Guayakí. Sounds like a foreign island near Fiji where I can go to get some peace of mind. But Guayakí is actually a South American Achè tribe that drinks yerba mate daily, calling it "the drink of the gods.&rdquo
With the caffeine of one cup of coffee, yerba mate is the new clean and green energy source. Unlike other yerba mate products, Guayakí partners with growers who grow it in the shade of the forest. Yerba's harvesting teams are instructed to carefully prune the yerba mate trees for the best quality and health of the tree for future harvests. Guayakí's mission is coming true daily, restoring 200,000 acres of rain forest and creating over 1,000 living wage jobs by 2020.
Not to be missed is the pomegranate blend. Immediately upon twisting its cap, strong herbal aromas of pomegranate tea leaves are revealed. And with only 54 calories per serving, it definitely gives Starbucks a run for its money. Yerba Mate's Guayakí Puremind Pomegranate Blend may be a mouthful, but it sure is a sweet one.
Rosé has always been a classic summer wine. With crisp, refreshing and fruity flavors, a good rosé can be hard to beat. But unfortunately, finding a good bottle is often difficult, and people often mistakenly end up with a bottle (or box) or disappointing White Zinfandel. This is why when we find a bottle we like, we stick with it.
Our Wine of the Day is Xavier Flouret's Nationale 7 Rosé. A classic Côtes de Provence, the wine is made from fruit ripened on 40-year old vines and aged in stainless steel tanks to give it a fresh, crisp flavor. Made from a blend of Grenache, Cinsault and Tibouren, the wine has clean floral aromas with a hint of minerality. On the palate, the wine has flavors of juicy red berries which are balanced out by soft citrus notes. We pair this wine with raw shellfish or soft cheeses, but it can also stand up to richer dishes like chicken or even foie gras. In any case, you can bet that this summer, we'll be drinking pink.
Here at Behind the Burner, berries are the first thing to go when someone puts them in the office fridge. Even tagging the containers with the owner's John Hancock does very little to discourage the berry fiends. When consuming, we usually add them to yogurt, granola, or even sneak them into the occasional peanut butter sandwich, but never in our lives did we think of putting them in a savory dish.
Driscoll's Berries changed all that with their recipe for an intriguing Raspberry Ham Frittata. Filled with ingredients you might normally find in an everyday egg-based dish, such as hash browns and cheddar cheese, this unassuming breakfast noshable boasts bright spots of pinkish-red where where raspberries add that little something extra. On first bight, the sharp, tart flavor of the berries adds just the right touch to the mellow eggs and salty ham. I know when I sampled it I was in hog heaven!
Tip: If cheddar isn't your thing, try replacing the the cheddar with a Baby Swiss or Provolone. It'll have that extra bite to mirror the tartness of the raspberries.
The moral of this story: things are not always what they seem! Experiment with your dishes and they may come out just as spectacular as Driscoll's Frittata.
I hopped on the sushi-crazed band wagon a bit later than most foodies, but by this point I've become accustomed to the typical California rolls, spicy tuna rolls or a soft shell crab roll whenever I'm in a risk-taking mood.
I guess I was tired of settling for sub-par sushi, so I decided to enter Haru for my first date with its new Red Hot Mama. She may seem intimidating at first, dished out perfectly before your eyes, but she definitely knows how to satisfy an appetite.
Upon taking my very first bite (after a bit of a struggle with my chopsticks, of course), I was actually relieved to find that the roll was not completely true to its name. Rather than starting a red hot fire in my mouth (clearly, I don't do well with hot sauce), the roll ignites the palate with an array of bold flavors. The Red Hot Mama sushi roll includes seasonal craw fish, mango, cilantro and is topped with yuzu tobiko and a Japanese remoulade. The combination of fruity sweetness, fresh fish and cilantro made for an innovative dish and a sophisticated combination of flavors. I usually am not a fan of flying fish roe as a topping to my sushi, but the yuzu tobiko gave the dish a smoky taste with some crunch, not to mention a beautiful Hot Mama reddish-orange color.
Tip: If one roll doesn't satisfy your sushi cravings, Haru's Strawberry Fin Roll gives Ms. Hot Mama a run for its money. Made with spicy yellow tail tuna rolled up with jalapeño peppers, mango, scallops, wasabi, Tabasco sauce and fresh strawberries, this roll delivers a sweet and spicy kick you won't forget.
Word on the street is that Red Hot Mama is still on the market for all you hungry New Yorkers.
Haru
220 Park Avenue South
New York, NY
10003-1514
When you think of Pinot Grigio on a hot summer day, you might imagine the condensation forming on the outside of a chilled bottle as you pour yourself a glass. Not so with our Wine of the Day, Duca Del Frassino Pinto Grigio, which stands as Italy's first wine...in a box.
Produced by Cantina di Soave, one of the more prestigious wineries in the Veneto region, Duca Del Frassino is not your average college kids' fridge wine. Their Pinot Grigio boasts a crisp, well balanced fruit flavor with hints of white flower on the nose. Tip: This wine pairs well with fish or chicken, especially charred on the grill. At $19.99, it is an unbeatable price for your backyard bash, so pick some up and start sipping! And don't forget to try their Cabernet Corvina...it's quite delicious, too.
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