Like the funky pulse of bass and horns on a reggae record, Jamaican jerk cuisine brings a rhythm of flavours to the palate. There’s a lot going on in jerk, most of it very spicy (genuine jerk is hot stuff, and not for the faint of tongue). The term is wide: it encompasses both a [...]
This place is enormous, and packed to the gills: to use a term borrowed from the Oreo people, what we have here is a Double Stuf event. Picture a stadium–sized exhibition space in New York City, filled with booths displaying tempting-looking snacks, sweets, and savouries. Behind these irresistibly designed and invitingly lit items stand busy, [...]
The Pickle Guy Company Bustin’s Best $1,000,000.00 Relish 500ml, $9.99 available at fine food stores for more information visit thepickleguy.com Here’s the crazy thing about the art of product design: one minute Shelf Life is seduced by fancy boxes and pretty fonts; the next moment we’re falling for a bearded guy leaning in a doorway [...]
O Blood Orange Olive Oil 250ml. $18.99 available at fine food stores for more information visit ooliveoil.com Part of the greatness of this product – and make no mistake, this is an outstanding olive oil – is the fact that it gets things right. Shelf Life loves a product that sets itself a challenge, and [...]
Talk about time in a bottle. In 2004 Shelf Life reviewed 8 brands of Canada’s signature nectar; since then much has changed. Like hockey and Hudson Bay blankets, maple syrup has rediscovered its iconic status. These days there are more artisans in the market, producing better quality, more satisfying products (Aunt Jemima, the tribe has [...]
La Tomate! Sundried Tomato and Port Jelly 100ml, $6.99 available at fine food stores, we bought it at Pusateri’s Fine Foods. For more information contact La Tomate Shelf Life showed this item to our friend the condiment queen, and she pounced on it: “I love interesting flavour pairings – they’re what I call Odd Couples.” [...]
Maison Le Grand Sun Dried Tomato Pesto 210g, $7.49 widely available in Quebec; available at fine foods stores in Ontario; for more information visit maisonlegrand.com This Thanksgiving, Shelf Life is all about the rest of the story. Certainly we’re going to live large on the big day, but during Leftover Week our fridge will bulge [...]
Edna’s Pickles Mango and Gherkin Mix 250 ml, $10.00 Edna sells her products at fairs, festivals, trade shows & on line. For show dates or to purchase products visit – ednaspickles.com Shelf Life has condiment issues: we can’t get enough of them. Whether we’re peering at Piri-piri Sauce or hoarding baby dills or building cabinets [...]
Ketchup! The classic. Culinarily speaking, all of human life is here. There’s almost nowhere ketchup can’t travel, almost nothing it can’t do, or become. It’s so ubiquitous, so protean, that even when it’s bad it’s somehow irresistible. A good ketchup is like New York City; sassy, shiny, iconic, beloved, and wonderfully accessible. A not-so-good ketchup [...]
About the recession thing – Shelf Life could be doing better. We weren’t frugal. We’re the squirrels who didn’t save our nuts, the hares that pelted past the tortoise, the – to continue the animal metaphor – doggy bags that were never used. Why didn’t we foresee that the good times would never last? Couldn’t [...]
