Email
PrintTable Talk with Judy Allen
The buzz on Tulsa's tastiest products, restaurants and events.
Sprouting up at a store near you
As a new first-time mom, and a serious foodie, I am always on the lookout for healthy, organic and flavorful baby food. Tyler Florence, of Food Network fame, seems to have created the perfect food, encompassing all three. Sprout Baby Food (shown at right) is made entirely from nature’s purest organic ingredients without any preservatives, sugar, starches or fillers.
Florence and his wife, Tolan, wanted their children to eat food that is wholesome and delicious, so he and longtime friend Max MacKenzie put their heads together to create a new food product for babies that would help parents make easy and smart decisions for their children.
“We looked at everything from the packaging and presentation to how the food was cooked and, of course, the ingredients themselves,” Florence says on Sprout’s Web site. “As a chef, I focused on complementary food combinations and ways to cook them to bring out all of the gorgeous natural flavors inside. With thousands more taste buds than even adults have, babies love great taste. Sprout Baby Food is the result of many years of research, development and, most importantly, fatherhood.”
The unique pouches are resealable and BPA free. They come in six different flavors for kids in stage 1 (baked sweet potato, roasted butternut squash, roasted apples, roasted pears, sweet peas and roasted bananas) and nine flavor combinations for stage 2 (including pasta with lentil Bolognese, peach rice pudding and roasted bananas and mangos). My little son (who has since moved on to more grown-up foods) couldn’t seem to get enough of them.
Sprout foods are available locally at Whole Foods Market or online at www.sproutbaby.com or
www.diapers.com.
Toddler toddies
We’re going to have a nip in the air for several more months. In my opinion, the best way to warm the tummy on a frigid winter’s day is a piping-hot mug of cocoa. I like to make up a batch of hot cocoa mix to keep in the pantry all winter long. With only 3 ingredients — sugar, cocoa and salt — I know what I’m getting, and it’s not a bunch of preservatives and artificial flavors. To spice it up a bit, feel free to add a pinch of cinnamon to your mug.
To make about 6 cups of hot chocolate mix, combine 3 1/2 cups sugar, 2 1/2 cups cocoa powder and 1 tablespoon table salt in a large bowl. Whisk well to combine. Store mixture in an airtight container for several months. To make a mug of cocoa, heat 1 cup of milk in a microwave-safe mug until hot. Add 2 tablespoons of mix and stir well to dissolve. To make a larger batch, warm milk in a saucepan until hot but not boiling. Stir in 2 tablespoons of mix for each cup of milk.
New and noteworthy
Caramel Bakery and Dessert Bar opened recently in the Center 1 shopping center in the space formerly occupied by KoKoa Chocolatier.
Caramel is the second spot in Tulsa for Doreen Durano, also the owner of the popular and delicious Kupcakz cupcake bakery in south Tulsa.
Caramel’s limited lunch menu features salads such as marinated tomato, blue cheese, bacon and paper onion ($8) and a classic Caesar with brioche croutons (my favorite!) and parmesan crisps ($7).
Sandwiches include a ham, Brie and poached pear on brioche ($9) and carved roast beef with Gruyere and caramelized horseradish onions on herb focaccia ($9).
Caramel also offers a Dinner & Dessert Special with your choice of salad or sandwich and a plated or signature dessert ($17). The chocolate mousse trio ($8) is especially decadent, as is the Valrhona chocolate soufflé ($9). Just make sure your tummy can afford to wait 30 minutes for baking!
To check out the bakery’s delicious menu, visit www.carameldessert.com. 3410 S. Peoria Ave., 938-7977
Young chefs and entrepreneurs
The Savory Chef offers a cooking class for kids as well. Children ages 8-11 can participate in “Kids in the Kitchen” while 12- to 16-year-olds can enjoy the “Young Adult Class” — both on Saturday afternoons. One of the star students, 13-year-old Hannah Birdwell, already has her entrepreneur shoes on. She is selling her darling handmade aprons at Savory Chef for $30. Each apron is one of a kind, each made with a variety of fabrics and colors.
