On The Hunt For Muesli? Look Out For German Imports. November 27, 2007

I spent a lot of my life in Muesli Country (Germany). As a result, I can’t live without Muesli and I basically live off it in the mornings. But good Muesli is very hard to come by, especially here in the United States, where most people prefer granola. Granola is usually coated with some type of sugary substance like syrup or honey and toasted to make it crunchy. It is therefore often very sweet (too sweet for my taste) and of course more a lot more calorific.

Like granola, muesli contains pieces of fruit, nuts, various grains, coconut (the list is usually endless). Muesli (the Swiss clain its invention) normally has a basic component of oats to it and is generally is untoasted. It is also most often unsweetened. I enjoy mine with milk, yoghurt and fresh fruit chopped onto it.

On my long hunt for the muesli I know from Europe I came across two largely available, but more “industrially” produced mueslis. These are Alpen Muesli (a British brand) and Familia (Swiss muesli). However, both contain quite large amounts of sugar.

I found a few other alternatives, but have grown tired of them: Trader Joe’s Blueberry Muesli (who can eat blueberry every morning?), Bob’s Red Mill Old Country Style Muesli and a muesli sold at Whole Foods produced by a British Company called Dorset Cereals. The latter ones are too heavily loaded with nuts for my taste. I refrained from getting a very costly kind which I found in a local delicatessen store, a muesli from Australia (of all countries!) for close to $10.00 for 1.5lbs which would make quite an expensive breakfast.

BUT now I am saved: I found my favorite brand from Germany, “Seitenbacher” Muesli. Seitenbacher has started a mail order distribution business in the United States. I had my first batch of muesli shipped last week and I am very,very happy.

Seitenbacher sells a large variety of Mueslis online made with natural ingredients only, and some are even100% organic. All the mueslis are unsweetened and very, very tasty with the right balance of nuts and fruit.

Prices and shipping charges are very reasonable as well (in the $5.00 range for 1.5lbs). You have to forgive their awful website and online store, with some of the site even badly translated from German. Their online shop does not even give you a final bill confirmation, but the products do make up for it and they are reliable about shipping and getting products to customers.

If you like Muesli, it would be a shame to miss out on this one!!

Crazy for Gluten-Free Mary’s Gone Crackers November 21, 2007

Mary’s Gone Crackers are some of the healthiest, most addictive crackers for anyone and any occasion. It just so happens they’re also wheat free and gluten free.

Created by a small company in central California for kids with gluten allergies, these crackers come in several flavors including plain, rye, herb, and black pepper (my fave).

The crackers have truly simple whole food ingredients: organic brown rice, organic quinoa, organic flax and organic sesame seeds.

Now the price. At $3.50-4.50 for a small box they may seem too expensive, but you get quite a few in each little box. The crackers are thin and light which explains the small box. You can buy the crackers online in the Mary’s Gone Crackers Online Store and can get a better price if you buy a whole case. You can also find them at a growing number of stores like Whole Foods and other natural foods and specialty stores. To find a store near you, Mary’s Gone Crackers website has a nifty store locator.

Tip: If you eat them as snacks you’ll want to chew thoroughly to get the benefit of the flax seeds. Mary’s Gone Crackers are fun to nibble on, so it ends up being a low calorie snack that satisfies an urge to munch.

They’re great with cheese spreads and they’re very firm so they hold up well for appetizers.

As you can see I can’t rave enough!

German Christmas Stollen – Artisan Made in California! November 17, 2007

This year visiting the farmer’s markets in the San Francisco Bay Area became very dangerous when I discovered the Stollen from Sterntaler Bakery.

I love many good artisan made foods but something about their Stollen (a traditional German Christmas cake) is truly addictive to whoever tastes it. They also use all natural and organic ingredients which is nice too.

They started out with a Walnut Stollen and a Christmas Stollen. Things got worse in the weight department for me when they added new flavors like their Chocolate Stollen and a Hazelnut Praline, which is like a candy cake almost. It is truly rich and you only need to eat a small square to be satisfied as there are thick layers of filling.

I’m normally not a cake person but Sterntaler’s Stollen reminds me of these little petit fours rich with butter I’ve had in San Francisco, in terms of delicious richness.

A great thing about Sterntaler Bakery is that they do mail order of their Stollen, and now they are offering free shipping. Their Christmas Stollen is very traditional to give as a fruitcake substitute. I will probably serve and give gifts of the Walnut and the Hazelnut Stollen as those are my faves.

FAGE (it’s pronounced fah-yeh!) Greek yogurt November 15, 2007

Yogurt is a wonderful food, especially when it is natural and well made. The Greeks are masters of making yogurt and have been making it for centuries. Anyone who has tried a natural and real Greek yogurt with just a spoonful of honey to sweeten or with some ripe figs cut into it would surely agree that it is close to heaven.

That is why we are lucky, that one of the largest and finest Greek dairies,  FAGE (pronounced fah-yeh) has been working hard at making their products available in the United States since 2000. The distribution of their products seems to be growing, which is really good news for everyone. Their best selling yogurt in Greece, also available in the US is branded FAGE Total and comes in a full fat, 2%, and a non-fat version. FAGE lists extensive nutrition information for all its products. The yogurt is produced in Greece and then imported by the US subsidiary of the company FAGE USA Corp.

FAGE Total is a very velvety and creamy yogurt and it is truly among the best natural yogurts available in the United States (and for very good price). FAGE Total yogurt is carried by Trader Joe’s, and a number of specialty and fine foods retailers across the United States such as Draeger’s Fine Foods in the San Francisco Bay Area.

I can only encourage you all to seek out FAGE Total yogurt and try it for yourself. Great buy, good value, and a fantastic natural product.

Welcome to delishis! November 6, 2007

Hello, and welcome to delishis.

There is a lot of information available on the internet written by professional food critics, not-so-professional food critics, gourmets and food connoisseurs, and food enthusiasts that centers largely on restaurants, recipes, and dining in general. That is not what we at delishis write about.

At delishis, we are not a bunch of food critics writing about the next great restaurant or dining experience. We write about food and food products that we buy and consume in our everyday life, from an everyday perspective. We are a network of (fairly ;)) normal people with families, normal jobs and hobbies, and a number of different lifestyles and backgrounds. In short, we are like you!

It is our goal to provide honest information about food products in a world that overloads us with choice and makes shopping for the things we eat and consume confusing. We want to provide each other with a way to make good choices about the foods we buy and eat – and a way for it to work into our daily lives.

We hope you can find useful information and tips on food products so that your next trip to the grocery store is an informed one and fun because you know a little bit more about what you want to buy.