Back to snack
The nibbles and treats in Back to Nature snack bags, ideal for brown -bagging, contain no artificial preservatives, flavors or colors–and they taste good. Our favorites: the mini classic creme cookies, mini chocolate chunk cookies and honey graham sticks. A multipack of six to eight bags costs $4.40 at Whole Foods Markets.
Taste of New Orleans
New Orleans native Tom Fitzmorris is a food critic but his “New Orleans Food” (Stewart, Tabori & Chang, $19.95) has the cozy feel of a home cook’s cookbook. Its doable recipes (red bean soup, stewed chicken with brown gravy, Louisiana seafood pasta) include his own Cajun- and Creole-influenced dishes as well as those from the restaurants of this famous food town. A portion of the proceeds benefit Habitat for Humanity to aid New Orleans. It’s at some Barnes & Noble bookstores as well as amazon.com.
A slice of team spirit
This stadium bundt pan from NordicWare scores points for novelty, and will draw cheers from anybody with a football fan–or player–in their lives. Because of the pan’s many ridges, cooks should thoroughly grease the interior; we had great success with a baking spray that included flour. The 10-cup capacity, cast-aluminum pan costs $32 at Sur La Table in Chicago and Naperville and by mail (surlatable.com or 800-243-0852).
