Hand-Dyed Batik Napkins

Add style and personality to your table setting with hand-dyed batik napkins from 5 o'clock crows.

Beautifully crafted from a durable linen-cotton blend, each napkin reflects the subtle differences in shade and pattern that can only be found in hand-dyed textiles.

Shown here is the trellis pattern in pure white and candy apple red. Other colors include terra cotta and cantaloupe and there are other patterns too.

 
We thought it would be fun to mix and match a few complementing colors and patterns for a bold, eye-catching look.

Each napkin measures 19 x 19 inches and is machine washable. $35 for a set of two.

Visit 5'oclock crows to order direct.

Rosemary and Sea Salt Crispbread

Byron Bay Gourmet Foods is a family business based in Australia that specializes in gourmet cookies and snacks. Byron Bay recently won the prestigious Silver Sofi™ Award for the gluten-free additions to their line of delectable crispbreads.

The crispbreads are wafer-thin and crunchy. We tasted the Rosemary & Sea Salt Crispbread and never would have noticed from the taste or texture that it was one of the gluten-free varieties!

The crispbreads were incredibly fresh (thanks in part to the two layers of plastic packaging) and had a delightful yet not overpowering rosemary flavor. The amount of sea salt was just right, as well.

Serve them with cheese, patê or an olive tapenade as a light yet satisfying appetizer. Byron Bay's Rosemary & Sea Salt Crispbreads are great to keep on hand in the pantry for when you have company over.

After all, it's not every day you find gluten-free products that taste this good!

Visit the Byron Bay Gourmet Foods website to order direct.

Mediterranean Deluxe Sun Dried Tomato - Olive Pesto

This delicious combination of sun dried tomatoes and Kalamata olives is a handy item to have in your pantry when you're looking to make a tasty bruschetta or richly flavored pasta without any fuss.

Mediterranean Deluxe is a Southern California based gourmet food company specializing in all-natural sauces and condiments. All their ingredients are carefully selected from different regions of the Mediterranean and prepared in a way that preserves their rich, natural flavor.

The line includes several olive spreads, salad dressing, pesto and pasta sauce and jalapeño jelly. The Sun Dried Tomato and Kalamata Olive Pesto is a made from a combination of black and Kalamata olives blended with just the right amount of sun dried tomatoes and Italian olive oil to give it a little sweetness and a rich complexity. We tried it in two different recipes ~ both easy, both delicious.

First we made a bruschetta. We spread the pesto on thin slices of toasted baguette, topped it with a little grated Parmigiano-Reggiano, put it in a hot oven for a minute or two and had a great little appetizer in less than 5 minutes total.

Next we gave it a try on pasta. We heated a little extra-virgin olive oil and sautéed a clove of garlic until soft and fragrant. We tossed that mixture with freshly cooked penne, added about half a jar of the pesto, threw in a handful of chopped fresh parsley and grated some cheese over the top ~ fast and flavorful.

We sampled the Jalapeño Jelly too. It's loaded with bits of fresh jalapeño and was great spread on a bagel with cream cheese and served with fresh goat cheese on crackers. We also blended it with orange juice for a quick pan sauce for chicken tenders ~ click here for the recipe.

Visit the Mediterranean Deluxe website to order direct.

Zatarain's Creole Seasoning Blends

Zatarain's is the most popular maker of New Orleans-style foods in the U.S., and they've recently launched a line of fresh tasting Creole seasoning blends that really represent the traditional flavors of their New Orleans roots.

There are three varieties to choose from: Original Creole Seasoning, Garlic & Herb Creole Seasoning and Blackened Creole Seasoning.

Each is a coarse blend of salt, red pepper, bell pepper, garlic and other spices ~ perfect for seasoning grilled meats, chicken and fish, as well as vegetables, soups and sauces. We like using flavorful, well-balanced spice blends like these, particularly when we're pressed for time, because they yield wonderfully flavorful results with just about no work at all.

We tried the Garlic and Herb variety on oven-roasted green peppers for a quick, easy side dish and used the Blackened blend on grilled red snapper fillets.

You can also check out how we used the Original Creole Seasoning along with Zatarain's Wonderful Fish Fri in our Spicy Baked Fish and Chips with Creole Ketchup.

For more New Orleans-style recipe ideas, visit Zatarain's website.

Zatarain's Creole Seasonings are available nationwide ~ about $2.79 for a 5-ounce jar

The Perfect Finish

White House pastry chef Bill Yosses has compiled an amazing collection of his delicious dessert recipes and adapted them for home bakers in The Perfect Finish: Special Desserts for Every Occasion ~ co-authored by Melissa Clark.

You'll find recipes for cakes, pies, puddings, crepes suzettes, candies and cookies ~ even muffins, scones and quick breads.

Each one is accompanied by the sort of detailed, step-by-step instructions that will not only yield perfect results, but will make you a better baker overall.

Yosses shares his years of expertise in a clear, concise manner that is really helpful for the home baker.

Every recipe is prefaced with authors' notes that give a little background info on the recipe along with technique tips and suggestions for easy variations.

Chapter titles include: Come for Brunch, Pick-Me-Ups, Straight from the Oven, I'll Bring Dessert, Restaurant Desserts You Can Make at Home, Birthday and Celebration Cakes and Holiday Desserts.

In addition to recipes like Banana-Sour Cream Loaf, Flat and Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies and Lemon Pound Cake Supreme, Yosses explores some cutting-edge flavor combinations that are sure to inspire even the most seasoned home baker. Here are a few that really peaked our interest ~

• Pepper and Spice Dark Chocolate Cookies ~ a crumbly dark chocolate cookie spiced with black and pink peppercorns, cayenne, cinnamon, allspice, ginger and vanilla.
• Candied Bacon Peach Cobbler ~ brown-sugar baked bacon is crumbled into the dough for the cobbler biscuits that top fresh, sweet peaches scented with vanilla and honey.
• Pine Nut Tart with Rosemary ~ a tart made with pine nuts, a honey and brown sugar caramel, yogurt and a bit of fresh rosemary to add a pine-like herbal note.
• Sweet Basil Seed and Tapioca Pudding ~ a Vietnamese-inspired dessert that uses sweet basil seeds, orange zest, cream of coconut and vanilla to take tapioca pudding to a new level.
• Asian Trifle with Lime Yogurt Cream ~ an exotic trifle that includes fruits like pineapple, dragon fruit, lychee, passion fruit and mango, layered with sponge cake and a tangy lime flavored cream.

Recipe excerpt ~
We decided to make the Orange-Glazed Olive Oil Cake with Fleur De Sel from the I'll Bring Dessert chapter while preparing our review. We followed the recipe to a tee and ended up with a delicious, moist cake ~ not too sweet, richly flavored and lovely to look at. Click here for the recipe and our photo of the finished product.

The Perfect Finish is sure to become a contemporary classic and a valuable addition to any cookbook collection. It's available at book retailers everywhere, including Amazon.com.

Jeff's Gourmet Jerky

Former restaurant owner and food-loving entrepreneur Jeff Richards began making jerky some years ago as a tasty, healthful holiday gift for family and friends.

When these lucky recipients began sharing with their friends and acquaintances, he began getting requests for more and the idea of starting a company took shape.

After three years in development, Jeff has launched "Jeff's Gourmet Jerky," and the product really lives up to the name.

Made with premium beef that has been marinated and slow-cooked, Jeff's Gourmet Jerky has a texture superior to any other we've tried. This jerky retains a little moisture, resulting in a texture that's on the tender side - not the rawhide-like challenge to your teeth and jaws that so many other brands have.

In addition, the various flavors are intense without being overpowering - like a well-seasoned steak. We sampled all but one of the available varieties.

The Old Fashioned Original flavor is marinated with Jeff's special spice mixture, resulting in a classic jerky flavor that is well-balanced, not too salty and intensely beefy.

The Sweet Teriyaki gets it's flavor from a pungent pineapple marinade. If you enjoy the sweet-spicy flavors of teriyaki beef, you'll find this variety to be ideal for snacking.

The Black Pepper and Sea Salt (our personal favorite) is a perfect balance of rich beef flavor, fragrant black pepper and despite the name, a subtle saltiness. The black pepper is just strong enough to add a moderate amount of heat without taking over your taste buds.

The Jalapeño Carne Asada is the newest addition to Jeff's flavor assortment. Like the other varieties, the beef flavor is rich and meaty and the seasoning ends up being a perfect accent, not the predominant flavor. The jalapeño pepper is notable and retains some fresh pepper quality.

A two-pack of 3-ounce bags is about $14 from JeffsGourmetJerky.com

Honey Ridge Farms Grilling Glaze

Honey Ridge Farms' all-natural, gluten-free Grilling Glazes and Sauces pair the subtle sweetness of artisan honey with delicious herbs, spices and a touch of heat. They're a convenient way to enhance the flavors of grilled seafood, poultry, vegetables and meats.

The glazes combine fruit flavors, honey and hot peppers and can be used as sauces and/or marinades for poultry and seafood.

They're available in Orange Chili, Ginger Lime, Sweet Chili or Cranberry Chutney Honey flavors.

The grilling sauces come mild, medium or hot and add a perfect amount of heat and barbecue sweetness to steaks, ribs, chicken, pork chops ~ even shrimp.

All are available individually, or in combo sets of 3 flavors.

About $8.00 for one 10.5-ounce bottle from HoneyRidgeFarms.com

The Kansas City Barbecue Society Cookbook

The Kansas City Barbecue Society Cookbook by Ardie Davis, Paul Kirk and Carolyn Wells is a collection of more than 200 delicious member recipes, compiled in celebration of the society's 25th anniversary.

You'll find wonderful traditional barbecue recipes as well as some truly unique fare.

In addition to main courses, the book includes a variety of appetizer, side dish and dessert recipes, augmented by stories, quotes and photos.

You'll also find helpful charts, guides and tips from the experts that will help you learn the secrets of great grilling and barbecue.

Here are just a few of the recipes we loved the sounds of ~

• Smokin' Chinese Pork Rangoons ~ a unique twist on the Chinese restaurant favorite using smoked pork butt in place of crab
• Grilled Fresh Ravioli ~ simple instructions that turn fresh, store-bought ravioli into an easy appetizer
• Grilled Pork Roast with Pepper Jelly ~ tender, juicy pork loin roast, marinated and basted with hot pepper jelly
• Lachlan Valley BBQ Lamb ~ butterflied leg of lamb with a pungent curry-spiced barbecue marinade
• Grilled Chocolate Raspberry Quesadillas ~ fresh raspberries, ricotta cheese and chocolate grilled inside flour tortillas

If you're looking to perfect your grilling skills with some help from the experts The Kansas City Barbecue Society Cookbook is a great place to start.

Available in hardcover for around $16.50 from Amazon.com

Michel Roux Sauces: Revised and Updated

Michel Roux's Sauces is the quintessential guide to virtually any sauce recipe you can dream up. In fact, this revised and updated edition is quite possibly the only cookbook you'll ever need on the subject.

Roux reveals the classic techniques and French "secrets" of sauce making in more than 200 recipes to accompany and transform a wide variety of dishes ranging from savory to sweet.

The first recipes featured are "mother sauces" like stocks that serve as the foundation for other sauces. Immediately following the basic stock recipes comes flavorful marinades. From there, Roux progresses to infusions and nages, white sauces, emulsion sauces, vinaigrettes, flavored oils and butters, salsas and other piquant sauces.

These chapters include really useful ideas for recipe variations, such as a half dozen variations on the classic mayo or myriad flavored vinegars and vinaigrettes - something for every palate.

From there, Roux dives into vegetable coulis, sauces for fish, seafood, meat, poultry and game, savory fruity sauces and chutneys, coulis and other fruity dessert sauces, custards and sabayons, and chocolate and other rich creamy sauces.

Throughout these sections, you'll find thorough instructions, such as how to create the perfect coulis, as well as a step-by-step guide to a classic sabayon. Sauces concludes with a helpful indexed guide to pairing food with sauces.

Some of the more notable and unusual recipes that caught our attention include:

• Parmesan Water (recommended as an amuse bouche along with tiny sage-potato gnocchi)
• Champagne Sauce (a decadent accompaniment for poached white fish)
• Mango Coulis with Saffron (drizzle atop poached meringues or fresh sliced fruit)

Sauces is a wonderful resource for several reasons: firstly, Roux's attention to detail and straightforward instructions for classic techniques and preparations; secondly, the sheer volume of recipes included; and lastly, the inspiration that comes from the carefully planned food pairings.

About $16.50 from Amazon.com

The Spice Kitchen

The Spice Kitchen: Everyday Cooking with Organic Spices by Sara Engram, Katie Luber and Kimberly Toqe is a cookbook with a unique approach and focus. By placing emphasis on the innovative use of a wide variety of spices and herbs, the authors not only present a collection of delicious recipes, they inspire creativity in the reader.

The book includes a detailed guide to many popular spices, with information on their origins, flavor profiles and affinities. Sidebars throughout the book are filled with "fun facts" that relate to the various recipe ingredients.

We tried the recipe for Roasted Spiced Cauliflower, a delicious combination of fresh cauliflower florets spiced with cumin and coriander and roasted with pine nuts, green olives and capers.

Here are just a few of the other recipes that caught our attention ~

• Strawberry Salad with Balsamic Cinnamon Vinaigrette ~ a unique combination of strawberries, avocado, red onion and chopped pecans.
• Spiced Orange Pan Sauce over Grilled Lamb ~ garlic-rubbed lamb chops topped with an orange sauce flavored with cumin, cinnamon and green cardamom.
• Roasted Peaches with Rosemary Streusel and Cinnamon Whipped Cream - fresh peaches, oven roasted with a fragrant streusel topping spiced with rosemary, cinnamon and ginger.

If you're looking to get more creative with spices The Spice Kitchen is a must-have for your kitchen library.

Available in hardcover for around $23 from Amazon.com