Product review: Seven Spoons frozen dishes

I was recently contacted to try some products from Seven Spoons, a brand that is newly selling frozen meals at Fairway. I was curious to try as they propose dishes from different parts of the world, gluten free and with natural ingredients. I am always wary about prepared food so I gave it a try!

I received three different dishes, sent on dry ice: Quinoa Vegetable Biryani, Chicken Biryani and Thai Green Curry.

We decided to try first the Quinoa Vegetable Biryani. When I opened the bag, this is what I saw:

It contained vegetables (broccoli, cauliflower, lima beans, carrots), cashews, as well as cubes that are in fact the sauce.

I cooked the quinoa in the microwave (same modus operandi for the rice):

While the vegetables and sauce (cubes) were cooking in a skillet:

After following the cooking instructions, it became this:

Product review: Booskerdoo coffee - Monmouth Beach, NJ

If you follow this blog, you probably know what my favorite drink is. It is not wine, margaritas, cognac or whiskey. No, it is coffee. I drink lots of it, all day long, to the point where, if I do not get enough, I am not feeling too good: this is called addiction. I drink it black with no sugar, but sometimes, I do not mind un cafe au lait (coffee with milk) and I discovered last year the Macchiato from Illy that, although pricey, is exquisite. Interestingly, I love coffee to drink, but I am not a big fan of coffee in desserts, with the exception of tiramisu.

I stopped using sugar in coffee few years ago, after reading an article where the writer explained that it usually takes few weeks before getting accustomed to this. So I tried. At first, I did not like it, but after three weeks, I was fine. Considering the amount of coffee I drink, cutting on sugar was probably a good idea.

What could explain my addiction is that coffee is an institution in France: people drink it for breakfast, after lunch or after dinner, and sometimes in the afternoon, when socializing with family and friends. Except in tourist places such as Les Champs-Elysées in Paris, you can just sit at the terrace of a café for few hours, enjoying each others company or watching people: a lot of time, nobody will bother you, asking you to order something to be able to stay. Don't be surprise also to see kids sipping a cup of coffee at a café: it is the only "adult" drink they can have, alcohol not supposed to be served if you are not 18 years old (although they never check the age of the patron...); it is also the cheapest.

So I was excited when I was contacted to review coffee from Booskerdoo, a micro roaster located in Monmouth Beach, NJ. I received three different coffee beans that were freshly roasted, because they do not have a warehouse and roast the coffee right before shipping it.

Cooking class at Cook & Go Culinary Studio in Chelsea, NYC, New York

I was recently invited for a cooking class with bloggers at Cook & Go Culinary Studio located in Chelsea. 

Cook & Go started few years ago in France, more precisely in Lyon that is the capital of Gastronomy there. Their classes target people who are not professional or advanced cooks and want to learn simple recipes in a relaxed atmosphere. You come, cook and then go with the food you just made so your friends and family can try! 

The place is big and can host up to 80 people. Of course, there is no way that 80 people can cook at the same time or in that case it will have to be uncooked dishes like some we made. Interestingly, some companies are organizing events there: good idea for team building sessions.

Our teacher (and Chef), Christine, made the experience very relaxed, with no pressure, providing useful tips.

Each of us had its own space setup.

And I was ready to start! Au menu were:

• Purses filled with pear, brie and raspberry.
• Tuscan White Bean Crostini.
• Apricot Chicken.
• Cakes filled with dates.
• S'mores shooters.

The recipes below were courtesy of Cook & Go. 

The first dish was Purses filled with pear, brie and raspberry. 

Product review: Sexypop, popcorn for snack and...skincare!

I rarely do product reviews: it happened in the past that I received products, but declined to review because I did not like them. So, when I was contacted to try Sexypop, a new line of popcorn from the founders of Pirates Booty, I was thrilled to try, but a bit skeptical. You are probably wondering why. Well, Sexypop is a line of popcorn that not only does not contain any GMOs, Gluten, trans fat, cholesterol or rbGH (bovine growth hormone), but it contains ingredients that are used for skincare, promising a...clearer skin! Yes, imagine: snacking on something healthy! You wonder how this is possible? Me too! But as the founder of Sexy Pop, Robert Ehrlich, says: "Sexypop contains nourishing ingredients such as Avocado & Seaweed, a combination poised to become the world's first edible skincare regimen."

They in fact enhanced the nutrients with vitamins, such as A, C and E.

Of course, my main goal was to check how healthy this popcorn was... I tried the following flavors they sent me:  Bangin' Cheddar, Black Pepper, Brazilian Coconut and Lightly Salted. 

If I had to rank them, I would say that my favorites were: