Masala Mama Simmer Sauce

Adult cereal and adaptogens are quite old but both are fairly new to most of us. Dare I say trendy. Off Limits is a new cereal brand developed by Emily Miller, famous for all sorts of breakfast stuff like books and tours. Watching my grandmother eat her daily milk doused bowl of bran and wheat germ with a yuck face had me running for my Tony the Tiger well into my 30’s. These days, as a smarter, slower metabolism, dude an alternative was in order. We’ve highlighted some of these new cereal brands before. What takes Off Limits to the next level are these wonderful little adaptogens added to the crunchy O’s. Adaptogens are things you’ve heard of but don’t really know what they are aside from “they are good for you”. Originally created in 1947, I told you they were old, to describe a substance that may increase resistance to stress, today they promote other benefits such as anti-inflammation and hormonal balance. They have crazy names like rhodiola, schisandra and, most trendy, ashwagandha but they are basically roots and plants you can find in various parts of the world. Ashwagandha is the adaptogen in one of the two current Off Limits flavors, Zombie. The green O’s are made from rice, oat, and coconut flour with notes of vanilla and pandan. BTW, pandan is a Southeast Asian plant that when crushed gives off a sweet, floral scent. The other flavor is Dash. Championing a caffeinated female rabbit mascot, these dots are a chocolatey, coffee goodness guaranteed to pep you up. There are three different coffee ingredients in them. WOWO. No chill adaptogens in these. Together these two options get you up in the morning and put you down at night hence their claim that this is cereal for any time of day. As cereal nerds, we like that idea a lot. Aside from the quality and taste, the design of everything from the box to the website wins in our book. Emily partnered with Shepard Fairey’s Studio Number One for the character development and Pentagram partner, Astrid Stavro for the visual identity. She didn’t stop there. We opened this post with “old stuff but new to us”. Continuing on the old is new theme, they even brought back the free toy inside, although it’s not inside. It’s more a carnival ticket system approach. You accumulate tickets with each purchase and then can go shopping in their online toy store for stuff like mascot keychains and other fun tchotchkes. Next time you are hankering for your childhood, need a boost but hate 24hr energy, or need to mellow into slumberland drop some Off Limits in a bowl and fix that need in a most delicious and fun-loving way.

Last weeks Fancy Food Show takeover was a lot to eat through. We’re still full from tasting. From the best Regalis stood out. Their display table at the Brooklyn Good Food Show consisted of two small black garbage bags growing rare mushrooms and a live whole king crab. Needless to say it drew a crowd. Speckled between the spectacle was their consumer product line. Caviar, to dried mushrooms to truffles. I opted for the oil tasting as Massimo had sufficiently schooled me on the chemical truffle oil gag. The Regalis guys told me the put the truffle near the oil not in it and let the oil absorb the scent. Skeptical I pressed them about the types of truffles and the process. They said the taste was much less bold than the typical truffle oil because of their process. It resulted in a pungent smelling oil with a very light truffle taste. Impressed, I decided to give them some props for their method and take some home for food combo tasting. Regalis makes an Organic White Truffle Oil as well as a black. You can this and the rest of their line direct from their website.

This story will end your hunt for the perfect tomato. Here’s my slightly quirky yet educated guide on these famed fruits. While San Marzano tomatoes may be hyped up, the best canned tomatoes are the ones that you can easily find in your neighborhood. This guide features my top 5 canned tomato selections, all plum tomatoes, with a focus on use in Italian recipes.

Top 5 Canned Tomatoes

Caluccio

This Italian plum tomato comes from the San Marzano area near Salerno and has the official D.O.P. designation. The ingredients are simply Italian plum peeled tomatoes, tomato puree, citric acid, and salt.

Marco LaBella San Marzano

Also from the San Marzano area, these plum tomatoes have been grown by the Visconti family since 1957. The label is charming, and the lack of added salt is a plus.

Mutti

Although not grown in the San Marzano area, these plum tomatoes from Parma are a go-to for me because they have the least amount of ingredients. It’s just plum tomatoes and a little tomato juice.

San Marzano Brand

Despite the confusing branding, this canned tomato produced and packaged in America is a delicious option. Ingredients include citric acid and sodium chloride but no basil leaf, which can be added separately.

Bianco de Napoli

Canned by chef Chris Bianco in California, these plum tomatoes are my new obsession due to their intense, rich flavor.

Watch this video to dive a little deeper and hear my favorite.

These top 5 canned tomatoes have got you covered, whether you’re making sauce, gravy, pizzas, lasagnas, and more. Don’t let the hype of San Marzano tomatoes fool you. The best canned tomatoes are the ones you can easily find in your local grocery with the least added ingredients.

On a walk up to Jean-Talon Market we walked into a store that at first seemed to be all duck. As we made our way to the front counter we discovered the Ils En Fument Du Bon sausage counter. Technically they classify themselves as charcuterie but it’s their sausage selection that grabbed us by the taste buds. Scanning the counter our tongues watered over tequila lime, foie gras and spaghetti sausages. There’s spaghetti IN the casing. Crazy. These are only three of about 30 different concoctions. All of them twisting your brain around contrasting ingredients. The picture above does the perfect job of explaining the owner and the vibe of this artisanal brand. If these guys aren’t on VICE by summer someone in editorial blew it.