British Food: What They Say Isn't True

I have written on this blog for 2.5 years and there is good reason for that. On my last blog post, I actually had just met my husband and have spent a good deal of my time dating, marrying and settling down with him. What is most annoying about not having posted on the blog for this long is that I have actually written quite a lot for it. Notes in my Iphone, pictures taken, half written posts gathering virtual dust in server space in Kentucky or wherever have sadly not made their way to the pixels on your internet viewing device. So what brought me back after so many half-hearted attempts? There was a phrase that an individual said to me yesterday that stuck in my head… itched and would not go away. My response to her comment did not sway her opinion in the least. I was in bed at midnight and her words still lingered so I sat up, pulled over the laptop and here now is my full rebuttal.

It always gets my goat when people say that “It’s true what they say about British food, it’s awful”. I want to ask “Have you been back in the last 30 years?” or “Did you eat at a place other than a chain sitting outside of a tourist trap?" In this post, I will hopefully convince you that this unfortunately widespread opinion is a misconception. I believe that after many trips and getting married in the country, that I have eaten at such a variety of places in the city and country, I can speak from an informed perspective. And I don’t think the fact that I am an anglophile is swaying me to this conclusion either. Or the fact that my husband is English and happens to be the best cook that I know (and anyone who has had the pleasure of eating his creations, will never say a bad thing about British cooking again). Aside from these points, I love food and I have been impressed by England in so many ways. Not only can I stroll through Trafalgar Square and happen upon the London Symphony Orchestra playing Stravisnky or see Marina Abramovic in-person at The Serpentine, but there is an equal and vibrant food element to the cultural scene.

Now, I do hail from Utah now, which is not the culinary capital of the world, but I’ve been around the block from Wayfare Tavern in San Francisco and Craft in New York to Sirocco in Thailand. And Salt Lake City has its own fair share of artisanal and fine quality cuisine (shout out Meditrina and Pago). I just want to inform you of my informed palate. I have had too many disappointing meals in Paris (the countryside is completely the opposite) but I have never ever had a bad meal in England. In fact, it only gets better every time I go. It could be because I have an eye now for what is promising – the design, the menu, the wine. These are all tell-tale signs upfront on the type of meal to be expected. Or it could be that London is reaching its zenith of its cuisine revolution finally.

Another reason that I may have never had a bad meal in England is because I have chosen not to have Mexican food in England because, well they don’t have many Mexicans there being so far away from Mexico. But the equivalent to Mexican food is a curry. In fact, many people are shocked, as I once was, to discover that curry is the national food of England. Couldn't we say Mexican food has become as much a part of American cuisine as hot dogs and burgers? At 2 in the morning sobering up, my friends and I get Mexican food. In England, you get a kebab when it's too late to take the tube and are waiting on a cab to pick up your drunken self.

I remember my first day in England in Sept of 2010, walking around the city amused and out of my element and stopped at a falafel place for my first meal and was satisfied. I went back to the adorable B&B where I was staying, 22 York Street, and fell asleep for a while and woke up, turned on the TV to see that it was midnight, watched a news segment about a foreign political figure stabbed outside of his apartment. I clicked off the TV and wandered stupidly out of the B&B in search of food. You would think the recent news I had watched would have deterred me but don’t get between me and my food or you will be the one in trouble, not me. I ran into Piccadilly Circus with drunken, loud mouthed youths and loads of food vendors. I grabbed a few samosas and went on my way after being amused by the scene. 

A few days later in my trip, I found myself in Brick Lane, an area which hosts 200+ curry houses in a few block radius, eating Indian food which was much different than the Indian food that I had in Utah. It was more complex, earthy, less sweet and so good that I ate too much. I now have a spot in Twickenham, in the suburbs of the greater London area, that I go to every time I set food in England which is close to my in-laws house called Green Spice. My favorite item on the menu is Shrimp Scamport, a dish that I have never heard of before and the papadums, something that no Utah Indian restaurant has (like Indian chips and salsa with lentil crisps and various sweet and spicy sauces). At the end of the meal, the staff brings out brandy for the men and Bailey’s for the women, After Eight mints and roses for the ladies. A little cheesy but charming in its own right. My husband always gives me the brandy. Green Spice is the equivalent for me that Red Iguana, Utah’s renowned Mexican restaurant/dive featured on Diners, Drive-ins and Dives, is for my husband. Every time he lands in Utah, we immediately drive to Red Iguana as it is conveniently en route from the airport and we get the best Mexican food in town with moles and beautifully melted cheese.

Now you may say, well of course the Curry is good there (and note, all curry is not just Indian. There are loads of Bangladeshi or Pakistani curry houses as well). But British cuisine holds its own aside from its ethnic influences from nearby countries. I want to note that one does not have to eat at high-end, Michelin rated restaurants to have a decent meal (like places that I have been to like Dinner and The Wosely which are the top dining experiences and very British). I can’t stop at a gas station anywhere in the U.S. and expect to see an organic quinoa, beetroot and feta cheese salad in the refrigerated section! But I can in England. There are so many appealing and healthy options, especially with a Pret A Manger, Marks & Spencer, Waitrose and now Whole Foods always close by. It is usually difficult for me to decide and I get several meals at once. There is a difference generally in what is available but I prefer the English options to those in the U.S. generally. I cannot find duck eggs, chicken liver pate or lapsang souchong smoke infused salmon in the US where I can readily in England. England’s eggs are almost all free-range whereas it is a selling point in the U.S. Read more reasons why England's eggs are better than those in the U.S. here. There are vegetarian options everywhere. I can substitute a Sunday roast with a nut roast and it tastes incredible as it’s handmade that day. Not feeling super healthy? No problem. Eat a divine gourmet burger at Hache and you will find it impossible to be let down by any choice that you make.

And then there’s Harrods. I should have just started with this mecca of food since I love them so much. Harrods has such an incredible selection of high quality foods in one place. You can get a $50 for 100kg of Kopi Luwak, which I did to cross it off of my foodie bucket list but you can also William Curley fine chocolate, young green Castelvetrano olives and don’t even get me started on the cheese selection because we’ll be here a while. Fortnum & Mason also hold their own in the high-end food shop spectrum. One of the best days of my life was during my second trip to England in January of 2012. Two girlfriends and I visited Harrods and we ate at a lovely fish restaurant, Bentley's. We perused around and then had tea and dessert at  Ladurée. I was in absolute heaven! Note, it was not only one of the best days of my life because of the visit to Harrods. That evening, I popped into the pub next to my hotel, The Roebuck, and was bar tended by a handsome, intelligent, fun guy who had a knowledge and know-how of craft beer. A couple of drinks and a few years later, that man is now my husband.

But let’s not overlook places outside of London. I have been to Cheddar Gorge and eaten sharp aged cheese wheel accompanied with local cider, Belvoir elderflower soda and savory chili jam (or jelly as they call it) in the wilderness with goats lopping here and there. Though the ultimate meal that I have had in England was that for my wedding. We chose to marry in a beautiful and warm manor home, Buckland House, in the verdant countryside of Devon on the lower west coast beneath Wales. My husband and I are absolutely nutters for food so we did not skimp on the meal part of the wedding in the slightest. We catered through Dartmoor Kitchen, sister company for Tom’s Pies. When we made the arrangement for our food, we went out for an included tasting with Tom himself! He’s a man who pays attention to detail and delivers a fine presentation and top-notch food. For dessert at our wedding, we had a chocolate cake with buttercream frosting and for the groom’s cake, a cheese wheel ensemble that was really fun to design at www.thecheeseshed.com with various cheese from the area where we were wed. As wedding favors, Anthony made jam and his friend who owns a bakery, made caramel cake balls (because caramel is one of my favorite things ever). Chloe stayed up all night making over 200 of them and they were absolutely incredible, thanks CakesbyChloe! The photo of our cakes is included below as well as the wedding menus, courtesy of Tabula Rasa, as I am sure you are curious what kind of fare was served. At the wedding, instead of champagne we served award-winning Bluebell English sparkling wine, as the terroir in England has altered to their benefit due to climate change. And the meals that whole week were incredible since two of Anthony’s friends have been professional chefs. We made tabbouleh, grilled mackerel, meat stew, piccalilli sauce with cheese and there was much drunken madness for a week in a a house half filled with Mormons.

I want to mention other noteworthy eateries outside of London, since you know, I’m not getting married all of the time and you can’t crash the party for good eats. Rick Stein’s pub in Cornwall, The Cornish Arm, I have not eaten here but I am extremely excited to sample cuisine from this well-renowned fish chef. I followed one of his recipes recently for fish curry and it was easy and such a delight. In Brighton I ate at The Giggling Squid and had squid there that was the best that I have ever eaten! I also will be eating at an Italian restaurant, Al Boccon Divino, located in Richmond during my upcoming visit in the next month. It’s Michelin star rated and has a unique model in that it has no menu! You tell them your dietary restrictions but then leave it up to chance as to what you’re going to get. And I cannot leave Le Manoir in Oxford off of the list. I could write an entire blog post on just this experience.  My husband and I received a prix fixe meal here for a wedding present. The setting was picturesque, the building impeccable, service top-notch… overall perfection. One aspect of English eating that I quite prefer to US dining is there’s not an incessant barrage of checking in to see how is the food, etc. In a quality restaurant like in The Wosely or Dinner mentioned above, they do not ask how is the food. They listen to see if anything is wrong but the food is expected to be good. 

Food can be just as enjoyable picked up unplanned walking through a street and happening into a market. I have been to Borough Market, one of the most famous food destinations in the world. It was on an off-day but there are plenty of food markets around London that are actually more in-line with my tastes as crowds are generally an anathema to me. I have run into the Real Food Festival several times outside of The Royal Festival Hall and it’s absolutely incredible. Craft beer, cheese, falafels (yes, a weakness of mine!) and much more is available. I had the pleasure of running into another unique find next to The BFI. It is a pop-up drinking and eating well called "The Prop Store”. It's furnished with props from the BFI, posh crisps, sodas, beers and nibbles and was one of the coolest places I have ever visited. I will see if it's back for its third iteration this year and hopefully, it will keep coming back.

And I'm not going to go this whole blog post without mentioning the drinking holes. While I'm not here to contest that the beer is better in England, because it's on-par, their pubs are definitely more quaint and intimate. There's “The Harp”, a charming building bustling with old school charm and new school vibrancy, and “The Rake”, London's smallest pub that focuses on quality over quantity is a destination for beer legends and geeks around the world. I'll also highlight BrewDog, a favorite of my husband, which is gaining notoriety in the States for the show that the two Scottish owners have on The Esquire Channel which is in some ways like Iron Chef meets craft brewing with its innovative brewing techniques and ingredients. Just as an example of their cutting edge style, which is more for the camera than the brewery, is one one episode, they captured fog in San Francisco and condensed it to water and then put that into their brew using an anchor steam method alongside tea found in China town. That's one hell of an experiment in a cup.


There are so many charming tea shops like Tea and Tattle which is also a bookstore but there are also good coffee shops like this amazing camera shop and coffee bar, Camera Cafe.  My mum-in-law brought me there so that she could check out what vintage cameras they had in stock. The shop is so her and so lovely. She's a photographer, amongst many other things, and I feel that she's even more hip than I can ever aspire to be. If you like these recommendations and crave even more, I will point you a book, eat.shop.london. I actually have not gone to a single recommendation in the book yet but have tried! It lists The Golden Hind as the best fish n chips and I am so excited to try it one day. I arrived just as they shut their doors after lunch and was left devastated. The book also lists fancy cheese stops, antique shops and artisan clothing boutiques in the compact and easy-to-carry guidebook. Thanks the gods that there's always a next time so that I can see more and be inspired every time I go to London.

Have I convinced you yet? Or at least have you re-thought some of your notions on British cuisine? I say come to England and try for yourself or try again if you have done it before. I haven’t eaten anywhere else in the UK like Wales, Scotland or Northern Ireland but do plan to set food in Scotland in a month and I have high hopes for the highlands. If you’re still not swayed, knock on our door and we’ll give you a taste of truly brilliant British food. In the meantime, I will keep traveling, eating and loving food and drink, especially in England. Maybe when I move there one day, the cuisine will have an off-day but it will, I am sure, not be the norm.

Time not wasted getting wasted in Dublin

I have made it to my alcoholic mecca, to the place where whiskey originates... Ireland. Just a few weeks ago, I was in Dublin which houses the Guinness Brewery and Storehouse and Old Jameson Distillery. I did not make it out to the Old Jameson Distillery as I want to go to the current one.  The new distillery is in Cork, a lovely area I hear, and is actually the Middleton Distillery. See, there are only three legal distilleries still in open in all of Ireland - the other two are Bushmill's in the north, specifically Antrim. The other is Cooley Distillery which produces for all of the independent Irish Whiskey labels. Vintage bottles from silent (closed) distilleries are collectors items so grab a bottle if given the chance and appetizing price. Many of the whiskeys I tried used to have their own distilleries but closed down and operate under Cooleys now.

I also did not visit Guinness because to be honest, I am not a fan of the stuff and although I was told that the Guinness is just much better in Ireland, and I would say that it does taste a bit better, I would not order it as first, second or third choice. Decidedly, I have had enough Irish beer to fill any desire for the next year - given me an ale any day over a stout. There are some decent red ales which I tried but it was most important for me to sample as much Whiskey as possible so the first destination was The Temple Bar, a very famous bar in Dublin that showcases only traditional Irish music. The Street and District is named after this bar which has been in business for 160 years. It actually inspired one of the bars in my stomping ground called Piper Down - the owner did try to name it the Temple Bar as an ode to the actual Temple Bar but was not allowed to by the local religious zealots and politics who thought this was a stab at the Mormon temple, which partly it was, and forgot about the separation of church and state clause in our constitution.

The Temple Bar is quite capacious and has I do believe the largest selection of Whiskey at any pub in Ireland, at least that which I came across in my trip. In fact, there were 450 offered according to the website but I saw 172 on the menu, 44 of which were Irish. I pinched myself to make sure that this was not a dream hoping that it was because I would envision Eric Bana coming over and asking me if he can buy me the most expensive shot on the menu. I just felt the pangs left over from my reality check but then decided I deter my attention to the young and helpful Irish bartender who looked to be eighteen. He was extremely helpful and nice to me and my tourists friends by providing a map of the area, making recommendations and even told me where I can get cheap Whiskey from their supplier, The Celtic Whiskey Shop. I asked for his recommendations of the top Whiskey's of choice and I said - nothing I could get in the states because I've had that and can get that at any time. He recommended Green Spot 10 year (Middleton Distillery), Writer's Tear (unnamed distillery in Cork) and Middleton. I chose the Green Spot and it had great taste and was quite delicious for the value at if I can remember correctly was 8 euro. It was a great first shot among many on my Whiskey quest.  I also ordered a cheese board and tried an item that I could also not find in my hometown - 3 layer sandwich of crab meat. We enjoyed the music, the chatter and suddenly, my friend, Jo (for all you words with friends fans that is a great 11 point + word which means sweetheart)  with whom I was traveling had an admirer - a white haired, wasted man who crept his way over to us to boldly state that Jo was the prettiest woman all of Temple Bar that night. Jo broke the news that she is married and therefore would have to settle for second to last best. After he came over five more times mentioning divorce options and her response was to try pawning him off on me as I don't sport a rock on my finger. Perhaps I have an air about me that says - buddy, don't even try because he didn't. Or perhaps he just doesn't like settling for second best. Knowing that my friend was under the weather and we had our fill, I stated it was time to go and our other friends, who are married and don't face the same fun predicaments than that of travelers flying solo.

Day two, my first priority was to actually see the Book of Kells at Trinity College not before grabbing a bite to eat at Elephant and Castle, an American-Irish restaurant where I could get a vegetarian Irish breakfast with veggie sausages that were actually edible. I consulted my map and found my way over to the mark which the bartender had indicated the night before. When I arrived, I was confused because there was a wine shop but I realized I had to go through to reach the whiskey shop. My eyes widened and lips formed a smile... there was a lot of whiskey that I had never heard of before. I began barraging the shop employee with questions of his recommendations. He pointed out a few of his favorites, what was on sale and even had a large selection of airplane/travel-sized bottles so that I could taste different kinds of whiskeys without buying a whole bottle and could even bring back some for my friends. I had a tasting of the Connamera - I believe the only or one of the only Irish whiskeys which uses malted peat, giving it scotch taste. The shopkeeper said he was amazed at how many people come in asking for Scottish whiskey... well that's scotch which is a different breed.  Lastly, I asked what was the most expensive Whiskey in the shop and I was directed to the Middleton which ranged from 1,500 to 2,000 Euros which I was told was overvalued. Well that is the cost of my entire trip! I was curious but no, I did not buy a bottle of Whiskey which amounts the same to a monthly mortgage payment. I decided to get the Locke's 8 year. It was a type which I cannot obtain stateside and was on sale for 26 euros and it came recommended for the value. In fact, the shopkeeper said its taste was on par with much more expensive whiskeys. I opened the whiskey bottle when I returned stateside and absolutely agree. I truthfully admit that I have been tapping into this delicious smooth, and some-what fruity whiskey.

After walking around and exhausting myself, my travel buddies and I settled on St. John Gogarty for dinner. It reminded me of an Irish Chillies (an american chain, at least I hope it hasn't made its way overseas, which sports overly caloric meal the likes of potato wedges with low-grade cheese, sour cream and bacon bits). The food was a bit too salty, none of the waitresses were Irish. I went up to the bar not knowing what I wanted for food and ordered the Middleton for 17 euros. I also ordered water with it and the waiter said "with this shot? You are crazy, you will dilute it". Well, in previous whiskey tastings, specifically that of a  local whiskey, High West, the owner and distiller told me that water opens up fine whiskey and brings out the flavors more. I decided in this noisy, highly-occupied bar that I would not spend the time to get into a discussion on the manner in which whiskey should be best enjoyed. I sipped at my glass, which to my dismay was not over poured, and found that it did not need water after all... it was simply perfect, the best whiskey which I had ever had and will have and shared some with friends - one of which said it was extremely good and the other who said he can't taste the difference between that and any other whiskey. I decided he should not have any more and enjoyed every last sip of mine alongside a basket of fresh oysters.

My fellow tourists and I consulted and agreed to move on to the next bar, The Dubliner located next door. We were going to go there because I had received a recommendation from a local to go there for Whiskey since it's cheap. Actually, the recommendation came from The National Gallery security guard who looked uncannily similar to our bar lurcher friend from the previous night and I just had to ask if he was at the Temple Bar to confirm if I had discovered his day job since his night job was hitting on married and attractive foreign women. It was not the same man, however, but he did tell me which bar I should go next for better value and non-tourists prices. The whiskey at The Dubliner was cheaper but the selection was not expansive. The bar was blaring with music before but now had quieted down and the bartenders could chat with us and give me more recommendations. I tried the entry-level, cheaper whiskeys such as Paddy and Powers (both distilled at Middleton). Paddy I was not happy, a bit too strong without more delicate flavors, with but Powers was actually pretty good. I even tried some other beers and hard cider.

Then a skinny and middle aged Welsh guy decided he was going to befriend us or rather hit on me because I appeared to be the only woman in the bar without a man sitting next to me. His version of flirting was basing a whole conversation on the etymology of common phrases and words in various languages. It would have been interesting had the information been peppered into a conversation of a more light-hearted subject. In fact, I was impressed that I had reached my limit of caring about the nuances of language. In other words, this man was a bore. Damn me and my American manners as I did not tell him to buzz off but did look away in an uninterested way. He and the bartender were egging us on for more shots and I took this as my opportunity as a way out and declined and we moved on then to the hotel bar where I had wine (I can't remember what but do believe it was good) and moved on to a much lighter conversation discussing politics and then religion with my colleague's husband. Well it was heavy subject matter but admittedly much preferred to the previous conversation of the complexities of being a Welsh man selling wares on the street when purportedly having a degree in history and language.

My second to last day I made my way over to the oldest pub in Ireland, The Brazen Head, and had seafood chowder - a mixture of all sorts of freshly caught fish, chips, coffee and a beer. All types of tourists were pouring in and it seems that this panoply of people had made its way to every inch of the walls in the form of paper money, badges and souvenirs. I did discover my favorite Irish stout, Kilkenny. After enjoying this lunch,  ventured on to do a bit of antiquing and unfortunately, found myself in a run-down part of town and it took me a while to find the shops which I sought so they were close to closing by the time I arrived but at least I had just enough time to purchase a water color of a famous bar Doheny and Nesbitt. I had  a desire to go to this bar to make some sort of memory with this art work I had just purchased but the watercolor would remind me of Ireland if I made it out to the bar or not.

At night, a larger group of us went out and settled to have dinner at Gallagher's Boxty house where I had potato dumplings (which is what Boxty is) and red ale and fried cheese. I talked with my friends' colleagues, as this was a work trip for all of them. I discovered one's husband works for the BBC for TV and I was a bit of a fan girl over that piece of knowledge.We ventured on to a recommended bar, The Morrison, and I took note that I just wasn't feeling right. I went to the restroom which was elegantly set up with a fanning couch and candle and was actually impressed since the rest of the bar, which was packed to the gills, looked a bit worn in by the amount of customers it receives on a daily basis. When I returned from the elegant ladies room, all of my friends had made their drink selections and paid so I was left to fend for myself. The bartender joked that they weren't really friends since they didn't wait for me. I wanted to still try more Irish Whiskey from my list of recommendations from my various sources and ordered Writer's Tear. The bartender said he had never heard of it. I said it was recommended at the Temple Bar and he scoffed saying well it wasn't Irish. Well, that is not true because it was listed as Irish Whiskey on the Temple Bar's menu and was stated as Irish in the Celtic Whiskey shop but I decided it might be rude for me to into an altercation with an Irish man about his country's own spirits, me being a foreigner and all. So I bit my tongue and asked for the Tullamore Dew. It was good but I was increasingly feel unwell. I asked to pay for my whiskey 4.95 on my card. The bartender used this as an excuse to chide me again since I didn't have cash on me. Also, my card doesn't have a chip in it so they have problems running it. More chiding. But it was all in good humor as he said I was pretty and it made up for it. I wasn't feeling pretty, in fact I knew I had to get home quick. I put down my half-drunken glass of whiskey and said I am leaving as I am not well. I made my way out of the bar and felt fever-induced and had cold sweat... I walked through the streets not knowing where I was and wishing I could be transported back to the hotel room instantly. I officially had entered the beginning stages of food poisoning and did made it back just in time. I will spare you of those details but I will say that I may have an aversion to boxty now.

The next day I was recovering and I made it to Doheny and Nesbitt pub but just to take a picture - I could not bring myself to drink or eat that day which goes without saying, was unfortunate. That is when I missed the Guinness Stock House tour to take a nap and recuperate. I was told that I did not miss much since it was not the actual brewery. They said there is a nice view of the city in the eye packed in with all of the other tourists in a small space with no place to sit to drink a pint. My friend's husband mentioned the experience would have been enhanced if Guinness had a dragon on site - even an animatronic one breathing flames at the end of the tour. I admitted, that would be spectacular addition.

We did go out that night and hit up The Dubliner again which had run out of beer. I repeat, ran out of beer! This is just not good news when a bar has not planned appropriately and has run out of its staple product before the night is even near its end.  Feeling turned off by this, we headed to another bar where I didn't want anything except Ginger Beer. I had tried Hollows' Ginger Beer, which is better than you might think, the night before and thought that would be the only suitable alcoholic drink of choice.  But the bartender informed me probably four times it was out of stock - I could not understand his thick accent and asked him to repeat his statement. Also I didn't want to believe him.  Seriously... bars stock your beer! I ordered ginger ale with no alcohol and listed to The Smiths... which I was in the mood for that night since I was feeling a bit broody in my recovering stages and not getting what I wanted to drink. The next morning, early I might add, I bid adieu to my fun times in Dublin thinking if I return, I will make it in the countryside and visit cheese makers, hopefully visit all of the active distilleries and continue to taste more Irish whiskeys, including independent distillers and even potheen if I get a chance. 

A week after my return, I found myself in Park City for Sundance and being on a whiskey high, I wanted to go to High West Distillery again and compare Irish with American-style whiskey. Well I had a feeling it would be booked and it unfortunately was for a private concert. I did end up at a bar/faux french restaurant, Easy Street, and sat at the bar and my roommate and I were hit on men with girlfriends at home and waited for two hours to be seated for dinner. I noticed a woman next to me who could not get the attention of the bartender so me in my usual brazen way called him over for her. She ordered Bushmills which I said was a good choice. She said that she was just told to get an Irish Whiskey. I said - well, you should get the Middleton then. It's the best there is but asked the bartender how much. It was $23 but I told her, it would not disappoint and I know because I just got back from Ireland and tried as much whiskey as I could there. She then changed her order and said to me "My God, you just up sold me... I should hire you as my saleswoman". I then told her it depends on the territory. I just like high quality and research things in which I am interested is all. She reported back that it was mighty fine and the selection was perfect. Through the food poisoning and ails of travel, the experience of it all is most certainly worth it when I can use the moments I spent there and keep it with me here and even share it with others.

Foodzie for the new year!

A very good friend of mine, The Ginger, gave me an extremely thoughtful and well-appreciated gift for Christmas - a 3 month subscription to Foodzie If you like trying new things, having a constant supply of gourmet eats around and supporting grass-roots food vendors, then you need to give this site a try. How it works is one would sign up to receive a tasting package each month of an assortment of different foods from various gourmet and specialized companies for 29.95/month with free shipping. Add this on to the Blockbuster movie, Hulu streaming, wine, beer, cheese and coffee tasting, etc  monthly subscriptions!

Members can also shop the Foodzie marketplace to order one off products featured for a limited time - right now I see bacon jam, pickled figs and walnut oil - not the typical offerings at giant superstores the likes of Walmart. Now that I am a Foodzie subscriber, it's hard not to want to try all of their offerings. I discover many new things at my local specialty shops but why just limit myself to that when I have an online gourmet marketplace like Foodzie which can further expand my palette? Foodzie has been operation since 2008 and based out of San Francisco  - but of course, so many hip companies originate from there not to mention it's one of my food meccas!

For my first tasting box, I received a healthy new year assortment as follows in order with my rankings in order:

1. Sea Salt & Nibs bar produced by Madecasse out of San Francisco. The company was started from Peace Corps volunteers in Madagascar. They offer fair-trade, eco-packaged chocolate bars alongside vanilla beans and vanilla bourbon extract. The chocolate is not too dark and the sea salt ratio is just right to heighten the taste of the chocolate. The added chocolate nibs were also a great addition for texture and taste. In other words, it's damn good. This chocolate bar sadly did not last long in my house so I will be buying more... much more from this company.

2. Quite Cheesy Kale Krunch produced by Alive & Radiant in Emeryville, CA.

Kale is so trendy right now. I am seeing Kale featured in every top restaurant and all sorts of recipes on The Food Network Channel. One reason is it is a winter staple and can pair well with so many different foods. It is also a superfood and a personal fave of supertasters like myself. Look around, you'll notice Kale everywhere. So even though I like Kale, I didn't expect to like this vegan snack as much as I did. It is indeed a cheesy tasting snack but without any cheese. I could instantly tell that it was nutritional yeast and it was used surprisingly well. Even though I was vegan for 5 years, I am still cautious when it comes to cheese substitutes but this does get a thumbs up for both taste and innovation. I found myself craving it and continually coming back to my kitchen for another bite.

3. Granola snacks produced by Somersaults located in Sausalito, CA

Two different types of granola snack packs were included - cocoa and cinnamon. The cocoa ones reminded me of cocoa puffs and the cinnamon ones were reminiscent of cinnamon toast crunch. The consistency was a bit different than these cereals of a more nostalgic time - they have sunflower seeds rolled into them. I liked the cinnamon pack the most which is fortunate for me since the tasting pack included two of the cinammon packs and one of the dutch cocoa.

4. Roasted Almonds produced by Stackhouse Orchards located in Hickman, CA

These were tasty, pure unsalted almonds. Much better than the ones I usually find at the grocery store. I would buy almonds again strictly from this company to eat as a snack, put in a salad or top on a bread or oven-baked dish.

5. Sun-ripened Pu'er tea produced by Five Mountains located in San Francisco, CA

This is my first time trying Pu'er (or Puerh) tea or . It is a mellow yet flavorful green tea which ferments after its leaves are dried.  Twinings, which is my favorite source for tea (and go to the UK site, not the US site for better selection), does a better job than myself of describing what makes Pu'er so special:.

After plucking, the leaves are laid on drying trays & withered to remove some moisture and make more pliable. The leaves are then rolled and laid out and a heady mixture of warm air, aromatic juices, bacteria & enzymes leads to oxidation (a natural reaction that affects strength & colour). Oxidation is stopped by firing (with hot air) when the leaves are the right (brown) colour depending on the region. The leaves turn black as they dry... and finally, are sorted or graded by size. Puerh comes from Yunnan province in China.

I will be trying more of this type of tea and from other companies to compare. In looking at the Five Mountains website,, their presentation of their tea looks very appealing and the packaging I received also featured beautiful, long tea leaves so I will be sampling some of their other offerings.

6. Extra Virgin Coconut Oil from Kelapo in Tampa, FL.

I have cooked with coconut oil in the past and I will say that it works for specific meals like Thai food but to me, it always has a bit of a coconut flavor which I don't want with most of my foods. I would recommend using coconut oil in a recipe like this one. Heated oil is frankly always going to be a little unhealthy so I am going to stick to my wonderful selection of olive and nut oils for cooking.

7. Chocolate Cherry Granola bar produced by 18 Rabbits in San Francisco, CA

This wheat free granola bar tastes good but the consistency was too hard. It should not take this much effort to get through an energy bar. By the time I was done gnawing through, I had burned enough calories to want another. I decided to eat more almonds instead.

And I had an extra gift which was put in my package since it was shipped a little late. I am glad it shipped late so that I could experience the rich Raleigh pecan, nougat, Boubon caramel. It truly is as amazing as it sounds! Very rich so I would reserve it for special occasions or when I've been really good.

I recommend that reviewing Foodzie's blog and Tumblr account for more information and to get an idea of the products they offer. Items offered on Foodzie can be purchased elsewhere like the company's direct site, Amazon and other marketplaces. Foodzie is a great way to get introduced to new foods but I will always encourage people to comparison shop for the best deal - I'd rather pay 2.99 at Ikea for Lingonberry jam than the $7.99 specialty shop price. There is a similar site http://lovewithfood.com. They have a similar look and model and are even featuring the same snack, Somersaults that was included in my food pack this month. I do think that Foodzie has more unique offerings after comparing the two sites. I do like that Love With Food donates money to charities with purchases. Looks like the trend is catching on with other sites like Foodoro which does look like an appetizing competitor. If there are other companies with similar models, feel free to comment below. And thank you again, The Ginger. If anyone wants to be a good friend, then get this subscription for someone you know who really appreciates the flavors which life has to offer.