Seeing the ‘Light’
The “Cooking Light Complete Cookbook” (Oxmoor House, $34.95) winningly mirrors the popular food magazine’s emphasis on low-calorie, low-fat dishes and creative menus. This is a primer a la Betty Crocker and “Joy of Cooking,” with features you expect (more than 1,200 recipes, nutritional information, gorgeous photos) and some you don’t (a DVD with how-to videos, menus and recipes). It’s at Barbara’s Bookstores and amazon.com.
Keen on kettle-cooked
We loved Miss Vickie’s Kettle Cooked potato chips for their thick, crisp crunch as much as for their great flavor. Four varieties are available, including two new ones: country onion with three cheeses and buttermilk ranch. A 5-ounce bag is $2.50 at Jewel and Dominick’s.
Sweet surrender
Two locally made chocolates won us over, big time. Whimsical Candy’s La Dee Dahs are a handmade blend of bliss: sea-salt caramel, white chocolate nougat and dark chocolate. (Box of three, $5-$6 at Pastoral, pastoralartisan.com and Sam’s Wines & Spirits in Chicago.) Chocolate Inspirations’ Sensation Caramel and Fudge Bar (left) is decadently good, and so rich that this 4.8-ounce treat could be shared without feeling deprived. (Milk or dark chocolate, $8.75 mail-order only: chocolateinspirations.com or 630-894-0898.)
