Local Delicious

You can be forgiven for thinking the word “vegan” means the opposite of “tasty” as I did until my recent run-in with New World Natural Foods chocolate Bliss Balls. I’d seen them around before, but always steered clear since the regular ones look a little too wholesome and fibrous to actually taste good.

I expected them to be full of chewy ground nuts, grains and fruit, but these chocolatey treats are more like large, quality chocolate truffles than a (slightly) more healthy alternative to same. What they don’t have is eggs, milk or wheat. What they do have is smooth, velvety, melt-in-your-mouth, great taste.

I guess what it boils down to is this: some people want to eat vegan and still have a few treats, and those of us who aren’t vegan like the idea of eating a more socially responsible form of chocolate decadence.

I’m good with that.

Note: Another thing I like is that the container was made of corn and fully biodegradable, even though it looks like standard issue, plastic.

Have you tried this product? Add your feedback, post a comment…

While many farmers markets are restricted to local products only, the Minneapolis Farmers Market allows resellers with non-local produce and wares to participate. While it may fly in the face of strict direct farm-to-consumer marketing, the larger overall size and greater number of options at the Minneapolis market draws out many more vendors and attendees than I’ve seen at other markets.

This approach may be behind their success in maintaining both a daily market and a downtown weekly market, with a season that is 26 weeks long. In offering consumers so much choice, the market is more mainstream and therefore more accessible to Joe Public. If I insist on buying oranges, I can also get my locally grown green onions, Brussels sprouts, mushrooms, and squash right there.

The biggest benefit may be that people who might not think much about eating local do, because it’s there. It’s a bit like hiding finely chopped vegatables in the spaghetti sauce so kids will eat them, unwittingly.

Increased sales, as a result of thoughtful consideration or simple convenience, can only have a positive benefit on the local agricultural economy.

Minneapolis Farmers Market Downtown

A business trip last autumn found me in Minneapolis where I took in both the weekly and daily farmers markets.

I love that the Minneapolis Farmers Market comes to town once a week, right in the midst of the business district. The weekly market stretches for several blocks along Nicollett Mall, a lengthy pedestrian/transit-only street, making it easy for workers from the surrounding office towers to access on breaks and lunch. Which they did, in droves. The stalls were full of fabulous produce, fresh flowers, and a variety of local food products including bison jerky, honey, and salsa.

There is also a daily farmers market, about a mile outside the Minneapolis downtown core. It is much larger and offers a huge selection of produce and food products as well as some crafts, clothing, and jewelry. The Saturday market is not as easily accessible by transit, but the multitude of stalls and sheer volume of goods make it well worth the trip.

Minneapolis Daily Farmers Market

Listen, if I can make ceviche, anyone can make ceviche.

Once described to me as Mexican sushi, I first discovered my love of ceviche on a Mayan resort where I ate it almost daily for lunch. Between that and the fresh salsa and fresh guacamole, I was in heaven. No other food required. Especially not hamburgers and hotdogs. (Come on, people, are you kidding me?!)

I’ve never been one to cook a lot of seafood, mostly because (a) I grew up on the Prairies where the rare, fresh, rainbow trout got stuffed and cooked beyond recognition or digestibility, (b) fish is too easy to overcook and I’m never sure, and (c) I haven’t a clue how to season without overwhelming it. I make a mean Thai green curry chicken, but let’s be kind and say seafood is not my forte.

Then in rides Simply West Coast on a white horse. They have bottled gourmet flavour and combined it with easy, easy prep — so easy even I can’t mess it up. I stopped by the Dundarave Fish Market the other day, took the staff’s recommendations on a mix of fresh seafood, and bought a bottle of the Sun Soaked Ceviche Marinade. Back home a couple of hours later, I had a delicious, restaurant-worthy dinner ready to go.

Now that I’ve discovered how easy it can be, I intend to relive my Mexican vacation and demonstrate my love of ceviche on a very regular basis.

Have you tried this product? Add your feedback, post a comment…

You’ll love the brief and fully pronounceable ingredients list on HevyD’s Kettle Korn. According to the label, all you’ll find in the package is popcorn, canola oil, sugar and sea salt. No preservatives, no trans fats, no GMO oil, and no cholesterol. And no guilt.

I recently checked out a well appointed 190g bag (really, why bother with anything smaller) from our very own backyard in Vernon, BC. Now, I like a good buttery mix of salty and sweet in my kettle corn and while this one was a bit more sweet than salty, the flavouring was light enough not to feel overdone — why, practically healthy, even.

I’d like to be able to tell you how it tasted the second time I tried it, but even with the bigger bag it didn’t last long enough for that. (In my defense, I was sharing.)

In addition to producing a very tasty snack, HevyD’s Kettle Korn offers fund raising opportunities and a new music portal in support of indie musicians. My snack came with a coupon for 20 free downloads, which I fully intend to take advantage of.

Have you tried this product? Add your feedback, post a comment…

There are many sweet and tasty products made in Québec , which produces of over 85 percent of the world’s maple syrup.

Newest on the go is award winning Equinox Maple Flakes by Decacer. This latest innovation is a unique sweetener made by dehydrating maple syrup. Maple Flakes received the most innovative product award at Sial Montreal 2007 and a “SIAL d’OR” at SIAL Paris 2008.

The popular Maple Flakes are used by chefs and artisans, as well as food processors, to add a sweet maple taste, a crispy texture and all the health benefits of maple syrup to all manner of food.

Your only limit is your imagination.

Have you tried this product? Add your feedback, post a comment…