SILI TONGS You know how it is. Your toaster decides to take your slices hostage and you stand there wondering whether your utensil surgical skills are good enough to both pluck the bread from the slots and steer clear of electrocution. If only you had a set of Sili Gourmet Stand-Up Toaster Tongs. Not only do they let you play Operation without running a stream of 120 voltage through your body, the tongs also stand on end. Which, we're told by reliable sources familiar with the tongs, is convenient for storage. Also for use with other food, but toast rescue appears to be the primary purpose. The 12-inch tongs cost $15. Available starting at the end of the month from William Bounds at www ...more

March 22, 2009

IN CHOCOLATE WE TRUST If there is one culinary truism that is irrefutable it may be this: Everything tastes better with bacon or chocolate. And sometimes both. The folks at Samuel Adams appear to be heeding this wisdom with Chocolate Bock, a seasonal lager featuring Cru Sauvage chocolate from Swiss chocolatier Felchlin. Embossed with a pewter label, the 750-ml bottle is aimed at consumers pouring at holiday parties. Cost: $14.99. Available at most liquor stores. ...more

October 26, 2008

TWIST ON FLAVOR I've always been a bit dubious about flavored waters. It's bottled water. How much more can you improve on it? Plus, too many flavored waters, in an effort to mimic sugary sodas, consider sickly sweetness an actual flavor. Which explains why we were more than a little pleased to have enjoyed samples of Twist's lemon- and mango acai-flavored waters. (Don't worry, we had to look up acai, too. It's a palm that produces tasty berries.) Twist has all the requisite buzzwords these days: certified organic, less than 10 calories, artesian. Bottom line: It doesn't make you feel like you're drinking medicine. The lemon flavor, one of six in the product line, was downright refreshing. Go figure. Available at Whole Foods, Albertsons, Circle K, 7 Eleven, Publix. Cost. $1.29 to $1.49 for 19 ounces. ...more

June 18, 2008