After Hours: Summer Snacks and Reading

New Product Alert / Recommended Reading / Ahoy! Another Canine Cruise!

New Product Alert: Newman’s Own Organics

Look for two new product lines on the shelf from Newman’s Own Organics. Soy Crisps are bigger-than-bite-sized, gluten-free discs made from organic soy and rice. They are both thinner and sturdier than rice cakes, and provide a satisfying crunch. They come in four flavors: Lightly Salted, Barbecue, White Cheddar and Cinnamon Sugar.

The newcomer to the sweet side is the Hermit Cookie, an old-fashioned soft, chewy molasses cookie specked with raisins. The original and cinnamon varieties are virtuous and simple, while the ginger version has the allure of a subtle tingle that draws you back for more and more.

Recommended Reading: Red, White & Drunk All Over

How often have you read wine writing full of impressive descriptions that left you with no earthly idea of how the wine would actually taste? You’ll be anything but mystified by Natalie MacLean’s essay collection Red, White and Drunk All Over: A Wine-Soaked Journey From Grape to Glass. MacLean’s approach is engagingly kinesthetic and confessional, conveying a range of physical, emotional and psychological sensations in addition to whatever her taste buds might be experiencing. This collection is a happy mix of history, sociology, memoir and cultural anthropology, painlessly interlaced with the science and business of winemaking. Whether visiting the grand dames of Champagne, harvesting grapes in Sonoma, acting as sommelier or wine merchant, or detailing a foray into home entertaining, MacLean throws herself into each pursuit with a passion that invites the reader to dash along at her side. This book is both intelligent and fun, and you’ll learn something along the way.

MacLean has expanded her online food and wine matching tool, which was featured in the February 2007 After Hours. The range of food search options is larger (I swear I didn’t see “haggis” previously, which is paired with cabernet sauvignon), and it’s now possible to pull up recipes, too. Reach the recipes either by searching by ingredient or chef name, or by searching by wine type and following the recipe link at the bottom of the pairing recommendation page.

Ahoy! Another Canine Cruise!

The second annual New York City Canine Cruise sets sail on Sunday, August 26, 2007. The cruise is open to small dogs (under 25 pounds) and their human companions. Tickets are $45 per human and on sale now. The cruise is a harbor tour of Manhattan – yes, a three-hour tour – with plenty of canine couture and dog-friendly vendors on board. Ticket and raffle sales benefit the no-kill shelter Animal Haven and The Picasso Veterinary Fund, an assistance fund for homeless animals awaiting adoption.

© Kathy Biehl 2007. All Rights Reserved.

Red, White, and Drunk All Over: A Wine-Soaked Journey from Grape to Glass
Author: Natalie MacLean
Binding: Hardcover
List price: $23.95
Amazon price: $18.68
Posted in: After Hours, E-Commerce, Food