Fans of Buddy Valastro, TLC Channel’s Cake Boss, don’t have to pilgrimage to Carlo’s Bakery in Hoboken, New Jersey for a cake.

Buddy has struck a deal to deliver cakes to stores nationwide, beginning with six buttercream cakes “inspired by the flavors, techniques and styles of the cakes featured on the show.”

The cakes are produced by Dawn Foods, a long-time supplier to Carlo’s Bake Shop, using Buddy’s recipes and designs. The Cake Boss himself has been involved every step of the way to ensure that the cakes meet his quality standards.

At $27.99 for a seven-inch cake, they are not an everyday purchase.

But for a special occasion, the cakes, which can be found in the bakery department of supermarkets and other food stores, are better than most store-bought cakes. We tried three varieties; our notes are below.

The line is kosher certified by OU. Cupcakes and fondant cakes are expected later this year. The buttercream cake selection* includes:

 
Next Step: Check the store locator and look for a special occasion.
 
*Each retailer may only carry a partial selection.
  

We typically keep a bag of frozen peas in the freezer—not as a substitute ice pack, but to add a burst of color and flavor to just about any savory dish.

Many recipes add peas for exactly that reason. But we’ve got ways to use peas that you may not have considered.

Why frozen peas?

 
But in another month or two, when peas are in season, it’s time to buy and shell them, and enjoy pea purée and fresh pea soup in all their glory.

EVERYDAY USES FOR FROZEN PEAS

HOW ELSE WOULD YOU USE FROZEN PEAS? LET US KNOW!

Peanut butter is a nutritious food: It was invented by a physician to provide protein for people who could not chew meat (see the history of peanut butter).

While delicious flavored peanut butter has been produced by artisan manufacturers for more than a decade, Planters is the first national producer to take on mix-ins.

Three NUT-rition flavors have inclusions that create a delightful texture as well as added flavor—we’d classify them as “gourmet” PB:

You already have chocolate bars in Blackcurrant, Chili, Coconut, Cranberry, Orange, Passionfruit, Sea Salt, plus traditional flavors like Almond, Mint and Toffee and plain chocolate bars in a range of cacao intensities.

What do you do next?

Americans love chocolate, and we love sushi with wasabi; so how about wasabi—Japanese horseradish—and chocolate?

It may not sound intuitive, but another hot spice, chili, is a natural with chocolate.

And wasabi works, too!

The Lindt Excellence Dark Wasabi bar is a surprising and delicious flavor experience. Silky smooth dark chocolate is subtly spiced with a touch of wasabi flavor.

While the label says “artificial flavors,” to us it tastes like wasabi powder has added to the chocolate—with charming results.

So, bring some wasabi chocolate bars to the sushi bar. Give one as a gift to your sushi chef and enjoy a square or two after a delicious sushi dinner.

Consider them as Easter gifts—let everyone else bring the chocolate bunnies and eggs. And on any occasion when you need a little something with big impact, wasabi chocolate is it.

If you can’t find them locally, you can buy Lindt Wasabi Chocolate Bars on Amazon.com, $3.99 for a 3.5-ounce bar.

While it gets a bit lost in the wasabi news, Lindt has also released a new Strawberry chocolate bar along with Wasbi. It’s not a daring surprise, but it reads the script beautifully.

Read our review of Lindt Excellence chocolate bars.
  

 
While peanut butter, coconut milk or cream, garlic and soy sauce are common to all recipes, there is no one version of peanut sauce. Every region has its own signature style.

For example, Indonesian peanut sauce uses lemongrass, tamarind juice and miso; Thai peanut sauce uses lime juice and cilantro.

ASIAN PEANUT SAUCE RECIPE

Ingredients

†If you don’t want to buy fish sauce just for this recipe, substitute Worcestershire sauce. If you think you’ll be making peanut sauce regularly, invest in the fish sauce.
 
Preparation

1. WHISK together ingredients, except cilantro, in a small bowl.

2. MIX in cilantro just before serving.

3. FOR A THINNER SAUCE OR DIP, dilute with water, one tablespoon at a time, until desired consistency is reached.