E TC E TE R A . . . Cococo 2020 Advent Calendar
Whatever age you are, the holidays wouldn’t be complete without an advent calendar, and this year Cococo’s calendar is celebrating their winners from the last few years of the International Chocolate Awards – and Cococo has plenty of winners! All our favourites are here plus a few surprises; too many to list here as of the 24 chocolates in the calendar there are 12 different types, but we’re drooling just reading the list! 240 g, $49 in Cococo stores and at CococoChocolatiers.com. Floating Leaf Wild Rice Blend
Mother May I Hummus
Mediterranean-inspired food is really on-trend, and Calgary’s Nada Choufi makes some of the best hummus around! Her recipe is 100+ years old and is vegan and gluten-free. As well as the original, try Sweet Potato (with rosemary and spices), Roasted Beet, Spicy Sriracha, and Baked Falafel (where falafel spices are incorporated into the hummus). At Co-op locations in Calgary, Edmonton, and Red Deer, as well as other good grocery stores. 300 mL $6-$7.
We’re really enjoying experimenting with this Prairie Gourmet wild rice blend; it makes a lovely change to some of our regular rice dishes and it’s particularly good as the star in a risotto or added to your risotto rice. It’s a blend of wild rice, riceberry rice (a unique whole grain brown rice), red rice, and medium and long grain brown rice. The wild rice is local from the prairies, and it’s glutenfree, vegan, and kosher. Widely available in markets and online. 400 g, around $5
Happy Planner Accessory Books
Even the most organised of us can use some tools for our recipes and recipe planners, and The Happy Planner Recipe Accessory Book does just the job. They say it contains 1129 different pieces of sticky notes, notepad and stickers (and we’re inclined to take their word for it rather than count ourselves!), but we do know that there are 20 sticker sheets, one notepad, and four sticky notepads of 20 sheets each! $18-20 at Michaels, Staples and Walmart. Hildon Water Ninja NeverStick Frying Pan
We’re always up for the challenge when we hear the claim, “no sticking, chipping, or flaking” so we put the new Ninja frying pan to the test – and they’re right. We used no butter or oil for our scrambled and fried eggs – and they just slipped right out of the pan! We tried searing, sautéing, and broiling, and we love that the coating and handle are oven safe up to 500° F, so it goes from all stovetops straight into the oven. Dishwasher-safe too. A range of sizes and prices at Canadian Tire. 40 Culinaire | December 2020
From a single source on an English Country Estate, for the last 31 years Hildon Water has graced the tables of some of the finest houses in England and Wales. New to Canada, you can now be queen in your home as Hildon was granted the Royal Warrant of Appointment to The Queen a few years ago. Available both still and sparkling, Hildon water is in glass bottles (no plastic waste!). 750 mL $2.95 from Italian Centre Shops in Calgary and Edmonton, Andy’s IGA, and at hildonwater.ca.
