PrintFavorite Food Discoveries of 2007?
What new (and possibly slightly unusual) food did you try in 2007? Did you love it (or was it a little too weird)?
I'm currently on vacation skiing in Vermont, and tried a water buffalo yogurt (2%, vanilla) from Spoondance Creamery (in South Woodstock, VT) that was incredible! Tangier than normal vanilla yogurt (I usually just eat plain yogurt because sweetened yogurts taste like plain sugar to me) and very thick and creamy in an entirely natural, no gelatin added way, it was absolutely delicious! I'm definitely going to find this yogurt at home and add it to my grocery list!
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25 Comments:
I recently tried tempeh (weird for me, since I'm not a vegetarian at all) for the first time, and was pleasantly surprised by the mild flavor. I'll definitely be incorporating it into my diet in the coming year.
Nicholas H at 1:01PM on 01/01/08
japanese hot-pot/ aka shabu-shabu
shabu zen in boston's chinatown is great
also, lan chi brand szechuan chili bean paste
coolname at 3:28PM on 01/01/08
Just this past week, I tried Nutella for the first time. Mmmm...think I'm hooked:) Spread on toast & also made a grilled banana & Nutella sandwich--yum!
JEP at 4:03PM on 01/01/08
Mochi Ice Cream. Never had anything like it!
Wow, JEP, I can't believe you just tried Nutella for the first time in 2007! Welcome to the after-school snack of Italian children everywhere :D.
chiff0nade at 8:11PM on 01/01/08
Purple Okinawan sweet potatoes...like candy!
Fish gizzards...they tasted like chicken gizzards...only smaller.
fuuchan at 9:27PM on 01/01/08
Fage yogurt. I am in love.
AuntJone at 10:13AM on 01/02/08
Right now, ochazuke.
KarynMC at 1:02PM on 01/02/08
Shiso/Perilla leaves. Minty, citrusy, fresh-flavored and not just for sushi. Shiso is great in cocktails and salads, crushed into a pesto, as a garnish for soups...
XO sauce. I had no idea this stuff existed until this year. Wondrous.
Skyr was also new to me. It's okay, but I find it kind of chalky. I prefer the creaminess of Mediterranean yogurts.
missginsu at 1:53PM on 01/02/08
Oh... there was also some camel hump pastrami that my boyfriend brought back from Turkey. That was kind of musky and gross.
missginsu at 1:57PM on 01/02/08
This year I had horchata and pupusas for the first time.
Now I crave them every moment of my waking life
roboppy at 2:09PM on 01/02/08
Oooo, everyone has really interesting things they've discovered. Horchata is one of my all time favorite drinks. I had a couple new discoveries this year. One was small pimientos de padron. They are little green peppers from Spain that have a rich flavor and are perfect pan fried in a little olive oil and salt. Every 20th or so pepper, has a hot kick to it, so it's a big hit in Spanish tapas bars.
The other thing I'd never had was celeriac. It's celery root and has a very mild celery and parsley flavor. It's a great new addition to my winter local foods. Good in soups and also mashed with potatoes. Yum!
FigswithBri at 3:52PM on 01/02/08
I discovered in 2007 a few things... umeboshi paste, umeboshi vinegar, quinoa, kombu, agar agar and braised greens.
I loved the pickled umeboshi taste... it it great in a mayo-free coleslaw dressing I learned to make and the vinegar added as a flavor enhancer in soups. I loved quinoa and have been meaning to make it myself lately.
I did however discovered I do not like wet greens as part of my food. I eat spinach as part of pasta dishes, rices, egg-less fritattas and on... but I do not like a wet glob of green on my plate. Arghhh.
MadelynRodriguez at 4:58PM on 01/02/08
They're all so exotic! Mine is plain old stuffed green olives. When I was a child, my mother used to give me olive loaf sandwiches and I hated them. I would pass up green olives whenever they were offered, and substitute black olives and/or capers in recipes. I had my first green olive in a martini on my birthday and I liked the olive better than the drink.
I've seen several posts mentioning Fage yogurt. I don't think I've ever seen it. It could be my food discovery for 2008. Where is it sold?
PerkyMac at 5:33PM on 01/02/08
Beef Short Ribs. Had them served in a Thai Red Curry sauce over jasmine rice. To die for.
MML at 7:07PM on 01/02/08
My own cooking.
Pork belly!
NSW at 7:41PM on 01/02/08
I just realized that I first tried Fage yogurt in 2007 as well, though it feels like it was a long time ago since it's become such a staple of my diet!
For those curious Fage-virgins out there, you can purchase it at Whole Foods, Trader Joes, Balduccis, and many other grocery stores (I've seen it at one Safeway in DC), in varying fat contents (whole milk, 2%, and 0%), and now in different flavors as well. It is a very creamy, mild, and thick greek yogurt, and is absolutely delicious! I like mine plain, drizzled with honey, topped with sliced fruit or berries, with granola, served with fried zucchini patties, made into tzatziki....(basically, in anything)
On a larger scale, I first shopped at Trader Joe's in 2007, and it has changed my life! I drive for 30 min from Hyde Park to Lincoln Park (in Chicago) once a week to shop, and it's totally worth it! It just makes me so happy... :)
ChristineB at 8:51PM on 01/02/08
My local Giant and Giant Eagle sell Fage, too. Pricey, but wonderful. Once you try it, you'll be hooked. I eat it with nuts, muesli, and dried fruit.
KarynMC at 8:58PM on 01/02/08
I'll find Fage yogurt somewhere, even if I have to order it online. Yogurt was also an acquired taste, and I'm liking it better and using it more and more. Have even considered making my own, if it isn't too time consuming, or require tons of specialized equipment - a discussion for another day.
Thanks for the info ChristineB and KarynMC. Very much appreciated!
PerkyMac at 9:48PM on 01/02/08
p.s. "Curious Fage-Virgin"......I'm almost blushing. Haven't been called anything virginal in many blue moons. Ha ha. My favorite name is Grandma. Three years now, and it makes my heart melt every time. Just one blessed little girl, so far.
So, how is Fage yogurt different from the water buffalo yogurt, ChristineB? This virgin needs to know. :)
PerkyMac at 9:54PM on 01/02/08
p.p.s
Any recommendations for the best green olive, eaten right from the jar as a snack? I've tried several and none lived up to the large one in my martini. I don't think the gin would have made that much difference, do you? Your favorite green olive is...........
PerkyMac at 10:01PM on 01/02/08
I have never liked yogurt. And, I'm not much of a "breakfast foods" person. So, when you wake up to go to work daily at 4am, you need to find SOMETHING to fill the belly. Well, I tried FAGE 0% this year, and I now like yogurt! Ok, well, Greek Yogurt. I top mine with honey and almonds. Love it.
stacylyn at 7:10AM on 01/03/08
The texture of Fage is very similar to sour cream; even the 0% variety is extremely creamy and thick, much more solid than regular yogurts. Fage yogurt is also much more mild than other plain yogurts.
The water buffalo yogurt, on the other hand, was also very thick, but was still slightly thinner than Fage (like regular yogurt would be if you strained it in cheesecloth for a few hours). I only tried the vanilla flavor, but it was a little tangier than Fage, and slightly sweet from the small amount of added sugar. The difference between the water buffalo yogurt and normal yogurt is (unsurprisingly) similar to the difference between mozzarella di bufalo and cows' milk mozz. It's richer, tangier, and all around more complex tasting. I highly recommend both yogurt varieties!
The website of the buffalo yogurt I tried is not quite up and running http://www.spoondancecreamery.com/
but there was an article about it in the Chicago Tribune this past November
http://www.chicagotribune.com/features/lifestyle/health/chi-letter_buffalonov26,1,1311238.story
ChristineB at 8:31AM on 01/03/08
First, and strangely enough, pudding. I never liked the texture of it until about a year or so ago, and now I can't get enough of it. I love that stuff. I guess, though, that your tastes toward certain flavors and textures changes with age.
Next, pho. I had it for the first time last winter at the best little dive in town, called Pho 79. And being that I love tripe (and rarely eat it, since it's so high in cholesterol), when I treat myself, it is with tripe pho.
Also, pickled anything. Okay, so I discovered this a little longer than a year ago, but I have been diversifying my likes in this category recently. Apparently, though, despite loving anything pickled (and having a slight addiction to mustard - I go through three bottles a week), I still don't like, and have never liked, pickles (in the traditional sense). Weird?
Traveller at 1:31PM on 01/03/08
St.Benoit yogurt...the plain one, with a spoon of maple syrup. Oh soooo good.
Sterntaler Bakery, their Praline stollen is absolutely addictive.
I also FINALLY "discovered" the farmer's market in Mountain View..after bloody 7 years of living down in the south bay, I no longer have to trek all the way up to San Francisco's Ferry terminal market on Saturday! The market at MV is cheaper too!
gnomatic at 11:29PM on 01/03/08
While this wasn't a discovery per se, I did try duck for the first a week or two ago (still in 2007). I had the duck breast, while in Antwerp, Belgium - it was interesting. It tasted like steak and I was told it would taste like chicken!
Hillary
Chew on That
Chew on That at 5:31PM on 01/04/08