I had the opportunity to try the most awesome eco-friendly disposable plates, ever. I loved these!

The plates are completely natural, organic, and biodegradable.  The are made from a completely renewable resource and hardly ripple the environment at all.  Plus they are beautiful.

I am thinking of making a notecard out of that image, by the way. I just love these plates. Ahem…O.k..

The plates are made from the Adaka Palm tree. But…and this is cool…no tree was harmed in the making of these plates. Maybe a bug or two was squished but that’s o.k..so far bugs aren’t an endangered species, right? Anyway, the tree drops the sheaths of its leaves and grows more, just like other trees. Workers collect these leaves and take them to be cleaned in fresh water and molded into plates. Sustainable, eco friendly plates that can be tossed onto the compost pile.  But wait, there’s more!

They are waterproof, leak proof, and handle hot and cold. No matter what I used on these plates they held up perfectly.

The plates are very unique. Some are very plain and others are spotted. Some are lighter and others are darker. Plus I love the ridges. I have touch sensitivity. It is weird but there are several textures that I just can’t handle. Touching these textures makes me gag…things like styrofoam, popsicle wrappers, some magazine pages…ick. Anyway..I loved the feel of these. They are ridgey and fun to touch. Just remember..simple things for simple minds….

They come in several shapes including:

• Hexegon
• Round
• Square
• Rectangle

They really are elegant and beautiful. I will admit to washing them off and re-using them…shhhhh…..Everyone loved these.

You are not going to be able to buy 100 plates for 1.99 though.   These are a little on the pricey side, understandably I suppose because a lot of work goes into them. Check them out at Marx Foods.

images:marye audet

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I was asked to review some Pourfect products and I agreed. I mean, I dont know about you but measuring cups, spoons and such disappears around here. It ends up in Kyrie’s play kitchen, or in the dirt in the driveway, or…God forbid, in the kitty litter. I ALWAYS need measuring cups so of course I said yes.

Let me just say..first of all…there are alot of them. The cup sizes are from 1/8 of a cup up to 2 cups. The measuring spoons go from unbelievably tiny to two tablespoons.

When I say unbelieveably tiny I mean it. Their specialty sizes are listed as such:

• drop 1/64t
• smidgeon 1/32t
• pinch 1/16t
• dash 1/8t

There is also a leveler included. I liked these spoons alot. They are easy to use, red (they match my laptop) and come in a enough sizes to make anyone happy. The only downside to the products, at least the red ones, is that it is hard for me to see the measurements on them. They are embossed but the same color as the spoons. I would prefer that companies give a nod to those of us with high ceilings, eco-friendly lightbulbs, and less than perfect eyes by making the numbers easy to read. I will be getting around this with a bottle of nail polish or a sharpie.

The cups are fantastic. The have a lip on them that allowed me to pour some expensive balsamic vinegar (special occasions only) back into the bottle when I had mis-poured…and nary a drop spilled. It all was saved. The bottoms have a no skid band so that they sit firmly on your counter. You are not going to knock them and have them race across the counter toward the inevitable floor like lemmings. Nope.

The bowls are polished so ingredients slide out easily. Again, the numbers are hard to read but other than that this product is one of my favorites. I will be ordering bowls for sure.

You can find more out about the product and the company, including how to buy, at Pourfectbowl.

image:maryeaudet

Sometimes being a food writer is like Christmas everyday. Boxes come in the mail and are full of delightful things. The box from Dei Fratelli was like that. Two pasta sauces, two salsas. Yum.

Rather than doing a separate review for each I am just going to say that all  four of these products are delicious. The corn and black bean salsa was not too spicy, but had a very fresh flavor. In fact, all of the sauces had a good, fresh tomato flavor.They are not overly salty and all of the ingredients are well balanced. I really liked this brand. Give it a try if it is available in your area.

images:marye audet

I am sure that most of you know the story of David and Goliath..The Giant that didn’t take the little boy too seriously and ended up the worse for it. I like that story. I happen to believe that most of the time Right = Might and truth will always prevail.

A couple of months ago I mentioned that one of my unique recipes had shown up in a national magazine. Both b5media and I contacted  the magazine to ask that they give me attribution for the recipe. The magazine didn’t even acknowledge our emails, or the emails of the lawyers.  If they will do it to me they will do it to any of you that are food blogging. After all, I had a network and network lawyers behind me and they still ignored us… The magazine is Tea Time, which is put out by Southern Lady.  Hoffman Media, LLC.

Recipe copyright is a tricky thing. You can’t copyright a list of ingredients…and really, the magazine was within it’s rights to publish the recipe. Legally they did nothing wrong. But the recipe was one that I had developed over a long period of time, one I had worked on to get just right..and spent money on… and it was unusual. In fact, if you list the ingredients in google, my recipe is the only one that comes up.

So, we weren’t talking about them using a recipe for chocolate chip cookies here. This was for white silk and berry tarts..and it took me a long time to get it just right. You see, just white chocolate and heavy cream, the way you would make a chocolate ganache is too rich. White chocolate and butter is too…bland…

After several tries I found that what chocolate and sour cream were just right. The perfect combination and back drop for the berries I chose. I published this recipe last May, almost exactly a year ago. White Silk and Berry Tarts.  I used premade shells because I had been concentrating on testing the filling…

Everyone that tried them loved them.  The slight almond flavor, the creaminess, the tanginess of the sour cream. Perfect.

Now, I do work for a network. I do make an income from blogging and freelance writing.  As some of you know, Marc became disabled 2 years ago and lost his job. We have been fighting with the VA to get his benefits. For awhile we were not sure where our next meal was coming from..seriously money has been tight.

This is not a hobby for me. I love it but Baking Delights, Kettle and Cup, and the other writing I do feeds my family and pays our bills.I don;t just write here. I write about 15 hours a day to make our budget.

So, I read Tea Time Magazine because I love the images, the recipes and the tea articles. I have been a reader, although not every issue, for a couple of years. Imagine how I felt, laying in bed one night and paging through my newest copy (May/June 2009) and coming upon a recipe for White Silk Tartlets.

Me:”Hey Marc! Look! Someone has a similar recipe to mine in a MAGAZINE!”

Marc:”Really? Let me see.”

We begin to read the recipe….

Marc:”Ummm, Kid? That IS your recipe.”

Me: “Seriously? No they wouldn’t do that..must be a coincidence…”

I pulled up the laptop and went to my recipe.  Here it is:

Marye’s White Silk Tarts

16 tart shells of choice (pastry, graham, puff pastry etc.)

1 c unsalted butter

3/4 c sugar

6 ozs good quality white chocolate melted in 1/3 c heavy cream and cooled to room temperature

1 tsp vanilla flavor

1/2 tsp almond flavor

2 TBS sour cream

2 eggs

1/2 pt blackberries, raspberries or both

Bittersweet chocolate for drizzle

+++++

The I looked at their recipe. Page 33.  Forgive me as I blatantly copy their recipe off:

6 oz white chocolate chopped

1/3 cup heavy cream

1 cup unsalted butter

3/4 cup sugar

2 tablespoons sour cream

1 tsp vanilla extract

2 eggs

tartlet shells

6 oz blueberries

6 oz raspberries

Melted white chocolate for garnish.

++++++++++++++

Instructions are basically the same. They sweetly used their own words.

The next day Matthew said, “Wow Mom! These tarts on the COVER of Tea Time look just like yours!

“Actually Matt, they look better, their photographer is much better than me but other than that THEY ARE MINE.”

I was astounded. I was sure that they had just made a mistake. SO I emailed them, expecting an email back. I mean, my recipe had made the cover of a national magazine that I admired! Surely I would get a quick apology and a small attribution in another issue….

They didn’t even say eff-you.  Nothing.

Nothing. It says By Valerie Kramer Davis, recipe development by Chantel Lambeth…Which is interesting since she was certainly NOT at my house while I worked on that filling…My poor family was forced to eat mounds of white silk..mounds of it I tell you!

So, am I writing this because I am angry?

Yeah, I am. I am angry that a big, profitable magazine would steal from a broke food blogger. If I had written one of there recipes without attribution I think I would have heard about it.

And you know what? I have inadvertently taken recipes from other bloggers without meaning to. Especially when I first started blogging. But as soon as I was made aware of it I apologized publicly and made it right as much as I could. Because I was raised that way.

You know, if this was a common recipe I really would not feel comfortable saying anything..but as you can see it is not. I am angry. Obviously I will NOT be buying the magazine anymore..which is kind of scary because if they will steal once what will stop them from stealing again?And if they do how will I know?

I don’t believe in signing some blogger’s ethics paper, or joining a bloggers group that has rules about what you can and can’t do. I think that everyone knows what is right and wrong and people can err on the side of caution and ask permission. You know, I would have said, “SURE! Just mention the blog!”

Several months ago a magazine contacted me by email. Niagara Magazine Group out of Canada wanted to use one of my images, with attribution. They asked if it would be ok..  I said, “SURE!” and they even sent me the magazine!

I am not a difficult person to get along with. I think I am pretty reasonable. But I have this thing about lying and stealing. I don’t like it. And I think, especially if you are a public figure, lying and stealing is…well….I don’t want to say unforgivable… but…beyond unethical. I, for one, do not want to be associated with an unethical company.

Food bloggers, really, there is no way to combat this individually. We are too small. But together we are a pretty scary force on the internet. As I told someone this morning..I have a spatuala and I know how to use it!

Try to notice what is on other blogs and then as you are looking around the internet or through magazines take note of anything that looks too familiar. Let’s help each other in this.  Also, if you find that a company or another blog has used your stuff email them. If they don’t fix it…let’s start calling them out. Do you really want to support a magazine like Tea Time that not only plagiarizes other work but refuses to acknowledge their mistake?

Another thing I do is to google my name, and Baking Delights regularly. I also run random pages through CopyScape AND I generally hide a link in the post that links back to one of my blogs or websites so I can track the blog thief.

I am very disappointed, frustrated, and hurt. I am pretty sure that they made a heck of a lot more on my recipe than I did.

Tea Time comes across as being a genteel, feminine magazine…but turns out to be little more than a bully in a frilly dress and a push up bra….. ” I can do this because I am bigger than you.”

Yep, Tea Time, you can.

You are bigger, wealthier, and more powerful than me…but I have something you will never have again. My respect, and I am guessing the respect of more than one of your readers.

Oh… and thank you for saying that this was your best dessert ever…I will take that as a compliment.

Images:(c) Marye Audet (that means I took them with my camera at my table a few minutes ago) 2009

A few weeks ago I was talking to Evil Shenanigans and she mentioned Sugar Bomber. I was curious so I checked it out.

Sugar Bomber is committed to causing copious drooling in as much of the population as it can reach in as short a time as possible. It is a cause I can believe it so I applied to be a Dictator. Yes a dictator.

My children always knew it. Now it has been made public. Basically when I find a dessert locally I submit the image to Sugar Bomber.

Today I had the great pleasure of taking out a dear friend. I have wanted to be able to do something for her for years…and I finally was able to bless  her. I took her to the Landmark here in Dallas for lunch. Jeff Moschetti is such an amazing chef…and the food was as delicious as always. We ended with small desserts. I got a chocolate financier with macerated raspberries and she got carrot cake. Check it out:

What a carrot cake!

I love how these desserts are plated. Let’s face it, it is probably the thing that sets really top restaurants from the mediocre ones is the way that the food is presented.

Check out Sugar Bomber for tons of sugary yumminess from all over. And you know? The best way to learn creative plating is to look at a lot of images.

images:Marye Audet

A couple of months ago I was contacted about reading a book called, The Laws of Harmony. I love doing book reviews, although sometimes it feels kind of weird because this is, after all, a cooking blog.  I said I would and pretty soon the book arrived at my door.

The reason that I could review it comfortably and talk about it here is that the main character is pretty definitely a foodie. Other than that  there are no recipes or anything.

Read more

I read an article on National Review.com that really bothers me.  O.k. makes me seethe, really. Basically, in a hazelnut shell it talked about the soup kitchens and pantries around the country throwing out food because it was not gourmet/upscale/trendy enough.  The following Washington Post quote is taken from the site:

In a Washington Post article covering the visit, one Miriam’s Kitchen official explained, “If anyone brings us donuts, Steve [the chef] throws them away. . . . It is not good food for our guests. We care too much to give them anything but the best. Steve wants our guests to have the same experience as if they were paying $30 for the meal.”

Read more

I love Thai food.  I like the flavor combinations  and eventually I am going to be experimenting with the flavors.

Now, usually I make potato chips homemade.. I admit to being a bit of a chip snob. But..seriously, you have to try these Kettle Spicy Thai Chips.

They are full of flavor. Chile, ginger, lime?, not sure but the flavor is intense.  These chips are grab some ice water spicy and the flavor just spreads in waves throughout your mouth.  They are crisp, not greasy, and the texture is perfect.   These chips are definitely worth getting, especially if you like spicy food.

images: marye audet

So, as you know I got my review roll of the new Reynold’s Wrap 100%  recycled aluminum foil last week.  Other than it being completely torn up in transit, what do I think?

I could not tell a difference between this and the regular one.  I am thrilled to say that the Reynold’s Wrap 100% recycled performed as well as the regular stuff.

From the website:

• Food-safe foil made from a mix of pre and post consumer aluminum.
• Strength and durability you’ve come to expect from Reynolds Wrap®.
• Available in Standard and Heavy Duty strengths.
• The packaging and core are made from 100% recovered paper and the inks used on the product packaging are water-based.
• Located in the foils, wraps and bags aisle at grocery and mass market retailers nationwide.

To show that they are serious the company also is using recycled packaging.  In fact, by using recycled aluminum foil it is estimated that there is 80% reduction in energy used compared to making it from new materials.  Plus there are fewer greenhouse gasses and less things filling up the landfill.

So, what goes into the aluminim foil?  Car parts, stadium seats, cookware, lots of things….and it is heated to unbelievable temperatures so it is clean and safe for food.

You can get coupons for 100% Recycled Reynold’s Wrap and more information on the Reynold’s Wrap website. Give it a try, and let me know what you think.  The one thing is that I have not yet seen it in stores so I don’t know what the price difference is.

image: Reynold’s Wrap

I am going to refrain from political comment, sarcasm, or comments about Texas succeeding from the Union.  No doubt I will think those things but they shall stay locked away in the mushy grayness of my middle aged brain.

A week or so ago a PR person from Reynold’s Wrap emailed me asking if I would be interested in reviewing their new product…aluminum foil made from 100 percent recycled aluminum .  I was thrilled.  I love when companies do something right!

So they Fed Ex’d me the box.  It seemed an innocent enough undertaking at the time…You know how pictures are worth a thousand words?

One more time:

So, here is what we think happened.  The way that just the corner of the box was torn it did not seem to be an accident.  Add to that the fact that the Reynolds Wrap box has the end torn off as well.  Marc thinks it must have looked like a pipe bomb.  Apparently they thought that the Reynold’s Wrap Company was sealing contraband in the boxes and so had to open THAT box as well.

Yep Jethro, it really IS aluminum foil.

You all kno0w what happens when the box of foil is messed up, right?  Yeah.  So, I will be reviewing this cool product once I get it to seperate from the roll.

Thank God I don’t review Uzis.

Images: (c) 2009maryeaudet