The Barefoot Contessa’s “French Bark,” called
a mendiant in French. Photo by Hannah
Kaminsky | THE NIBBLE.

• Chewy Dark Chocolate Sea Salt Caramels—very light on the salt for those who aren’t into salty, with distinct cocoa notes from the chocolate.
• Dark Chocolate French Bark—creamy dark chocolate with a milkiness that even children would love (there’s milkfat in the recipe). The 6.5-ounce bar is topped with cashews, dried apricots and cherries, crystallized ginger and raisins. The French don’t use the word bark, but mendiant, which means beggar. See the origin of the term in our Chocolate Glossary.
• Dark Chocolate Toffee With Almonds, very crunchy and made with butter, although if you like your toffee very buttery, this is not that style.

Find Barefoot Contessa products at StonewallKitchen.com. Chocolate lovers are invited to take a look at more of our favorite:

• Salt Caramels
• Toffee
• Chocolate Bars

• See our article, “Understanding Chocolate” for a good lesson on chocolate.

“We want this contest to highlight the importance of giving your children a warm breakfast even when you are on the run,” said Eric Hintz, Vice President of Marketing at Pinnacle Foods.

All you have to do is photograph a breakfast moment with your child/children and submit a picture along with a description in 100 words or less, of how you share a delicious, warm moment in the morning with them. We guessing that it helps if they’re eating Aunt Jemima Frozen Pancakes, available in Blueberry, Buttermilk, Homestyle, Low Fat Buttermilk, Whole Grain and Mini.

To enter:

Will your kid’s photo win a family vacation?

Say “cheese!” Van Harden’s pizza is gluten-
free, which means few carbs as well. It
uses a cheese-based crust. Photo by
Hannah Kaminsky| THE NIBBLE.

While it’s possible to buy gluten-free pizza crusts and make pizza from scratch, Van Harden offers a faster solution: frozen pizzas in three varieties with no bread crust whatsoever.

The crust is made from cheese, which gives the nearly 3 million Americans with Celiac disease, people with wheat allergies, everyone on the Atkins Diet and every carb counter a heat-and-eat way to enjoy pizza again.

Available in Cheese, Pepperoni or Sausage (our favorite, shown in the photo at left), you can order Van Harden’s Pizza online until national distribution broadens. (It’s currently available in Hy-Vee retail stores in seven Midwest states.)

• Read the full review, including how to purchase Van Harden’s Pizza low-carb, gluten-free pizza online.
• Find more of our favorite gluten-free foods in our Diet Nibbles Section.
• Find more of our favorite frozen pizzas in our Pasta & Pizza Section.
• Read the history of pizza.

You don’t need a traditional vinaigrette on a salad: Try a “deconstructed” dressing.

A drizzle of fine olive oil or a squeeze of fresh lime juice with a few snipped chives is eye-openingly good.

Many oils have personalities that can be enjoyed on their own, unblended with vinegar.

We’ve been using grassy-flavored extra-virgin olive oils from Sicily and Australia made from the picual olive (they’re also great bread dippers).

And of course, brands of fine olive, grapeseed, and avocado oils are available infused with flavors like basil, garlic, rosemary, and chile for added flavor.

The same holds true for flavored vinegars, especially among people who are counting calories and don’t want the oil.

You might say: Hey there, people have been using “deconstructed” bottles of oil and vinegar for millennia, blending them as they wish.

Yes. Isn’t it nice to revive the practice?
 
 
> The history of olive oil.

> The different types of olive oil: a glossary.

> The history of vinegar.

> The different types of vinegar: a glossary.

> The history of limes.

> The different types of limes: a glossary.
 
 
See our October 22 Tip Of The Day, “Flavor Boosters,” for links to our favorite flavored olive oils, grapeseed oils, and macadamia nut oils.

[1] A premium olive oil will add complex flavors to your food (both photos © Oliviers & Co.).

[2] Sauternes vinegar is a specialty item that makes a great gift for a good cook.