Wednesday, May 11, 2016

Savory Yogurt from Fage

Savory yogurt is getting fast into the American market. We first saw the carrot, sweet potato and beet flavors from Blue Hill; then it came Sohha selling yogurt with poppy seeds, pine nuts and sesame from their store in New York's Chelsea Market; other companies like Chobani tried to bring some flavors of saltiness in their fruit yogurt line by adding Chipotle Pineapple and Sriracha Mango Flip. And Pret A Manger, the British sandwich chain added curry yogurt sauces to their sandwich line.

Fage, the Greek dairy product company with a significant presence in the US, launched just a few weeks ago its savory Greek yogurt line under the name Crossovers that comes in four distinctive flavors:

Carrot ginger with pistachios
Tomato Basil with almonds
Olive Thyme with almonds
and Coconut Curry with Cashews

I tried them all and they taste great if you like savory flavors in your creamy, strained Greek yogurt. I don't have a favorite yet but I need to do a second round of tastings. The said to be chef-level snacking is indeed true!





Thursday, May 05, 2016

The Texan Signature Rosé from Llano Estacado

Very few people from the West Coast know the wines from Texas and even less have tried them. I first found out about this one-of-a-kind wine region when I was traveling cross-country from New York City to Los Angeles via I5. A stop at the Hill Country Wineries was a pleasant surprise- I liked most of the wines and the warmth of the people.

I recently received the 2014 Signature Rosé from Llano Estacado, located in the Panhandle region. I consumed it in a record high temperature day -87 F on May 2nd in Seattle - in Lincoln Park. It was the perfect day for the delicate, aromatic and refreshing roséa blend of Mourvedre, Cinsault and Grenache. As it was a last minute decision, it was only paired with lentil and veggie chips and raw pizza crackers that turned to be a delicious pairing. But if you have more time, prepare a salad or fish tacos!



The wine is available online here:
https://www.llanowine.com/index.php/shop-7640