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The Picky Eater: Dr. Tea serves up no-calorie treats
Jolene Thym
Staff writer
May 13, 2008
YESTERDAY I HAD a cup of orange sherbet followed by some chocolate cream pie. Today I'm sipping a mint julep, eyeing the gingerbread and planning to dig into the apple pie in the next hour. And yes, I can still button my pants — and breathe — because all of these treats are calorie-free, thanks to some guy named Dr. Tea.
The good doctor is not a magician. He's not even a real doctor. He's a class-A tea-tweaker from Hollywood who dreamed up the idea of pumping the flavors of hideously caloric, fattening things into all kinds of tea to make Dr. Tea's Craving Teas.
I don't know that these teas would stop me from eating the real thing if it were within reach, but they taste good and I love the idea of having piles of treats scattered across my desk.
The only beef I have with these Craving teas is the packaging. All of the teas — whether it's blueberry pie or caramel — come in boring orange and white packages. The teas are $5 for a sampler of 12 teas. To order, contact 800-288-4372 or www.teagarden.com .
FORK IT OVER: When it's 7:22 p.m. on a weeknight and I'm just opening the fridge to survey the dinner options, you can be sure of two things: A) I'm hungry, and B) Dinner had better be quick. Most of the time, that means microwaved potatoes, pasta with bottled sauce or veggies on rice. But last week, Cube Artisan Foods came to the rescue with a three-course gourmet meal that went from the freezer to the table in 6 minutes flat. We started with a small bowl of creamy, spicy Velvet Tomato Soup that was better than good. Next up was a smooth, slightly sweet kabocha squash soup that's only 90 calories per serving (the creamy tomato is 180). Good, but I liked the tomato better.
The main dish was a spoonful of comforting four-cheese macaroni and cheese. It was good, if a little bland for my palate — I prefer mac and cheese kicked over the top with a little pecorino and feta. Last up was three-berry crisp, a barely sweet dessert that would have been perfect with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.
As I washed up the dishes, I couldn't resist going on the computer to find out a little more about Cube Artisan Foods. It turns out that Cube Artisan is a market and cafe in Los Angeles that decided it was time to package some of its menu favorites. The cafe gets extra credit for delivering flavor without resorting to fake, unhealthy ingredients. Other main dishes in the Cube lineup include two fish entrees and one beef. Their soups and entrees are $5.49 to $6.49. The cobbler is $6.99. Cube Artisan Foods can be found at Andronico's.
CHEESY SOLUTIONS: Since cheese is a natural hors d'oeuvre, when "Cheese Hors d'Oeuvres" ($12.95, Harvard Common Press) by Hallie Harron arrived on my desk, I wondered if it would be a bust, a book of recipes I've already tried and loved. I was half right. There are recipes for quesadillas, crostini and fondue. But the narrow book also contains a few treasures, like White Cheddar Gougeres, Parmesan Biscotti, and an Italian Cheese Torta with goat cheese, ricotta and sun-dried tomato that I expect will be part of my permanent repertoire.
PICKY OR ICKY? When Turtle Island Foods told me that they had three flavors of tempeh that they wanted me to try, I had an instant flashback to the last time I tried the stuff. One bite told me that I didn't like this food. At all. In fact, I so disliked the stuff that I remember getting up in the middle of the night and chucking it in the outside trash can. But that was years ago. Fast-forward to yesterday afternoon. I pull out a chunk of tempeh that I have sauteed on the stove and take a bite. The bite goes in — then bounces back out of my mouth instantly. The texture, the flavor, everything about it is just wrong.
Realizing that I am not fit to judge this product, I pass it to a vegetarian in the office who loves tempeh. His report: He didn't like the one I tried either; the others are not too bad. Turtle Island Tempeh is about $3 per 8-ounce package. It comes in three flavors: five grain, soy and spicy veggie (the one we didn't like). It can be found at Whole Foods and Trader Joe's.
Reach Jolene Thym at 510-353-7008 or at jthym@bayareanewsgroup.com .
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