Black-eyed peas, and chickpeas, too. Please eat your black-eyed peas, but try some roasted chickpeas, too. We southerners need to eat extra black-eyed peas for some 2021 luck. That’s understood. But save room for something I finally tried: roasted chickpeas. I suppose I tried to roast some from a can many years ago and they weren’t crunchy. This time I succeeded. Crispy and sprinkled with cinnamon, nutmeg and cardamom, they were a satisfying snack. I ate the whole can’s worth, which I do not recommend. I certainly do not suggest that you open another can, roast some more and eat that, too. That was a bit too filling. So the process is simply to drain the liquid and pat them dry and roast them in olive oil for about 350 degrees for roughly 20 to 30 minutes. Sprinkle with your spices after they are baked. You may shake the pan every 10 minutes and they will pop. I’ll be doing this again. Churros. Say it again… If even saying the word “churros” gives you a comforting feeling, you’re not alone. In Southeast Texas we puff our dough and cover it in powdered sugar like the Cajuns do in New Orleans. We also love our Mexican flavors and they shape their dough into churros with sugar then add cinnamon for extra spice. San Diablo does churros of Utah and ships them everywhere. Scott Porter got his artisan flair in Mexico City while on mission work, so don’t be alarmed by the little devil logo and the red plastic pokey pitchfork that comes with an order. There’s an angel on there, too and she’s probably trying to tell you to not eat so many and save some for your husband. A batch arrived and it was easy as churros for me to heat them up 6 minutes and serve with included sauces. Their big news is they can ship you a churro maker, so you have the power to create in your own home. Are you and the angel ready for this power? I’m also considering La Muerte, a cinnamon sugar blend with ghoste pepper. Now that will spice up your day. Sandiablochurros.com

For ‘Starters’ Have you wondered how to get your sourdough more sour? Felt your batard was less than perfect? Craved homemade oat crackers? Elaine Boddy is there for you with confidence your loaves will look as rustic, hearty and tempting as hers pictured in “Whole Grain Sourdough at Home: The Simple Way to Bake Artisan Bread with Whole Wheat, Einkorn, Spelt, Rye and Other Ancient Grains.” It’s doable, Boddy, founder of “foodbod Sourdough” blog says. You can learn to score your ovals (batards) and sprinkle them with raw pumpkin seeds to make them photo worthy. Sure, snap photos to make folks jealous, but these ancient grain breads of for eating. The author is funny and talented and also makes this process easy to understand. Darragh Doiron is a Port Arthur area foodie who will join everyone else in resolving to eat more healthy in the new year. Reach her at darraghcastillo@icloud.com

Dreams Aren’t This Good has Port Neches Ties Is branding Dreams Aren’t This Good a tad arrogant? Is it “the most addicting salsa in the world” that makes me ask myself questions I can’t answer? I was attracted to Just Dance Jalapeno Salsa before I connected Matt Bennet, founder, to Port Neches. He dreamed the Mexican and Cajun spice blended into his youth could go New York City style, combine with energetic branding and hit the bigtime. First, it’s really, really good, with a kicking original another fave being Now or Never, the avocado pepper blend and Girls Girls Girls with blueberry and coconut. then the marketing is fantasy/funny and to top it off, you can wear the DATG fashion line and know you’re helping makers support good causes. No wonder it’s billed as “The World’s First Lifestyle Salsa Brand.” But wait, there’s over-the-top chips in the line, too. Bennett has ties to Bogalusa, La., the “super small town of Port Neches” that’s “pretty much almost Louisiana,” and LSU. He makes salsa. Give yourself a treat and go to dreamsarentthisgood.com to get the story better than I can tell you. I have to go cultivate my salsa lifestyle. * * * Inspired by DATG, I’ve woven an American Dream Theme into the following reports on holiday indulgences below: Cranberries go chutney I wouldn’t dream of holidays without cranberries and my family always went above the squeezed out of a can model. Mom made a tangy relish that makes a turkey feel naked without it. Circle B Ranch of Missouri came to my rescue now that Mom’s gone. They’re in the humane pork business, so it’s no wonder they suggest their fruit chutneys, such as Pear Ginger, served with their quality chops. But this is the season for Cranberry Apple Jalapeno Chutney and Cranberry Chutney to shine. Once my husband tasted one jar, he asked that all three be put out at each meal until they were done. Circlebranchpork.com will set you up with all this and more. Gluten-free bloody Mary mix anyone? Sparkle What’s a unicorn’s dream breakfast? Waffles or whatever, it would come topped with Runamok Maple’s limited Sparkle Syrup, glimmering with pearlescent mica, a mineral that will also create radiant cocktails. Eye-catching and creative flavors are this Vermont-based company’s specialty and they’re always packaged in memorable bottles. As the sun comes up, light is catching my Sugarmaker’s Cut filling my workspace with amber glow. Mini bottles of Markut Lime-Leaf Infused and Cinnamon + Vanilla Infused versions look like the big mama bottle’s babies. Runamokmaple.com offers gift ideas and recipes tap your creativity, so remember to gift yourself. Cashews can be “buttered” The humble peanut does not need my promotion. Americans are in love with peanut butter and I encourage them to expand their horizons with awareness that there are other nut butters. The cute little Once Again raccoon mascot knows it. A family’s “dream” business model has come to fruition here. The little rascal adorns bottles of Creamy Cashew butter, which also comes in an organic blend. Copper, folate, protein and fiber are some of the “shiny things” inside what is a super-creamy and rich experience. I already consider cashews one of the more “elite” nuts. Once Again is proud of their nut source and the product is has a similar but different mouth feel to peanut butter. I consider it a more special/subtle brunch thing, but hey, cashew butter can certainly glam up an everyday lunch. Of course onceagainnutbutter.com has the line’s many nut options and recipes, which include pumpkin pairings. My batch will probably go down by the spoonful, straight from the jar. Darragh Doiron is a Port Arthur area foodie dreaming everyone can have the option of eating better and actually choosing that path. Reach her at darraghcastillo@icloud.com

Salt, Vanilla, Tea & Coffee

Basic pantry stock gets elevated with these picks. Each have a proud backstory that’s worth looking up. SALTVERK Salt of the earth? As rarely as I use it, I can go for the good stuff. Saltverk is the good, good stuff, hand-harvested from Iceland. Did you know that was a thing? The umami comes from pristine sea water of Iceland’s remote Westfjords. Saltverks refived a 17th-century process powered by geothermal energy, leaving zero carbon footprint. So I did Google saltverk.com and those people are sure having fun leaving zero carbon footprints. Flaky Sea Salt is one of the sustainable varieties and it just tastes pure. Lava Salt is a sparkly black and Birch Smoked Salt is my favorite of those I tried. There’s a body in it and the pleasure of knowing where your food came from. If my eye catches the jar, I’ve been known to stop and take a little transporting whiff of the stuff. I also looked up images of the area and the beauty is breathtaking. I have a great sense of pleasure imagining all this when I pinch a bit of salt to sprinkle over a simple meal.

Native Vanilla I’m sure your baking deserves ethically sourced, naturally gown Native Vanilla in extract or powder form. Or mixed with sugar. Into DIY? Order some whole beans, submerge them in vodka or rum, and check in on those pods chilling in a beautiful glass jar. They’ll become homemade elixir over time. Micro-farmers in New Guinea are sorting through premium beans for this company and a little tour at nativevanilla.com will help bakers understand the wonder of how these pods get from nature to our kitchens. Try a tiny spoonful of that dark, crystallized sugar with specks of bean. It’s aromatic and heavenly. Let me know your top uses for vanilla in Southeast Texas. I might say bread pudding gets my vote. I’ve got big plans for the “pet” jar aging in my pantry. Tea Drunk Tea Drunk is in New Jersey and of course, online. You can stay home with a red packet of Qui Hong #3, because they’ve already “done” the elevated provinces of China to bring you the best of loose teas. A little brown paper packet of Bai Mu Dan (or Fu Ding, or white peony, silver needle) is at my side with hints of sun-soaked cotton, mead and herbaceous is at my side. I’m watching the leaves unfold in a clear vessel like a little live-action ballet. This is one more site that makes a product come alive: tea-drunk.com helps a body understand how the many names for teas came about and shares images of collection and presentation. Some folks already “get” tea. Others “oolong” to. In these quiet times of winter, accept this opportunity to slow down and get Tea Drunk. Biodynamic Coffee “Great coffee comes from healthy soil” is a trademarked thought on the Biodynamic Coffee by Holistic Roasters site. Just because they proudly show you a handful of soil on their website, don’t think they don’t use state-of-the art farming and machinery to bring you a back-to-basics experience. The French Roast note asks why anyone would mess with a classic, so you get smoky, bitter chocolate and “comforting” notes in whole beans that come in a package that goes with that “brown paper packages tied up in string” favorite things theme that’s hot this season. Rise & Shine is called balanced, bold and straight to the point. Get yours from biodynamic.coffee, a site that informed me that we’re hard-wired through DNA to assess nutritional value through flavor. So that’s why it’s good. The soil helped make it so. Darragh Doiron is a Port Arthur area foodie getting her holiday vibe. Reach her at darraghcastillo@icloud.com

Are Those for me? How sweet is that?

Sugar Plum Chocolates You may feel like you’ve spent a greater portion of 2020 in front of a computer screen. Make sure you take a break. White chocolate anything is my holiday treat and The Signature Chocolate-Covered Cookie Sampler from Sugar Plum, a monther-and-son team making the world sweet for us. Nine milk, dark and white chocolate-covered super crunchy sandwich cookies come in a simply elegant golden tin with a chocolate-colored ribbon. There are peanut butter blends and this family also knows its way around bars and pumpkin spice. From all their offerings, this is the box that will get you hints of coconut, cranberry, toffee and drizzles that make your screen time break memorable. They’re on Dilley Street in Forty Fort, PA, but go ahead to www.sugar-plum.com to get yours.

Missing your Beignet? If you know what it means to miss New Orleans, you may get a longing for that aroma, flavor and puff of powdered sugar in your head. Heidi and Micha Stampley have launched authentic beignet mix through Orleans Foods and Walmart is offering it. No standing in line in the French Quarter for a long wait. I thoroughly enjoyed the batch I made at home though they didn’t come out like the picture. How could they when I subbed oils and cooking methods using a wee skillet instead of a fryer, etc. I never claimed to possess frying skills, but I turned out a lovely batch of warm batter on a cool December morning and sprinkled on that mandatory sugar. The process is easy, as the bag claims. Just add water and let that dough proof a bit. But make sure you have the powdered sugar, too! Milk ‘N Berries Rosa Porto’s original Tres Leches Recipe is the basis for more than a million of Porto’s Bake At Home Milk ‘N Berries cake, which can arrive at your door seemingly too beautiful to eat, It’s not. Do it. Eat those sweet berries, moist cake and rich, sweet cream but know your shipment is designed to thaw a day in the fridge. Can you resist? Some of the excess may collect and in a funny prep note, consumers are told to feel free to scoop it up for added richness or to “pour excess out before serving.” Guess which one I did? If this LA bakery’s creation is your one treat on the way out of 2020, please indulge. Porto’sbakery.com will guide you. Darragh Doiron is a Port Arthur area foodie getting her holiday vibe. Reach her at darraghcastillo@icloud.com

The Salty Set

Salty set If I said I don’t cook with salt, you may think I’d be exaggerating, right? But it’s darned near true that I don’t have a regular salt and pepper set. I’ve got Himalayan pink sea salt and a dozen kinds of pepper. But I do add salt to gumbo. Now I’ve got reason to go beyond. I’ve just never enjoyed playing with salt so much as with the products I’m sharing below. The range of brownish to mauve colors look like crystals sparkling on an exotic beach and the aroma is fantastic. The packaging is just… special. SaltWorks offers salt-of-the-earth flavors from Porcini Mushroom Seas Salt to Vintage Merlot Sea Salt. The most adorable squared off boutique glass jars with walnut wood lids come in enticing packaging and scream “stocking suffer.” A larger set is like a patterned little filing box for larger packets of salt with recipe cards. I’m trying smoked salts in Applewood, Hearty Wood, Mesquite (in my okra gumbo) and Hickory (on popcorn). El Dorado Crispy Sizzling Chicken Wings and Salmon and Corn Chowder are two of the included recipes. Seasalt.com

Chanukah House – When the sample Chanukah House cookie decorating kit came from Manischewitz, I knew I had to get it to Bryan and Linda Reising. This couple loves to create in the kitchen and also loves learning about different cultures. Cookies, icing, sanding sugar and a candy menorah come in a box to bring families together and raise awareness for PJ Library, an organization sending more than 225,000 free Jewish children’s books every month to households in the U.S. and Canada. www.manischewitz.com Highclere Castle Gin - Victorian Orangery, botanicals grown on an ancient English estate, Highclere’s famous oats to soften the finish and the “real Downton Abbey” tie in: These are crazy notes from the press release alone. I’m in love without even tasting. Wait. Must taste. Of course. It’s lovely. Smooth and clear with botanicals of juniper, lime flower, orange and lavender. I have a gin mentor and he enjoyed it, too. A blue bottle with the castle etched into it just adds to the whole experience. Highcastlespirits.com PortoVino Scarf Mask – Could you just imagine a face mask “review” in this space a year ago? I didn’t even really know what a wine purse was for real back then. PortoVino has purses to not just carry wine, but to dispense it, right out of the stylish flap. Sneaky, huh? But you’ll want everyone to see their scarf mask collection. Magnolias cover my slinky mask that has received many compliments. It goes over the nose and drapes down around the neck. How Southern, to look good and protect others. Porto-vino.com * Atoria’s Family Bakery - Their grandmother would have loved my grandmother. Mine would make a sandwich with bread on the bottom and top it with a piece of lettuce, instead of another slice of bread, for a lighter meal. At Atoriasfamilybakery.com, read how this family’s grandma inspired Altoria’s Family Bakery in 1992. We get amazing 50-calorie flatbreads still with thoughts of her “cherished lavish recipe. These versatile Mini Lavish Flatbreads are music to her legacy,” packaging on the whole grain and flax seeds version reads. The Cauliflower and Coconut version has 60 calories and are my breakfast favorite. Traditional will also make you happy. These are great as wraps and pizzas but I enjoy just crisping them up and spreading them with jam or breaking off a piece and dipping them in to a yogurt sauce. Consider them canvas for creativity. Atoria’s Folios - Where have these been all my life? My choosing to eat more healthy and not miss a thing life? These rounds of cheddar, Jarlesberg and Parmesan are “just the cheese” with none of the starch, wheat, lactose and gluten you may want to avoid. It seems convenient, (yet perhaps a little insulting?) to consider this like a tortilla, but I do want you to imagine that whatever you roll into one of those, you can roll into one of these, and perhaps enjoy more of whatever that is. Bring refrigerated Folios to room temp and roll, wrap, crisp or melt. That’s it. More packaging messaging: “Creativity Awaits.”n lotitofoods.com Darragh Castillo is a Port Arthur area foodie giving thanks for what IS great about 2020. Reach her at darraghcastillo@icloud.com

Queen of Kebababs

Get to know your veggies A checker a line over summoned a manager because she couldn’t tell if the long, green vegetables were cucumbers or zucchini. Stick around, I’m thinking, because I could have the same issue. My checker asked if my bundle was cucumber or zucchini and I told her it was the latter. She said she doesn’t eat any vegetabe but corn. Heavy sigh inserted here, but I didn’t eat so many at her age either. Now I seek them and Veggies Made Great makes it easy. Plant Powered Protein is what these muffin-shaped bites are labeled. Very handy for the breakfast-on-the-go crowd, I’ve decided I like to break them up, brown them and fold it all into an egg. Then comes a sprinkle of cayenne. The new additions to this line are Sausage Egg & Cheese Frittata and Sausage & Pepper Frittata and they sure do taste like they have meat in them. They’re made with Beyond Meat Plant Protein, cage-free eggs and real cheddar.

Queen of Kebabs A week ago I’d never have imagined I’d have made skewered kebabs three times. And dealing with whole chickens is not my thing. But I had to go and get another bird. Onions, zucchini and mushrooms are not safe around me. They are getting “pinned” and set in the radiating O-Yaki Skewer and Sish Kebab base. You don’t have to keep turning these babies and they go from grill or oven to table to impress yourself or any guests lucky enough to dine with you. Americans have spent the summer grilling outside as they distance. The stand keeps kebobs tilted up from the circular grid. You can add a chicken to the middle or just stick with whatever you have skewered. Flavor as you desire and get them on the heat. A little bag keeps the skewers and base neatly together until you grill again. Stocking stuffer? You decide at www.oyakiproducts.com Pumpkin Spice Update: It’s in cheese now I must be 12 because Cello’s new Pumpkin Spice Rubbed Fontal has a funny ring to the name, but I’m smiling – not laughing – over this fall treat. Imagine cinnamon, pumpkin pie spice, and a touch of honey hand-rubbed onto a creamy fontal wheel and imagine the orange-toned accoutrement to highlight its 60-day aging process. The flavors of fall signal me to relax and entertain. This season, I may be entertaining only myself, so I’ll flavor it well with a wedge of this creamy, gluten-free indulgence. Cello does cheese Old World style and know pumpkin spice is not a “trend.” It’s here to stay. www.cellocheese.com Darragh Doiron is a Port Arthur area foodie eating her veggies now in anticipation of holiday treats. Reach her at darraghcastillo@icloud.com

PieCaken PieCaken at Rao’s Bakery is a slice of holiday indulgence that is the talk of holiday tables. The local bakery gets both a pumpkin and pecan pie between layers of spice cake and tops it with cream cheese Icing and a sprinkle of pecans. Can you handle it? The billboards made me inquire and yes, you can get this all-in-one by the slice. Mine was over-the-top fun with plenty to share. Be a part of one of the better 2020 trends. When Italy comes in a box Trying to pronounce “gnocchi” was the trickiest part of the meal. Cooking the Pastene brand for the first time was super easy. Boil the little potato dumplings until they float to the top and douse them with Pastene’s thick Kitchen Ready Spaghetti Sauce and a first-time gnocchi maker acquired skill with a dish he couldn’t pronounce. Mafaldine and Trivella are other new-to-me pasta cuts that come in gift boxes such as tonno (fancy solid light tuna in olive oil), tomato basil sauce, roasted peppers, Kalamata olives, etc. I made my own rules as I enjoyed this company’s Ultimate Foodie Pasta Lover Specialty Gift Box. For years I’ve just kept one pasta shape on the shelves because it was so easy to prepare. Turns out, there’s a lot to love that is just as easy. Pastene has been importing since 1874 and I’m catching up with their times. www.pastene.com Euphonious results Wrap up an winter’s evening with serious chamber music by and for accomplished musicians, “Three Tributes.” Brothers James and Robert Freeman released this CD and booklet to honor parents Henry and Florence. Three commissioned works from award-winning composers and world-class musicians fill the air with music. I’m immersed in the family story, beginning in England with a failed tavern, debtor’s prison and seafaring exile to Australia, with three of five children buried at sea. Then there is success in Boston for Bob on bass and Florence on violin, and much success for their sons. Texas ties include Jack Brannon’s poem to the red snapper – shimmering vermilion orb – and recording at UT in Austin. All this to absorb, then the music… Sunshine Energy Water A can of Sunshine could be just what you need. It’s not just that it was the first cool thing I tasted after the no-power days of Hurricane Delta. As the label indicates, I got “good energy” from a can of Ginger Berry. But Clementine Twist was my fave over Blueberry Lemonade and my go-to, Citrus Lime. Vitamins, electrolytes and 70 mg of natural caffeine are in these tall cans that are just 60 calories a can and are full of B12 and other “good” stuff. Lotus Pear and Pomegranate Acai are also in the Sunshine line that I’ll be looking for. Hydration ROAR They had me at 10 calories. Big bottles of ROAR Organics come in Cucumber Watermelon, Mango Clementine, Georgia Peach and Blueberry Acai and taste great. They support stay-safe advice from “get a flu shot” to “wear a mask” and come with electrolytes, antioxidants and vitamins. I truly like this one, found at www.drinkroar.com . Snickerdoodle for the health conscience You can eat better all-year round, but Good Dee’s low-carb and vegan-friendly baking mixes have seasonal options. I’m not known for baking, so hear this success story. Saturday morning I quickly mixed up Snickerdoodle Cookie with almond flour and followed Sunday with Chocolate Brownie with sunflower seeds. It was, as Mompreneur Texan-turned-New Yorker Deana Karim says, “easy as pie” to mix up and bake. I’ll wager Double Chocolate Chip Cookie and Butter Pecan Cookie are just as tempting. My mixes had no grain, sugar, gluten or wheat, which are things people watch for these days. You don’t have to avoid anything but a third helping with these babies that came together in no time. www.gooddees.com Lehi Mills The eggless brownie is here, Lehi Mills of Lehi, Utah announces, and their first ingredient is quality, the back of the box reads. Plant-based brownie mix with High Mountain flour mixed and baked easily for a holiday season breakfast with plenty left over to gift a newly-plant based friend. My batch resulted in the best combo of moist and crispy. I just added water to Lehi Mills plant-based Pancake Mix and again successfully created cakes that looked like the ones on the box. I confess I’m not usually to good at this so I was pretty proud of my flavorful presentation. Both of these are whole grain, dairy free and vegan and behave as you intended. Lehimills.com was established in 1906 and boxes mixes for muffins (raspberry, yes! Also easy and good), waffles and desserts. Pumpkin alert: Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookie sounds like a winner. Darragh Doiron is a Port Arthur area foodie getting her holiday vibe. Reach her at darraghcastillo@icloud.com