Thursday, June 11, 2009

etsy in action: i'm peckish.

1. Choose Your Own Pickle Adventure Pack
2. Vanilla Caramels
3. Cherry with Honey and Balsamic Vinegar
4. Kumquat and Tangerine with Vanilla
5. Black Licorice Caramels
6. Pickled Golden Beets
7. Spicy Garlic Dill Pickled Green Beans
8. Tomato with Vanilla Beans

A short and sweet post this week, my darling followers. I don't have time for writing; there are pickles to be eaten, and duty calls. This week's Etsy in Action is in praise of edibles. I've barely scratched the surface of the delights available in Etsy's Plants & Edibles category, but I have three scrumptious sellers to recommend.

My favorite Etsy purchase of late is my Choose Your Own Pickle Adventure from sardineandanchovy. In between sneaking cold, crisp dill green beans out of the fridge, I tweet about it, I text about it, I call people to talk about pickles. The Choose Your Own Pickle Adventure pack offers your choice of three types of pickles from a tempting selection. I went with Garlic Dill Green Beans, Spiced Peaches and Golden Beets. Each one is a perfect, briny, sweet or savory revelation. I've been eating peaches for breakfast and dessert, beets with my dinner, and green beans whenever I want. That's right, I'm a grownup. On summer vacation. I can have a pickled green bean at 2 a.m. if I want.

An earlier but highly recommended purchase was from lemonbird jams. I discovered lemonbird when she was featured in Daily Candy this past winter, and the happy find coincided with an obsession for roasted pork loin. Cherry with Honey and Balsamic Jam was a serendipitous match for a perfectly juicy, caramelized roast. I also bought Tomato Jam with Vanilla Bean, which was a sweetly subtle treat and wonderful on toasted multigrain bread.

My first order from CaramelJubilee was intended to be a gift for my father. I'd noticed her intriguing black licorice caramels and was pretty sure my dad would be crazy about them. I ordered a half pound each of vanilla and black licorice caramels. They arrived, and out of a strong sense of public service (really, I couldn't send a gift of food without making certain of it first, could I?) I tried them. One of each. I'm a lifelong fan of vanilla caramel, and these are lovely: rich and smooth and definitely a superior vanilla caramel. But the licorice caramels were the stuff of instant addiction: also rich and smooth and with a hint of vanilla, and the most scrumptious, perfectly balanced burst of black licorice! Yeah, my dad didn't get any of that particular order. I sent him something else. I don't even remember what. However, last Christmas, I got over my selfish greed and sent him a package of black licorice caramels, and I was right: he is crazy about them.

Snack on, shoppers.

2 comments:

Wear Your Wild said...

I love licorice and have had my eye on those black licorice caramels for a while now. I do believe that I will have to try them now!

Rachelle said...

Thanks for posting about my caramels! I'm so happy that you enjoy them!