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Welcome to a brand spanking new section on Cooking with Books, called “New This Month”! As the name states it, this will be a monthly post sharing new food items that have caught my eye. Food items include cookbooks/magazines, ingredients, cookware/bakeware & more. I’m excited to bring this new section to you & hope you enjoy it as much as I enjoy researching & taste testing the products! Here are January’s new this month products: 

Madecasse Arabica Coffee Chocolate Bar

Very few chocolates blow my mind but I can honestly say that this Arabica Coffee bar from Madecasse did! First of all, I love the design of the packaging and the attention to detail to the last literal straw! The bar is a 44% milk chocolate sprinkled with cacao and coffee nibs, for that perfect crunch laced into the creaminess of the chocolate. The most awesome part of this company is that pay the farmers an above fair trade price; they purchase local ingredients to make the bar; they make the chocolate locally; the gorgeously designed wrapped are printed locally; heck – even the wrapping is done by locals! What this means is that it’s a company investing in the continent as a whole – Africa produces 70% of the world’s cocoa but less than 1% of the chocolate is made there. Fall in love with the chocolate and by default, you’ll fall in love with the companies ideals and values!
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California Olive Ranch Limited Reserve Extra Virgin Olive Oil

If you can, rush on over to California Olive Ranch and see if they still have a few bottles of this left, because I can vouch for it and say it will change the way you look at olive oil ever again. It’s the first cold pressings after the seasonal harvest, this oil still has pieces of the olive fruit suspended in it for even more flavor. Seriously, it’s so good I’ve thought about drinking it as a health benefit! Oh and the moment you buy it (or win it since I’m giving a bottle away!) use it immediately! Don’t save it for a rainy day – you want to taste the ultimate freshness that this oil has.

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Belle Chèvre Pimento Cheese

If you’re a goat cheese lover, this Pimento Cheese is the one for you! A staple in Southern households, I became a fan of pimento cheese while living in Charlottesville, VA. But after a few years, 2013 is the year I reduce the cow milk intake and Belle Chevre makes it so easy with it’s variety of goat cheeses. Blending goat cheese, mayonnaise, and sweet red peppers, it’s the perfect spread to make rice cakes taste delicious; dollop into creamy pasta sauces, or finish of a salad. Take it a step further and roll into tiny balls, bread and deep fry for a luscious treat!

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Frittle Candy

Sometimes, you want something crunchy. Sometimes, you want something sweet. Sometimes, you want some Frittle Candy. Locally made in Indianapolis by Carrie Abbot, these little treats really satisfied your cravings! My favorite from the Original, Coconut, and Sesame was the Sesame! It’s like a softer version of a brittle but still with enough crunch to make you crave more than one! Crush these over ice cream and you’re set!

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Welcome Brand Paper Bakeware

If you live with the constraints of a small kitchen and therefore very little storage space, I definitely recommend these oven-safe paper bakeware pans from Welcome Home Brands. Not only that, but they’re the perfect molds for baked goods if your hosting a bake sale or it’s the upcoming holidays season.  They look adorable and you never have to worry about asking for your precious pans back!

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Enter to Win: Comment below with a new food product you’ve discovered lately and win a bottle of California Olive Oil Limited Reserve – which are hard to come by, since they are almost sold out! 

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19 Comments

  1. i’m late to the chia seed party but I just started using them in oatmeal and granola bars and their GREAT

  2. Emily Meegan says:

    We just had pancakes made with Pamela’s Ultimate Baking Mix and they were great. Discovering all kinds of new foods on our gluten-free diet and some, unfortunately, will not be tried again. But Pamela’s seems like a pretty good company, from their good cookie selections to their baking mixes.

    Also want to mention: Not Your Sugar Mama’s chocolate!

  3. Purple sticky rice! Used it recently in my veg cuisine class and fell in love with it. Such a beautiful vibrant color with great texture. Can be used in so many different dishes and I can’t wait to use it again.