.C. Locally, Askanya was previously available by mail order through New Leaf Chocolates in Arlington, but the company has temporarily shut down. There is no other Massachusetts location selling Askanya but you can order them online and get some shipped to you. I received some media samples of the three different bars and found the chocolate to be quite impressive.

The Paradis is a Milk Chocolate bar, made from Haitian cacao, sugar, milk, and cacao butter, with 47% cacao. A milk chocolate bar can have as little as 10% cacao but the Paradis, with its 47%, is closer to the rough category of Dark Milk Chocolate, which generally is said to have at least 50% cacao.

When you look at the Paradis, it certainly is darker than many milk chocolate bars you may have seen, and on the palate, it will strike you as more similar to dark chocolate too. The Paradis has a rich and creamy texture, with delicious chocolate flavors and a mild sweetness. The taste is enhanced by subtle fruit flavors, providing additional complexity. There isn't any bitterness to the flavors and it will definitely please any chocolate lover.

The Wanga Nègès is also a Milk Chocolate bar, made from Haitian cacao, Rapadou (artisanal cane sugar), milk, and cacao butter, with 50% cacao. Rapadou is an unrefined, whole cane brown sugar, and can add flavors of caramel or molasses. With a 50% cacao, it would qualify as one of the Dark Milk Chocolates and it will definitely remind you of dark chocolate. The Wanga Nègès was my favorite of the three bars, presenting a complex and compelling taste. It was creamier and smoother than the Paradis, with a rich, chocolate taste and a complex melange of subtle other flavors, from caramel to dried fruit. There was no bitterness and the taste of the chocolate lingers in your mouth for quite some time. Highly recommended!

The Minuit is their their Dark Chocolate bar, made from Haitian cacao, sugar, and vanilla beans, with 60% cacao. It is the darkest of the three bars, with a rich, deep and dark chocolate taste, but again there isn't the bitterness you may associate with dark chocolate. It also has its own complexity, subtle fruit flavors, sweet vanilla, and more than I strained to try to identify. It is a chocolate to slowly savor and enjoy, reveling in its subtle complexities.

Frankly, these were some of the best chocolate bars I've enjoyed in quite some time. Their creamy richness and complex flavors were compelling, and from the first bite you know these are high quality chocolates. If this is indicative of Haitian chocolate, then let's hope more companies start producing chocolate bars and other chocolate treats. Seek out Les Chocolateries Askanya and you won't be disappointed.

Boston Wine Expo: Food Finds

As I mentioned previously, the Boston Wine Expo had numerous food exhibitors, many offering free samples of their products. This was beneficial with all of the wine offered in the Grand Tasting as you had a way to refresh your palate, and help soak up the alcohol. You also possessed the opportunity to try some food & wine pairings. Some wines, especially the more tannic ones, taste better when consumed with food. In addition, you could find some new food products that you'll want to later buy and eat at home, take to a party, or share with family & friends.

I'm certainly interested in finding new food products so my wanders through the Grand Tasting Hall always include checking out the various culinary booths. I'm going to highlight some of my favorite food finds from the Expo, and would like to hear about your own favorites too.

Wine & cheese can be an excellent pairing and there were plenty of cheese samples at the Expo. I wandered from Yancey's Fancy New York Artisan Cheese (pictured above) to Cabot Creamery, from Finlandia to Kerry Gold. Each vendor offered several different varieties and flavors of cheese, allowing you to play more with various potential wine pairings.

Several restaurants had booths at the Expo, sampling out one of their dishes. For example, The Living Room offered Momos, a South Asian dumpling, native to Tibet and Nepal. You could get a Vegetable or Beef Momo, and then add your choice of sauce, from Soy-Sake to Sweet Chili. I enjoyed the meaty Beef Momo, and stopped by the booth multiple times.

McCrea's Candies, which regularly has a booth at the Expo, produces a diverse variety of tasty caramels and I've been a fan of their caramels for about five years. Some of their flavors include the following: Black Lava Sea Salt, Single Malt Scotch, Rosemary Truffle Sea Salt, and Ginger Fusion. I'm also pleased that this is a local company, another reason for my support. These caramels can pair well with some dessert wines, such as Cream Sherry, or even sparkling wines. I would like to do a taste test, pairing some of these caramels with hard cider.

Another local producer is Top Shelf Cookies, which makes a variety of fresh cookies from a kitchen in Dorchester. Owner Heather Yunger, a huge Boston Bruins fan, began with her Black & Golds, a chewy dark chocolate cookie studded with peanut butter chips. She makes around 17 different types of cookies, such as the Cocoverdose, a chocolate lover's dream with its three kinds of cocoa and three kinds of chocolate chips. The Fluffernutter is a very local cookie, using peanut butter from Everett and Marshmallow Fluff from Somerville.

Primizie Thick Cut Crispbreads gave away plenty of sample bags of their various flavors. I'll be talking more about Primizie in its own post in the near future, but in short, these are thick, tasty chips, perfect for using with dips.

I was impressed with the crunchy cheese bites from Umland's Pure Dry, a Midwest family-owned company which was just founded last year. They use "100% natural kosher Wisconsin cheese", as well as gluten free, which is vacuum dried into tiny crunchy pieces. There are three flavors: Crunchy Cheddar, Gouda and Pepper Jack. When you look at the back of the package, and look at the ingredients, all you will see is a single ingredient, Cheese! I found these to be nearly addictive, and it's very easy to devour a bag of these crunchy cheese snacks. Though my favorite flavor was the Gouda, the other two were tasty as well. I like the crunchy texture of these snacks, and would like to use these atop a salad or in some other dish.

The local producers continue! Yummy Yammy, based in New England, makes 100% sweet potato salsas which use no tomatoes. You can find three different varieties, including Moroccan, Tuscan, and Mexican (which comes in three heat levels). My favorite was the Moroccan Salsa (medium heat), which is made with Curry, Lentil & Kale. It has a strong and delicious curry flavor and is an excellent dip, though I could easily see that as an ingredient in a variety of dishes. It only has a mild spicy kick and I would like to see another version of this Salsa with more heat. The Tuscan Salsa (medium heat) is made with roasted red pepper, white bean and basil. It is a thicker salsa, with rich flavors, and a mild spicy kick. The Medium Mexican Salsa, which is made with corn, black bean, lime juice, and chipotle, was also rich in flavor and has a different, but compelling, flavor from usual tomato salsa.

What were your favorite food finds at the Expo?

2016: Favorite Food-Related Items

What were some of my favorite food-related items of the past year?

Let me continue my collection of lists of my best recommendations and favorites of the past year, 2016. On Wednesday, I posted my list of my Favorite Restaurant Dishes of 2016 and yesterday, I posted my Favorite Restaurants & Top 50 list. Now I want to address my favorites for other Food-Related Items, from culinary school to food events, seafood to candy. This is certainly not a complete list but it is more a sampling of memorable matters I have experienced and posted about over the past year.

This is also a purely subjective list, based on my own preferences, and makes no claims about being the "best" of anything. But all of the items here have earned my strong recommendations and I hope you will enjoy them as well. For more food-related items, you can just search my blog posts for the past year.

Favorite Culinary School: Nothing else touched my heart this year as much as NECAT, a local culinary school which trains people from challenging backgrounds, from ex-convicts to recovering addicts, from the homeless to the chronically unemployed. NECAT fills the important need for culinary help while helping numerous people achieve a better life. It is such a worthy school and I want to raise its visibility, so that its good work can continue and even expand. I'll be talking more about NECAT in 2017 as it is a cause I believe in and which benefits our community in a number of ways.

Favorite Food Trade Event: For the sixth year in a row, I have selected the Seafood Expo North America (SENA) as my favorite. It is a massive trade event, a three day event showcasing purveyors of seafood and related vendors. You'll find tons of free seafood samples and learn plenty, from sustainability to cooking. The Seafood Show is an engaging event and I often write numerous articles about what I learn about there. The Seafood Show is compelling on many levels and I look forward to attending the next SENA in March 2017. Hope to see you there too.

Favorite Seafood Trend: There had been a slow decline in the amount of Seafood Consumption in the U.S., despite the USDA and other authorities stating people should consume about 26 pounds of seafood each year. Consuming seafood is a great way to reduce heart disease and prevent other medical issues too. In 2005, we saw a significant gain in seafood consumption, almost an entire pound, to 15.5 pounds. It is still much lower than it should be but it is positive progress and we can only hope that the trend continues and people continue eating more seafood.

Favorite Food Magazine: For the sixth year in a row, Lucky Peach easily prevails as my favorite. This quarterly magazine is eclectic and irreverent, with fascinating articles, essays, recipes, and more. I eagerly devour each issue, which usually has a specific theme, when it is released and its quality has remained consistent. It entertains and educates, as well as providing much for reflection. If you love food and are not reading Lucky Peach, then shame on you.

Favorite Food Book: In Pastrami on Rye: The Rise & Fall of the Jewish Deli, Ted Merwin explores the history of the New York Jewish deli, from its origins to the present day. During this exploration, Merwin also mentions Jewish delis in other U.S. regions, including Boston, though the majority of the book centers on New York. It is a fascinating history of the New York deli and you'll find much of interest in its contents. I would have liked to see more information about some of the dishes served at the delis but hopefully Merwin will write a sequel to continue the compelling story he has begun.

Favorite Food Contest: For the second year in a row, the Battle of the Burger wins this category. It is was a fierce competition, presenting plenty of delicious and inventive burgers for tasting. And who doesn't love the opportunity to taste more than 20 different burgers? It is a full scale event, with music, wine and cocktails to complement all of the burgers. The event didn't get too crowded until later in the evening, giving me plenty of time to savor burger after burger. I recommend you check out this event next year.

Favorite Food Trend: It is only in its infancy in the Boston area, but I'm hoping it makes a significant impact. Nikkei cuisine, at its most basic, is "the cooking of the Japanese diaspora," and thus varies dependent on where the Japanese settled as they adjusted and modified their cuisine, using different local ingredients and cooking styles. Nikkei cuisine is prominent in Peru and this past year, there was a late night Nikkei menu at Tico, showcasing this cuisine and I loved what I tasted. This month, a new restaurant, RUKA, just opened and it too offers Nikkei cuisine. I haven't been there yet but the menu looks promising and I will be visiting it in the near future. Let us hope more Nikkei cuisine comes to Boston too.

Favorite New Farm: I was thoroughly impressed with Little Leaf Farms, a hydroponic lettuce farm in Shirley. and wrote a series of three article about it, including Part 1, Part 2 and Part 3. The lettuce  is local, yields are high, and it tastes delicious. As most lettuce comes from California and Arizona, it is great to have a local option, including one where almost no human hands touches the lettuce. This is the future of lettuce and you need to check out their products at your local supermarket. Little Leaf hopes to expand in the near future and that would help increase production and let more local people enjoy this local, sustainable product.

Favorite Cheese Shop: When it comes to cheese, the suburbs reign supreme once again with the Concord Cheese Shop, which commonly stocks 150-200 cheeses, including many local cheeses. The staff is very knowledgeable and passionate about their cheese, and they are always seeking out new cheeses for their stock. Besides all that cheese, they also carry a variety of other gourmet foods as well as wines and beers. It is an excellent destination for many reasons.

Favorite Frozen Seafood: Stuffed clams are a traditional New England dish and Matlaw's Stuffed Clams does it right. They are inexpensive, come in a variety of flavors, are easy to prepare and are quite tasty. If you served them to guests, they probably would not even know they had been frozen. The Bacon & Cheese Stuffed Clams had a nice smoky flavor and plenty of cheesy goodness while the Chorizo Stuffed Clams had a nice spicy kick. Plus, these stuffed clams are processed locally, in Gloucester, which gives another reason to support these products.

Favorite Local Seafood Purveyor: Located on the Boston fish pier, Red's Best sells fish for over 1,000 fishermen, offering more than 60 types of seafood which is sustainable and has traceability. It is all domestic seafood, much local, and it includes under-utilized species. I really like their philosophy, their support of small, local fishermen, and their passion. They now have a small store at the Boston Public Market which you should visit to buy some excellent seafood.

Favorite Chips:  At this year's Burger Battle, I sampled the Late July Snacks Sweet Potato Multigrain Tortilla Chips and really enjoyed them. They were thick, crunchy and flavorful, with a nice spice to the taste. And they are healthier than many other snacks so are something you should seek out at your local supermarket.

Favorite Cider Donuts: There are basically two types of cider donuts, the soft ones like at Russell Orchards in Ipswich, and heavier, more cakey cider donuts that you can find at a number of other farms. My favorite are the ones from Russel, which are soft and moist, with a slightly crusty exterior, and the right balance of apple and spice flavors. And when they are warm, it's hard not to eat several on your way from the cash register to your car. With the heavier style, they tend to be more dry, less moist, and you need to have a drink with them to help wash down the dry donut. They also feel heavier in your stomach so that you rarely want more than one. Even warm, they still feel heavy and dry, and just don't satisfy like the lighter style.

Favorite New Candy: Though they are only available in Japan, the Sake-Flavored Kit Kats are awesome. These Kit Kats are created with a Sake powder which is added between the white chocolate and wafers, and the candy actually has an alcohol content of 0.8%. When you break them open, you can detect a subtle aroma of Sake, a hint of steamed rice and melon. And when you taste it, you get a mild Sake note amidst the sweet white chocolate and crispy wafer. And the more you ear, you'll realize there is more of a pleasant Sake aftertaste. You can find some on Ebay and they are worth picking up.

Favorite Dessert & Wine Combination: McCrea's Candies makes a variety of delicious caramels and I've been enjoying their caramels since 2012. They are a local company and have been regularly exhibiting at the Expo. This year, they were involved in my favorite food & wine pairing of the Boston Wine Expo. I enjoyed their Black Lava Sea Salt Caramel with the Bodegas Hidalgo-La Gitana Alameda Cream Sherry. The sweet and salty caramel went well with the complex flavors of the Sherry, including its nutty, briny and caramel notes. A magical combination.

What were some of your favorite food-related items this year?

Japan Has Sake-Flavored Kit Kats

Why is America so boring?

I'm sure most of you are familiar with the Kit Kat, a candy which consists of chocolate covered wafers. According to Kit Kat stats from 2012, about 650 Kit Kat fingers are consumed every second worldwide. As Kit Kat bars usually have two or four fingers, that means about 180-325 of them are consumed each second. In the U.S., Kit Kats are the 5th most popular chocolate candy while in Japan, Kit Kats are their most popular choice. This might be a reason why Japan has so many more flavors and types of Kit Kats than the U.S.

Americans only have basically three Kit Kat flavors/types available to them, including the Original Kit Kats, Kit Kat White Chocolate and Kit Kat Miniatures. In Japan though, there have been over 200 flavors/types of Kit Kats, with new flavors being created all the time. That's quite a gap and the U.S. needs more than just two different flavored Kit Kats. Maybe if there were many different flavors, the popularity of Kit Kats in the U.S. would rise.

In Japan, you'll find Kit Kat flavors including more unique ones such as Purple Sweet Potato, Edamame, European Cheese, Match-Green Tea, and Adzuki. Check out this list to see many of the other flavors that have existed and may still exist in Japan. Certain regions in Japan even have their own Kit Kat flavors, which are not available in the other regions. Part of the reason for the great popularity of Kit Kats may be that they are viewed as good luck, because the name sounds similar to kitto katsu, which roughly translates as "you will surely win" or "win without fail."

Some of the unique Kit Kat flavors are popular with foreign tourists, such as the Green Tea Kit Kat. Due to its popularity, Nestle decided to create another unique flavor that they thought would appeal to tourists, one using Nihonshu, or as known in the U.S., Sake! This past February, the new Sake-flavored KitKat was released in Japan. It is not available in the U.S.

I was fortunate to receive one of these Sake Kit Kats as a New Year's gift from Deborah Fleig, one of the owners of The Floating World, an excellent small Sake importer based in New Mexico. I've previously raved about a number of the Sakes they have imported.

The photo at the top of this post shows the packaging, a box with a pink sakura cherry blossom design and a bottle & glass of Sake. It costs about 150 yen, roughly $1.34 U.S. The photo above indicates the contents of the box, three packages, each containing a two-finger Kit Kat. They also sell a min-piece box for 700 yen, or $6.27 U.S. These Kit Kats are created with a Sake powder which is added between the white chocolate and wafers, and the candy actually has an alcohol content of 0.8%. That alcohol content prompted Nestle to provide a warning: "Children and lightweight drinkers are kindly requested for refraining from consuming this product."

The Nestle website states that this Kit Kat possesses:  "The elegant taste of Sake, wrapped in the gentle sweetness of white chocolate. You can enjoy the mellow, full-bodied flavor, and a refreshing aftertaste of Sake." From the outside, I couldn't detect any Sake aroma but once I broke it open, I could detect a subtle aroma of Sake, a hint of steamed rice and melon. And once I tasted it, I got a mild Sake note amidst the sweet white chocolate and crispy wafer. However, the more I ate, I realized there was a bit more of a Sake aftertaste. It was a pleasant Sake flavor, making this a tasty and interesting candy. It may never be sold in the U.S., so if you have a friend visiting Japan, ask them to pick you up some of these Sake Kit Kats.

Thanks very much to Deborah for sending me this special Sake treat.

Boston Wine Expo: An Overview & Food

A bounty of Georgian wines, with about nine different producers, and including a few Qvevri wines. A table of interesting Bulgarian wines, a couple with indigenous grapes that were new to me. As expected, there were some excellent Portuguese wines. Intriguing wines from Lodi, elevating my interest in this wine region. These were some of the major highlights of my experience at this year's Boston Wine Expo.

With a media pass, I attended the trade hours of the Grand Tasting on Saturday as well as the Vintner's Reserve Lounge. There were over 200 wineries showcasing more than 2000 wines so I was only able to sample a tiny fraction of the available wines. I usually seek out wines which are different and more unusual, availing myself of the unique opportunity to taste such wines. Why spend time sampling wines that I see all the time at other tastings? I want this event to be educational, to learn more about less common wines.

Overall, the Grand Tasting presents some interesting diversity in their wines, though I think more would be beneficial. For example, I only saw a single Sake exhibitor and there weren't many South African tables. In addition, there wasn't any Sherry, very little Port and limited local wines. I noticed that Long Island had a fairly significant presence this year, after almost no participation in previous years. The Expo is an excellent opportunity to expose consumers to different wines, to let them taste some of the vinous wonders they might not know about but would enjoy once they tasted them. Maybe the Expo organizers could reach out to more unique producers, and entice them to display their wines at next year's Expo.

As usual, once the public hours for the Grand Tasting began, the Expo got very crowded, making it more difficult to reach many of the tables unless you waited for a time. It got more difficult to speak with producers who can't devote much of their time to each different person. This year was more crowded than normal due to the adverse weather, as those with tickets for the Sunday Grand Tasting were permitted to come on Saturday instead. In the end, they had to cancel the Sunday event due to another snow storm. If there hadn't been the storm, the Expo still would have been crowded, and it would be great if a solution could be found to make it less crowded.

I'm sure plenty of the attendees don't want to spend twenty minutes with a producer discussing terroir and harvesting methods. However, there are some wine lovers who want to take some time and learn more about the wines they are sampling. Maybe these wine lovers would benefit if the Expo had a special VIP hour or two for a limited amount of wine lovers who might want to spend more time talking with producers. Does anyone else have any suggestions for limiting the crowds at the Expo?

There were a number of food exhibitors at the Expo, offering free samples of their products, from Harrows Chicken Pies to Davids Teas, from Pasta Chips to Cabot Creamery. As I've said before, with all the wine tasting, it's beneficial to have plenty of food samples to absorb the alcohol and cleanse the palate. In addition, it's interesting to pair some of these foods with the wines you are tasting. I want to present two of my favorite food stops from the Expo, items I strongly recommend to my readers.

Back in 2012, I first discovered McCrea's Candies and they were one of my Top 3 Finds at the 4th Annual New England Dessert Showcase, They are a local company, and have expanded their selection since then. Their caramels are as tasty as ever, and I was most impressed with one of their new flavors, Highland Single Malt Scotch. They use actual Scotch, from the Ardmore Distillery, and the caramel has a prominent whiskey taste, with smoky undertones. I think the blend of the caramel and Scotch works well together and would be a unique gift for the Scotch lover in your life.

Tuscan Kitchen was at the Expo showcasing their new Online Market where you can get any of their products shipped to your home. Chef Eddie Payne was at their booth, preparing a wonderful dish of Truffle Stuffed Mascarpone Gnocchi with porcini mushroom creme and shaved pecorino tartufo. Such an irresistible dish of pillowy gnicchi with a strong umami aspect. This dish is available at their restaurant and I enjoyed some earlier this week at their Burlington location (along with a couple of other tasty pasta dishes).

During the next couple weeks, I'll be posting reviews of the wines I most enjoyed at the Expo. Stay tuned..

2012: Favorite Food-Related Items

What were some of my favorite food-related items of the past year?

Let me continue my collection of lists of my best recommendations and favorites of the past year, 2012. Yesterday, I provided a list of my Favorite Restaurants of 2012 and now I want to address my favorites for other Food-Related Items, from markets to books, from cheese to candy. This is certainly not a complete list but it is more a sampling of memorable matters I have experienced and posted about over the past year.

This is also a purely subjective list, based on my own preferences, and makes no claims about being the "best" of anything. But all of the items here have earned my strong recommendations and I hope you will enjoy them as well. For more food-related items, you can just search my blog posts for the past year.

Favorite Food Magazine: For the second year in a row, Lucky Peach easily prevails as my favorite. This quarterly magazine is eclectic and irreverent, with fascinating articles, essays, recipes, and more. I eagerly devour each issue when it is released and its quality has remained consistent. It entertain and educates, as well as providing much to ponder. Their recent Chinatown themed issue was very cool. If you love food and are not reading Lucky Peach, then shame on you.

Favorite Ethnic Cookbook: If you enjoy Chinese cuisine, then you should read Feeding The Dragon by Mary Kate Tate and Nate Tate. The book is a combination travelogue and cookbook, broken down into regions of China. Each regional section begins with interesting essays about that area and then provides about 10-15 recipes, spanning the range from appetizers to desserts, and including several beverages too. The book is a fascinating culinary survey of China with a sampling of recipes that provide some authenticity for home cooks. It is aesthetically pleasing, with numerous beautiful photos of not only the dishes, but also of the people, places and items of China. An excellent read.

Favorite Food Trade Event: For the second year in a row, I have selected the International Boston Seafood Show (IBSS) as my favorite. It is a massive trade event, a three day event showcasing purveyors of seafood and related vendors. You'll find tons of free seafood samples and learn plenty, from sustainability to cooking. It is an engaging event and I wrote over a dozen posts about the show this year. It is a compelling on many levels and I look forward to attending the next IBSS in March 2013.

Favorite Cheese Shop: The Concord Cheese Shop has a huge and diverse selection of local, domestic and imported cheeses, including many small production and unique cheeses. Local cheeses are one of their specialties. In addition, they sell a good selection of wines and other gourmet foods. A one-stop store to stock up for any party. The staff is very helpful and it is in a good location, where you can also check out many other intriguing shops. Make it a day and visit Concord and the Cheese Shop.

Favorite Cheese Event: Each summer, the Vermont Cheesemakers' Festival is held at Shelburne Farms and I have attended many of their events, always enjoying myself. This year, the event showcased over 40 Vermont cheesemakers, with over 200 cheeses for sampling, a smorgasbord of dairy pleasures. There was a vast diversity of cheeses, from chèvre to blue cheese, from cheddar to mozzarella. Besides all these cheeses, there were other foods as well, from candy to croutons, breads to hot sauces. In addition, there were local wines, beers, ciders, spirits and other drinks. It does get crowded, but it is still well worth attending.

Favorite Cheese: I love cheese, in all of its forms, and it was not easy to select just one to be my top favorite for the year. However, I made my selection, the Grafton Village Cave Age Truffled Bismark. The Bismark, named for a legendary Vermont ram from the late 19th century, is a sheep's milk cheese that has been aged for at least three months. The Bismark has an intriguing taste; nutty and creamy with a delicious earthiness due to the addition of white and black truffles as well as some truffle oil. This would be a perfect cheese for an umami rich Sake, like a Kimoto or Yamahai. An amazing cheese with such a depth of flavor and complexity. Highly recommended.

Favorite Seafood Treat: Bacon? How about Salmon Bacon? Yes! I enjoyed two different salmon bacons, and they were significantly different. Though I liked both of them, my preference was for the MacKnight Salmon Bacon as it seemed more like bacon rather than just smoked salmon. It still had a salmon flavor, but was thinner and crisper and I would eagerly place it on any breakfast plate. It is even supposed to be healthier for you than pork bacon.

Favorite Pickled Food: It seems that almost any food can end up pickled and this year I was especially impressed with Pickled Willys seafood. They currently have four different types including Wild Ling Cod, Wild Sockeye Salmon, Alaskan King Crab Tail, and Halibut. They use only sustainable, wild Alaskan seafood and it is prepared with organic vinegar, cane sugar, and a blend of pickling spices. The end product is delicious, the fish still having a firm flesh and the light pickling enhances the taste. The salmon was my favorite though I enjoyed all of them.

Favorite Japanese Ingredients: At the International Boston Seafood Show, there was a Japanese pavilion, showcasing numerous food products. The Shinmarusyo Co. Ltd. produces dried bonito and also makes dashi, kind of a fish stock. Dashi is very important in Japanese cuisine, and is a common base for many dishes. Their dashi can be used to make a savory soup, which is rich in umami, that was subtle but complex flavors. In addition, they make a couple soy sauces, including the Shiro Dashi Soy Sauce, and Katuobushiya Dashi Soy Sauce. The Shiro is a light colored soy sauce with dashi and fermented seasonings. A nice depth of flavor and though like many other soy sauces in some respects, it also possessed its own exotic and unique nature. The Katuobushiya is made from dried bonito and Rishiri seaweed. It has a deeper flavor, more like regular soy sauce, but more intense and with a greater umami.

Favorite Mac n' Cheese: Though I had mixed feelings on some of their other dishes, I was impressed with the Mac & Five Cheese Gratin at GEM Restaurant & Lounge. Cooked perfectly, with a crispy top of buttered breadcrumbs and rich, cheesy noodles, this was the perfect comfort food, elevated to a high level. Nice levels of flavor, this bests many other mac n' cheese dishes you will find elsewhere. It is only a side dish, but you could easily make a meal out of it.

Favorite Frozen Food: Though it is generally best to get fresh baked goods, there are times a frozen product can satisfy your cravings. Gagne Foods, located in Maine, produces both fresh and frozen products, including sweet potato biscuits, cinnamon rolls, cream cheese biscuits and more. The sweet potato biscuits were fantastic and I enjoyed all of their products. The frozen biscuits are easy to cook and your guests might even believe they were fresh. Try the sweet potato biscuits and become a convert.

Favorite Local Ice Cream Shop: In West Concord, you will find Reasons To Be Cheerful, a dessert cafe that makes ice cream in small batches using a natural, hormone free, 14% butterfat ice cream mix from a local dairy. Their flavors vary from the common vanilla and chocolate chip to more unusual flavors like sweet azuki and ginger. They even make several ice creams using alcohol such as the Milk Chocolate Guinness and the Dark & Stormy. I found the various flavors to be rich, prominent, and well balanced so that you receive exactly the flavor you desired. The Dark & Stormy was one of my favorites.

Favorite Dessert Sauce: I have raved before about the goat's milk caramel sauces from Fat Toad Farm and this year I tasted a new flavor, their Salted Bourbon Caramel Sauce. It lived up to my expectations, with a sweet, creamy flavor complemented by a salty element and the vanilla notes from the bourbon. Pure heaven. You must try their this sauce or any other of their caramel sauces.

Favorite Candy: Speaking of goat milk, Big Picture Farm is producing some compelling goat's milk caramels. I tasted two of their hand-made caramels, the Chai and Vanilla & Sea Salt. The Chai was spicy, with a nice cinnamon and nutmeg kick, and it was not overly sweet. My favorite though was the Vanilla & Sea Salt, just bursting with creamy flavor, prominent vanilla, that great salty contrast and just the right amount of sweetness. These are very addictive.

Favorite Fruit: Chef Jose Duarte of Taranta introduced me to a new fruit, lucuma. It is a Peruvian fruit which is also known as egg fruit because its flesh seems to resemble the texture of a hard boiled egg. Chef Duarte prepared a dessert using lucuma, a smooth and creamy pudding-like item that reminded me of a delicious butterscotch pudding. Peru is a country rich in exotic food products and I hope more of them make it to the U.S. if they all can be as delicious as lucuma.

Favorite Cupcakes: I am very picky about cupcakes, and am often disappointed by the myriad cupcake stores that have spread throughout the area. However, I found a bakery, Cakes For Occasions, which makes very satisfying cupcakes. Properly moist, the cupcakes are topped by a creamy and light frosting, and the flavors are compelling. These are cupcakes that have earned my recommendation. The bakery sells many other baked goods, such as delicious whoopie pies, cakes, cookies, pies and more. Check out the bakery, get some cupcakes and see what else tantalizes your taste buds.

Favorite Healthy Snack: Kind Healthy Snacks makes all natural whole nut & fruit bars, which have natural protein, fiber and 5 or less grams of sugar. They have plenty of different flavors, including a number with chocolate. My favorite was the Almond & Coconut, which contains almonds, dried coconut, honey, non-GMO glucose, puffed rice, chicory fiber, and soy lecithin. Plenty of delicious coconut flavor, a mild sweetness, nutty accents and a nice chewy texture. It didn't taste healthy and is going to please any dessert lover.

Favorite New Food Market: A short ride away, in Salem, New Hamphire, is the new Tuscan Market, a large artisanal market, which is a one-stop shopping spot for Italian food and ingredients, as well as other quality items. Many of the foods are prepared on premises while others are purchased locally or imported from Italy. Fresh baked breads, wines, cheese, produce, meats, seafood, desserts, prepared foods and much more. There is also a 65-seat café where you can grab a bite, from pizza to pasta. This is a compelling culinary destination and you should be shopping there.

Favorite Food Contest: My inner carnivore roared in approval at the East Cambridge Rib Fest, where over 20 restaurants prepared their own version of ribs. I was even more fortunate as I was one of the judges and got to taste nearly all of the various ribs. So many tasty dishes, including beef and pork ribs, both dry and wet, savory, sweet and spicy. There was live entertainment, local beers and the weather cooperated well. I can't wait to attend this event again next year and highly recommend everyone else go as well.

Favorite Food Controversy: Once again, one of the most important, and sometimes controversial, food issues I addressed this year was seafood sustainability. I have tried to cover a variety of issues, seeking to delve behind the science and rhetoric. The importance of this matter cannot be underestimated, but it is sometimes difficult to get to the truth behind the issues. Last year, the Legal Sea Foods blacklisted dinner made headlines but this year I followed up with Roger Berkowitz (see Part 1 and Part 2) to assess the dinner's impact and Legal's continued efforts. Some of my other posts addressing seafood sustainability include: Stop Eating Cod, Tuna & Salmon, A Sustainability Primer, Verlasso Farmed Salmon, State Of Fisheries Address, How A Restaurant Becomes Sustainable, Aquaculture & Cobia, Consumers Purchasing Sustainable Seafood, Can Bordeaux Save The Sharks?, Eat More Seafood Especially Local, and Bluefin Tuna Stocks Recovering?

My Biggest Personal Food Issue: Last January, I announced that I had been diagnosed with Type 2 Diabetes, which required some adjustments to my lifestyle, including more exercise and watching my diet. I have fortunately been successful and brought my blood sugars back to normal levels, also losing a significant amount of weight. It is a health issue that will require ongoing attention but it can be managed. Thanks to everyone who supported me in my efforts and I will continue to make this a priority in my life.

My Food Prediction For 2013: A few restaurants have been experimenting with seafood charcuterie this past year and I predict that it will become an even more popular and prevalent dish in 2013. Charcuterie has been huge, with many restaurants making their own sausages, chorizo, pates and more from a variety of meats. As chefs are often looking to innovate, I feel they will move from pork, beef, poultry and other meats toward seafood. The few examples I have tasted this past year have been delicious and I think seafood charcuterie has great potential.

What were some of your favorite food-related items this year?

New England Dessert Showcase: Top 3 Finds

Over the weekend, I ate dessert for breakfast. Cookies, whoopie pies, candy, chocolates, ice cream, brownies and much more. Why would I do that?

Because I attended the 4th Annual New England Dessert Showcase, hosted by The Anthem Group, a Boston-based marketing and event agency. There were over 50 local exhibitors offering a smorgasbord of desserts and the media hour started at 10am. So, when I should have been dining on bacon and eggs, I ended up indulging my sweet tooth instead.

I have decided to list my top 3 finds at the Dessert Showcase, those items which most appealed to my taste and which were new to me. These are all items which you should seek out.

McCrea's
I do have a weakness for caramel, but that also makes me picky about it as well. McCrea's, located in Hyde Park, was founded in 2009, the brainchild of Jason McCrea who has a background in chemistry. He desired to create a top notch caramel and formed a team to help him produce it. The caramels are slow-cooked, small batches created in an old fashioned style. They even purchased a special wrapping machine, from 1910, which was retooled so they could wrap their caramels in a more traditional fashion.

They currently produce five different flavors, including Black Lava Sea Salt, Dark Roasted Mocha, Mad Vanilla, Tapped Maple and Ginger Fusion. By the end of the year, they will likely add about 11 additional flavors, including some created with spirits such as Scotch. They will also create some seasonal caramels, maybe one with Champagne too. They are available in about 60 stores throughout Maine and Massachusetts, including a few Roche Bros. and Whole Foods.

The Black Lava Sea Salt was an excellent, sweet chewy caramel with a light hint of saltiness and tiny bits of crunch from the salt. I am looking forward to their new flavors, especially those with alcohol.

Kind Healthy Snacks
These are advertised as "healthy" snacks and kind of look like granola bars so you might pass them by without much of a thought. Yet you should stop and give them a try. KIND was established in 2003 by Daniel Lubetzky. "KIND was founded on the principle of holistic kindness, and we pride ourselves on creating new paths that avoid false compromises. Instead of "Or" we say "And". We choose healthy and tasty, convenient and wholesome, economically sustainable and socially impactful."

Kind Healthy Snacks are all natural whole nut & fruit bars, which emphasize natural protein, fiber and 5 or less grams of sugar. These are not really low calorie bars though they may be healthy in a number of other ways. They have plenty of different flavors, including a number with chocolate. Though I enjoyed the Dark Chocolate, Nuts & Sea Salt and Madagascar Vanilla Almond bars, my favorite was the Almond & Coconut.

The Almond & Coconut bar contains almonds, dried coconut, honey, non-GMO glucose, puffed rice, chicory fiber, and soy lecithin. Nutritional is has 210 Calories, 13 grams of Total Fat, 19 grams of Total Carbohydrates, 10 grams of Sugar and 4 grams of Protein. But what was most important to me was its taste. Plenty of delicious coconut flavor, a mild sweetness, nutty accents and a nice chewy texture. It didn't taste healthy and is going to please any dessert lover.

Chocolate Therapy
Chocolates with a medical theme. David and Pam Griffin, husband and wife, decided to start a chocolate business together, and decided to use many ingredients which are known to possess various therapeutic effects. Chocolate itself has long been studied for its own therapeutic effects. They now produce over 30 varieties of chocolates and candies, with a store in Dedham and a second store opening soon in Framingham.

Their Sea Salt Caramel is made with Tahitian vanilla, sea salt, and dark chocolate and was an excellent blend of those flavors, clean, sweet flavors. The Gen Mai Cha is made with green tea, brown rice, and white chocolate, all with a dark chocolate cover. It had a strong green tea flavor which I very much enjoyed. Finally, the Spicy is made with dark chocolate and hot spice. Upfront, all you taste is the rich chocolate but once the chocolate is gone, there is an intense, spicy kick on the finish. All very well done chocolates.

Vermont Cheesemakers Festival: The Cheeses & Other Foods

“Give me a good sharp knife and a good sharp cheese and I’m a happy man.”
--George R.R. Martin

In a previous post, I discussed the beverages I enjoyed at the 4th Annual Vermont Cheesemakers’ Festival at Shelburne Farms. Presented by the Vermont Cheese Council, the event showcased over 40 Vermont cheesemakers, presenting more than 200 Vermont cheeses for sampling. For a cheese lover, this is a smorgasbord of dairy pleasures, the delicious products of local cow, sheep and goat milks. There was a vast diversity of cheeses, from chèvre to blue cheese, from cheddar to mozzarella. Besides all these cheeses, there were other foods as well, from candy to croutons, breads to hot sauces.

In this post, I am going to highlight some of the cheeses and other foods which most interested me. I did not taste all of the cheeses and foods that were available, though I have tasted a number of them on prior visits. I recommend you check out the Cheesemakers Festival next summer.

“Dessert without cheese is like a beauty with only one eye.”
--Jean Anthelme Brillat-Savarin

One of the first items I tasted at the festival were some of the Whitney's Castleton Crackers. The crackers are supposed to be all natural, hand made and hand cracked. They have about a half dozen different flavors, and their newest is Cabot Clothbound Cheddar (which is not even listed yet on their website). I am a huge fan of this cheese so was intrigued by this cracker. The cracker is very firm, which is good if you want to spread something on it, and it had a nice, strong cheddar taste to it. They have enough taste that you could enjoy them on their own, though if you wanted to top them with something, the cheddar flavor would complement the topping.

On one of my prior trips to the Festival, one of my favorite cheeses was the Grafton Clothbound Cheddar from Grafton Village Cheese. I stopped at their table this time and they were presenting several of their Cave Aged cheeses. The Cave Aged Vermont Leyden is historically produced in the Leiden area of the Netherlands, where it is known as Leidse Kaas. It is a cow's milk cheese which has been aged for at least two months. It had a bold and buttery taste with an intriguing herbal component from the addition of cumin.

The Cave Aged Bismark is named for a legendary Vermont ram from the late 19th century. It is a sheep's milk cheese that has been aged for at least three months. The Bismark has an intriguing taste, nutty, creamy, and with a zippy tang on the finish. They also have a Cave Aged Truffled Bismark which was even more impressive, adding a delicious earthiness due to the addition of white and black truffles as well as some truffle oil. This would be a perfect cheese for an umami rich Sake, like a Kimoto or Yamahai.

The Vermont Farmstead Cheese Company is devoted to sustainable dairy farming practices and is opening a new production facility and aging cave in Windsor, Vermont. They raise a mixed herd of cows including Ayrshires, Brown Swiss, Holsteins, Jerseys, and Red & White Holsteins. This was their first year at the Festival.

The Farmstead Cheddar has a pleasant, buttery and slightly sweet taste with a nice, form texture. The Vermont Heritage Cheddar ramps up the flavor, providing more depth and complexity on the palate. An excellent cheese. The Lille Farmstead Coulommiers is similar in some respects to a Brie, and possesses a creamy taste with elements of mushrooms and butter. The earthiness of the taste really appealed to me. The
Smoked Brickhouse Tilsit, of Danish ancestry, was a firm cheese with a smoky and spicy taste, yet with a creaminess as well. The Windsor Dale uses an 1800 recipe of an Old English farmhouse cheese and was quite intriguing, possessing a fruity taste complemented by a mild sweetness.

The Boston Post Dairy is a small family run farm and all of their cheeses are made with goat's milk. The farm is owned by Robert and Gisele Gervais and their four daughters. Robert and Gisele also have eleven boys, quite a large family.Their Feta was compelling, with a nice texture and a mild, creamy taste. It would be great with watermelon or over a salad. The Tres Bonne is a semi-hard goat cheese with delicious buttery and nutty elements, and an element of creaminess. The Eleven Brothers, named after their actual eleven brothers, is a semi-hard, washed rind goat cheese, reminded me of an aged cheddar and was quite tasty. Even their Plain Chevre was fresh, light, clean and extremely creamy. It is one of the better Chevre I have tasted in awhile.

Vermont Shepherd Cheese is made on a 250 acre farm that raises 300-700 sheep, dependent on the season. Their cheese is made seasonally, such as the Verano (summer cheese) and Invierno (winter cheese). I tasted the Invierno, a blend of cow and sheep's milk, the cow milk coming from the nearby Livewater Farm. It is a natural rind cheese that is aged from 5-9 months in their own cave. The cheese had a firm texture with bold flavors of butter, nuts, grass and even herbal hints. Quite an interesting blend of flavors.

The Bonnieview Farm is a sheep dairy and they make several different sheep's milk cheeses. The farm has been in the family since 1890. Their Mossend Blue is a medium pungent blue, with a firm yet crumbly texture, and a pleasant, mild taste. The Seven Brock Blue has a much stronger flavor, which I enjoy, so it was my favorite of the two. Give me a nice glass of Port and I would be very happy.

I have raved before about the goat's milk caramel sauces from Fat Toad Farm and they had a new flavor at the festival, Salted Bourbon Caramel. All I had to do was see that flavor, and I knew I had to taste it. and it lived up to my expectations, with that sweet, creamy flavor complemented by a salty element and the vanilla from the bourbon. Pure heaven. You must try their caramel sauces.

 

More caramel delights! Big Picture Farm is a goat dairy and they make goat's milk caramels. It is a relatively new farm, having started in 2010. I tasted two of their hand-made caramels, the Chai and Vanilla & Sea Salt. The Chai was spicy, with a nice cinnamon and nutmeg kick, and it was not overly sweet. My favorite though was the Vanilla & Sea Salt, just bursting with creamy flavor, prominent vanilla, that great salty contrast and just the right amount of sweetness. These are very addictive.

"A corpse is meat gone bad. Well and what's cheese? Corpse of milk."
--James Joyce