Whole Foods' vegan vanilla cupcakes are praised for their fluffy and moist texture, making them a top choice for those seeking plant-based options. Customers enjoy the well-balanced frosting made with vegan cream cheese, which complements the cupcake perfectly.
Everything revolves around the food. Instead of trying to tweak a recipe to fit with a sweet or tangy drink, start with the food and ensure it remains the star of the show. The real purpose of seeking an appropriate drink pairing is to create balance with the food. Sweet with salty, bitter with sweet, etc. In this way, food flavors aren't masked with the addition of a drink, but instead are highlighted.
Historically speaking, an osteria was a spartan, no-frills establishment where people would go to have a drink. The original osterias date all the way back to the Roman Empire. If you go to Ostia Antica or Pompeii, you find the osterias of the era. They were like bed-and-breakfasts, with rooms for rent above the dining room where people could listen to music.
The moka pot was born in Italy in the 1930s, as a simple way to give people the ability to make cafe-quality coffee from the comfort of their own homes. Since then, a few superior moka pot models have stood the test of time, becoming the gold standard according to those who use them.
International Delight's Almond Joy Coffee Creamer blends together the tastes of coconut, milk chocolate, and toasted almonds. The result is a well balanced, coconut-forward creamer with the perfect amount of toasty nuttiness. The chocolate isn't overwhelming in the slightest - in fact, our tester could barely pick up on it, which was actually appreciated.
Fernet-Branca is a specific brand of an Italian liqueur subcategory, fernet. Fernet is an amaro that's especially bitter and menthol-forward, and is stronger than your average amaro at around 30% to 45% ABV. It includes botanicals like cardamom, mint, rhubarb, gentian, saffron, and chamomile, and is believed to have been developed by the brand Fernet Vittone in Milan during the mid-19th century.
Country of origin labeling became mandatory on all international products entering the United States in 2009. The goal was to ensure American consumers knew where the products they were buying came from, enabling shoppers to make informed buying decisions. These products include everything from Mexican avocados to French wine to pasta from Italy, with the latter thankfully safe from recent U.S. tariffs. However, does the location a product comes from actually matter?
On my last trip, in Bologna, I found yet another way to enjoy Italian coffee (beyond ordering a doppio). One memorable café topped its coffees with fruit powder-infused whipped cream. They were listed under a section on the menu appropriately named "caffe della gioia" (yes, "joy coffee"). These joyful mugs are topped with a generous mountain of whipped cream that can be folded with fruit- or nut powders, like pomegranate, pistachio, orange, wild berries, and aniseed.
Their shops are known for making gelato in house daily, using organic Sonoma County milk, Belgian and Italian chocolate, pistachios from Sicily, hazelnuts from Piedmont, Italy, and locally sourced ingredients. For example, the new Arancia Rossa flavor, or blood orange, is made with fruit grown at JJ's Lone Daughter Ranch in Redlands, San Bernardino County. Fresh flavors, including vegan sorbet, rotate in every month.
The Park Street Deli Chocolate Chip Cannoli Dip is decadent and delicious, and while the dip may be intended to be spooned on top of cookies or fruit, we have found a different way to savor the creamy, chocolate chip-speckled treat. Clocking in at $3.29 for a 10-ounce package, this cream cheese-based product is ready to be introduced to your next batch of fudgy brownies.
Whether you're making a latte at home because you want to save money, get creative, or just can't be bothered to leave the house, there's no denying that having the right ingredients makes all the difference. Coffee has a wide aroma spectrum, so, like alcoholic beverages, it's key to ensure that any flavors the coffee is served with are complementary. When I was a barista at Starbucks, most of the onboarding process involved learning about this concept.
San Pellegrino is a mainstay in the world of sparkling water and has been around for 125 years and counting. It sources its mineral water naturally via the Italian Alps, and you can find the brand in stores in well over 100 countries around the globe. I only knew about the company's sparkling water and grew up with my parents consistently pouring a drink from the large green bottle - more frequently around the holidays when it was enjoyed as a special festive beverage.
Pasta and peas was one of the staple meals my mom made for us growing up. We probably had it at least once a week. She learned the recipe from my grandma Tina, and it was a simple, inexpensive dish to throw together-just pasta and frozen peas cooked with a bit of chicken broth and aromatics topped with grated parm.
We have a secret Valentine's Day tip for you this year: skip the store-bought candies and flowers. Instead, take your partner or best friend out to a local spot for a decadent, classy dessert that comes with that priceless thing no one can buy: quality time and comfortable conversation with people you love. We put together a list of some restaurants and cafes where you can get cozy and dig into something delicious this Valentine's Day or any day.