For the honey-lover, this is one of the pinnacles in flavor and taste. It's a unique plant, and its location on the globe is truly a reminder to us about how important terroir is to honey making.

It's a honey that grows on you, even if you are surprised the first time you taste it. Leatherwood is full of sweet floral aroma, bright colors, with the perfect balance of sugars. When combined with its natural healthy qualities, it's a honey worth having.

Tasmanian Leatherwood honey has been recognized by food connoisseurs around the world for over 100 years. The special appreciation for Leatherwood honey is due to several reasons. First, its unusual flavor—a sweet floral aroma—and its complex aromatic palate that lingers. Second, its quality factors: bright golden color, low moisture, and balanced sugars. Third, for its healthy vitality.

Tasmania is the smallest and southernmost state of Australia, situated some 250 kilometers south of the continental mainland. The island contains a very diverse range of natural elements: rugged mountains, alpine moors, rich agricultural land, gentle valleys with historic towns and villages, hundreds of lakes, and sweeping white beaches.

Tasmania lies on latitude 42 degrees south. The only other landmasses sharing this latitude are the South Island of New Zealand and southern Chile. All else is the vast expanse of the Great Southern Ocean, with its prevailing westerly winds known in this latitude as the "Roaring Forties".

It is in the valleys of the remarkable and inhospitable western mountain region, with over 100 inches of rainfall per year, that the Leatherwood tree grows as a rainforest under-story tree. The Leatherwood tree typically grows to 10 to 15 meters, occasionally reaching 30 meters in height, and attains maturity at around 250 years old.

The trees begin to flower in mid-January and continue until early March. The tree bears an abundance of extremely delicate white flowers with a fresh piquant scent. Leatherwood is so named because of the leathery texture of its leaves.

Shop here for all things Tasmanian!

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This is a sweet twist on a traditional Mexican recipe. It is quick to prepare and a nice way to use those less-than-firm peaches. Perfect for company on a summer day.

See the Peach & Pecan Empanadas Recipe here!

The Hallmark of Julian's Work - The Art and Science of Producing Great Honey.

In keeping with his philosophical commitment to work with, and not against, nature, and to preserve one of nature's most unique gifts in its most natural state, Julian uses a special low temperature technique to process his honeys.

By using this low temperature process, he is able to extract and clean the honey while preserving the floral essences, unique flavor and innate health benefits and vitality of the honey. Because of this low temperature process, most of Julian's honeys have a natural tendency to crystallize at room temperature.

Most commercial honey brands use high temperatures to both, aid in the extraction and cleaning process, and to delay the crystallizing process and make the honey more "squeezable."

Unfortunately, the high temperature processes not only destroy the delicate floral fragrance of the honey and changes its flavor, but also compromises the honey's other qualities and potential health benefits.

And this is one of the reasons why Tasmanian Leatherwood Honey is awesome.

Shop now for Tasmanian Leatherwood Honey 2KG size!

It is almost summer and stone fruits are coming. Is there a better way to enjoy them in the heat of the day than as peach honey ice cream? Especially the mushy ones. I prefer non-custard style ice cream as it is lighter and "fresher". And I like the balance of a more herbaceous honey, like Tasmanian Leatherwood Honey.

See the Peach & Leatherwood Honey Ice Cream Recipe here!

This sweet topper works perfectly on top of a bowl of fresh berries or stone fruit, or as a sweet dipper for fresh strawberries. Basically, it's perfect anywhere you want to replace whipped cream. It's heavier and richer and so much better....

If you can't find creme fraiche, you can use sour cream instead. We prefer the European-style sour cream, but the American-style works fine, as well. If it's too solid, you can always thin it a little with a teaspoon or two of milk or apple juice.

Any delicious raw honey would work. If you're working with solid honey, just warm it up a bit in a water bath before mixing it into the creme fraiche. But don't heat up the honey too much, or it won't be raw anymore.

See the easy Honey Creme Fraiche Recipe here!

This was hands-down one of the best canned tunas I've ever had — !
"and it's not even oil-packed! I was expecting dry and dense, as water-packed tuna often is. This was so flavorful, moist and delicious on its own that I had it straight from the can, with just a small blast of lemon juice. It easily rivals any of the fancy Italian and Spanish olive oil-packed tuna brands. It's the perfect tuna to build a Salade Nicoise around!!!"
-- Tina Ujlaki James Beard Foundation's Editor of the Year award - Food & Wine Magazine

Shop now for Lummi Island Wild Albacore Canned Tuna!

Canned tuna followed lobster, crab, and salmon into the sandwich along with the "dressings" that were common at the time. Classic recipes might have included eggs, apple, red onion, or shallots, along with lemon juice.

We've changed it up, replacing the onion and salt with Yuzu Kosho, and the juice with Lemon Olive Oil.

We chose to use Lummi Island tuna as it's cooked in its own juices, with no added oil. The lemon then adds a bit of moisture and a distinct flavor note of citrus.

The Yuzu Kosho adds its own citrus bite, salt, and a touch of spice. All together it makes a tuna salad sandwich that's pretty darn tasty without deviating too far from our childhood memories.

See the easy Tuna Fish Salad - Sandwich Recipe here!

These wonderful chocolate peppermint wafers are thin and dark with crunchy bits of minted sugar. And not just any mint.

Summerdown chocolate mint crisps are made with traditional Black Mitcham peppermint—for centuries, the true flavor of England's famed mint, but a variety that died out due to changes in 20th-century farming. After generations, Summerdown, the producer, has reintroduced this variety, thus bringing back the mint's particular flavor—soft and lingering, with a cool, intense flavor.

These chocolate peppermint wafers are the perfect size, with the right crunch, the right bite, the right mint! Another great product from Summerdown Mint!!

This is for sure my favorite Summerdown Peppermint Chocolate and without the cream! If you want the crisp without the cream, this is the one for you.

Shop now for Summerdown Mint Chocolate Peppermint Crisps here!

Liquicroc Caramel Toffy is a sugar coated chocolate (cool!) with a liquid toffee inside! And even though you know the center is "loose" when you bite in, the reward is better than you can possibly imagine!

There is lots of crunch, (sugar shell?) with the toffee center swirling in around the chocolate to make an entertaining bite that is, well, sophisticated! You will spend some time enjoying it all! One satisfies, two is better!

Shop now for Pecou LiquiCroc Caramel Dragees here!

The Arikara people are now a North Dakota tribe after their population was devastated by smallpox in the 18th century. Previously, centuries ago, they were a semi-nomadic tribe living in the Great Plains and were primarily an agricultural society, cultivating crops including corn, squash, watermelon, pumpkins, and Arikara Yellow beans.

It is commonly believed that these yellow beans were transported with Lewis and Clark as they journeyed west.

This bean is hardy and keeps its shape when baked.

Shop now for Organic Arikara Yellow Beans!

Sichuan peppercorns, also known as Szechuan peppercorns, are a key ingredient in Sichuan cuisine, which is a popular regional cuisine in China known for its bold and spicy flavors. Sichuan peppercorns are not actually true peppercorns, but the dried berries of the Zanthoxylum piperitum plant, which belongs to the Rutaceae family, commonly known as the citrus family.

The flavor of Sichuan peppercorns is characterized by a unique combination of citrusy, floral, and lemony notes. They have a distinct aroma and taste that is not as pungent or spicy as black peppercorns. Instead, they provide a tingling, numbing sensation on the tongue, which is their most notable characteristic. This numbing effect, along with their citrusy flavor, adds a distinctive and refreshing element to dishes. This lemony flavor is what makes them particularly appealing for brightening up sauces and meat and chicken dishes.

The peppercorns are harvested from the deciduous prickly ash tree, which is native to the Sichuan province in China. The berries are typically harvested when they are fully mature and have turned reddish-brown. After harvesting, the shells of the peppercorns are split open, and the bitter black seeds inside are removed and discarded. The remaining outer husk is what is used for culinary purposes.

One of the unique characteristics of Sichuan peppercorns is the presence of hydroxy-alpha-sanshool, a compound that gives them their distinctive numbing sensation. This numbing effect is often combined with the spiciness of chili peppers in Sichuan cuisine, creating a sensation known as "ma la," which translates to "numbing and spicy." It is a defining feature of many Sichuan dishes.

In addition to their flavor, Sichuan peppercorns are also valued for their medicinal properties. Traditional Chinese medicine utilizes Sichuan peppercorns for their warming and circulatory benefits, as well as their potential digestive and anti-inflammatory properties.

When using Sichuan peppercorns in cooking, it is common to lightly toast them in a dry pan to enhance their aroma before grinding or crushing them. They are then added to dishes during cooking or used as a finishing spice. The tingling and numbing sensation of Sichuan peppercorns can vary in intensity, so it is advisable to start with a small amount and adjust to taste.

Shop now for Sichuan Peppercorns!

The history of Chinese Five Spice dates back centuries and is deeply rooted in Chinese culinary traditions. While the exact origin of the blend is uncertain, it has been a staple in Chinese cuisine for a long time.

Chinese Five Spice has its roots in ancient Chinese philosophy and traditional medicine. It is believed that the combination of these five spices creates a balance of flavors and promotes harmony within the body. The spices were chosen based on their distinct flavors and their ability to represent the five fundamental elements of Chinese philosophy: wood, fire, earth, metal, and water.

The use of these spices can be traced back to the Tang Dynasty (618-907 AD), where the concept of "wuxiang" or "five flavors" became popular. During this time, Chinese cuisine began to develop a more complex and sophisticated taste profile, incorporating a balance of sweet, sour, bitter, spicy, and salty flavors.

The exact composition of Chinese Five Spice is unknown. It is believed that other ingredients such as ginger, nutmeg, cardamom, or even dried tangerine peel may have been one of the spices. The combination of star anise, cloves, Chinese cinnamon, Sichuan peppercorns, and fennel seeds or Chinese celery seeds has become the popular blend.

Chinese Five Spice has not only been used in cooking but also has cultural significance. It is often associated with festive occasions, such as Chinese New Year, and is used to add a special touch to celebratory dishes.

See the Chinese Five Spice Recipe here!

My level of anticipation to open this jar of chocolate hazelnut spread was a little surprising to me. We get a lot of new food, almost every day, here. Sometimes we request it, and sometimes it shows up on its own.

When we order anything un-tasted, based on our trust in the "maker", in this case Andrea Slitti, the excitement is based on our memory-of-palate.

Being a believer that Slitti Noccialata is the be-all end-all of all chocolate sauces in a jar, we were slow on the uptake for Slitti's Gianera. After first "taste", we now find them both essential to our "lunch box" for the dessert island.

Upon opening the jar of dark hazelnut spread, you smell the hazelnuts entwined with cocoa. You press your popsicle stick in expecting resistance and instead the smooth, creaminess of the Gianera is not only surprising, it is absolutely delightful!

It's immediately obvious why this hazelnut cocoa spread has won a Gold Bar twice for Best Spreading Cream.

Shop now for Slitti Gianera Creamy Dark Hazelnut Spread!

The Salt and Pepper Toasted Corn Nuts are not just plain with pepper. They instead deliver a punchy peppery pow that adds a third dimension to the salt, oil, and corn.

What you will find, just like the other two flavors, is some kind of "special sauce", aka technique, that makes the seasonings stick to the corn so that each and every kernel is flavored with just the right amount of magic.

Shop now for Salt and Pepper Toasted Corn!

For many of us, apricots are a "yeah, whatever" or "never touch 'em" and others can't wait until May or June when the first of the apricots are ripe on the tree. (This is really a sweet year for apricots.)

A great fresh apricot is like candy. Hard to comprehend when our first taste of an apricot is a dried one, tart and chewy and quite unappealing. So we think, why bother....

So many foods, when you enjoy them fresh, as close to the earth as possible, picked-at-their-peak, can be mind-blowing good. Like a fresh apricot.

And sometimes, those foods can be transformed, placed into a jar and come out just like you want them to be. Freshly delicious!

And that is what we have here. Abricot fruit cooked in a copper cauldron with brown sugar, where time and patience make all the difference.

This jam is by all standards, amazing! It tastes like fresh apricots, though never sharp or sour, it is a spoonful of a sweet treat.

The flavor of apricot, the way a freshly bitten fruit would be, is all there, swelling like a balloon rising, the smoothness of the flavor envelops all the senses, with the right cheek filling more than the left and then the tongue feels the weight of the flavor. And then suddenly you realize the physical being is gone, and all you are tasting is the memory!

And what a memory! It is indeed splendiferous.

And it is indeed spoon-ready, perfect for a croissant, sourdough bread, scone, oatmeal, cheese, pork chop and chicken. And of course crepes!

Shop now for La Trinquelinette Apricot Jam here!