Our weekly selection of product picks, in alphabetical order:

KELLOGG’S: VARIATIONS ON CLASSIC CEREALS

Three variations of beloved Kellogg’s cereals debut nationwide this month.

The Frosted Flakes line has two new siblings:

 
Rice Krispies joins in with its first new flavor in more than 10 years:

 
All three flavors are fun food, even for adults. We snack from the box, add them to snack mixes and use them as an ice cream garnish. Use them to make ice cream sandwiches.

For more information visit Kelloggs.com.
 
 
MUSTARD: DIFFERENT STYLES

Mustard isn’t just a sandwich spread, or a condiment to serve with meats and cheeses.

Take a way at the dozens of uses for mustard). Low in calories, with spices that entice, we’re mustard lovers.

There are shelves and shelves of mustard brands out there, waiting for you to discover them—especially regional mustards.

Zatarain’s Creole Mustard is one of the original products introduced by Emile Zatarain in the late 1800s, and it’s been a New Orleans favorite ever since (it’s a must on a good po’ boy). It has its own “secret blend” of spices, for a vibrant mustard profile (we think we detect cayenne and horseradish).

Since the brand was acquired by McCormick a few years ago, it has found national distribution. Look for it at your local market, and also browse the shelf for other brands to try this year. Discover more at McCormick.com.

Another brand that caught our fancy is Vermont Maple Mustard from Fox Hollow Farm. (Other Vermont producers also make maple mustard.)

A coarse mustard, this one adds subtle notes of maple sugar and lemon. We’ll pick any brand off the shelf to check it out.

We have so much find trying new brands, especially small, artisan ones.

[1] Snap, Crackle and Pop go for the berries (photo courtesy Kelloggs\).

[2] Zatarain’s Creole Mustard, a New Orleans favorite now available nationally (photo courtesy Chinese Grandma).

[3] Pick up small regional brands wherever you find them. We give them as souvenirs (photo courtesy Woogie Foods).

One fun way to try the different mustards is to offer four or six of them the next time you have guests for burgers, hot dogs, sandwiches, even pretzels.

Don’t include the usual suspects (French’s, Gulden’s, Grey Poupon), but treat your guests to new mustard sensations.

Take a look at the many different styles of mustard. Preferences differ by region and country.
 

[1] Baked bell peppers with pizza stuffing (photo courtesy The Pampered Chef).

[2] Another way to enjoy pizza toppings: zucchini-based pizza boats (photo courtesy Lucero Olive Oil).

[3] For a crust-free experience, use this as inspiration: pile up the vegetables and use less cheese. This re-creation of Goldberg Pizzeria’s SMOG is lovingly re-created by Grand Voyage Italy. Here’s the recipe.

If your hope is to cut back on pizza carbs this year, here are three ways to enjoy pizza flavors without the crust.

The first is the recipe below, a fusion of stuffed peppers and pizza toppings (photo #1). The recipe was adapted from The Pampered Chef.

Next, here’s a crustless pizza variation we published several years ago with a zucchini base (photo #2).

Finally, the easiest crust-free pizza from the legendary Larry Goldberg of Goldberg Pizzeria in New York City (closed in 2002).

Larry had lost 150-plus pounds while surrounded by all that pizza. One of his pizza-eating tricks was the SMOG: sausage, mushrooms, onions and green (bell) peppers (photo #3).

He heaped up the veggies in a pie plate, covered them with crushed tomato sauce and topped them with a small amount of mozzarella. It was such a great idea; why hasn’t it been knocked off by pizzerias everywhere?
 
 
RECIPE: PIZZA STUFFED PEPPERS

Here’s the recipe for photo #1, stuffed peppers “pizza.”

Ingredients For 2 Servings

________________

*If desired, use 1/4 cup mozzarella and 1/4 cup reduced-fat shredded cheddar cheese.
 
Preparation

1. COMBINE the turkey, pizza sauce and rice in a small baking dish. Microwave on HIGH for 3 minutes, stirring halfway through cooking.

2. CUT the tops off of the bell peppers; remove the seeds and veins. Slice the tops into small pieces to yield ½ cup (125 mL) to add to the stuffing. Cut the pepperoni slices into quarters.

3. CAREFULLY REMOVE the baking dish from the microwave and place on a heatproof trivet. Add the cheese, pepperoni, bell pepper pieces, and any optional vegetables, and stir to combine.

5. CAREFULLY REMOVE the baking dish from the microwave; it will be very hot. Remove the peppers and top them with the parmesan cheese and fresh basil before serving.

At the end of each year, our tradition is to highlight our Top 10 Top Picks Of The Year.

While we highly endorse all of our top picks, these are products that have become part of our everyday life.

We know there’s a preponderance of sweets here. You can guess that we have a sweet tooth; but also, that these items stood out as truly different in comparison to all the chicken and sausage products we tried.

In alphabetical order, we present:
 
 
1. CHOC ZERO: SUGAR-FREE CHOCOLATE BARS & SYRUPS

How can you get a great chocolate fix with no sugar? ChocZero is sweetened with a relatively new noncaloric sweetener, monk fruit, and it tastes like a premium-quality chocolate bar.

ChocZero bars and syrups were created for people who follow a ketogenic “keto” diet; but anyone who wants to eliminate sugar can jump in.

Here’s our review.
 
 
2. THE COCONUT COLLABORATIVE: YOGURT & DESSERT POTS

Pure pleasure: That’s what we think about the delectable yogurts and dessert pots from The Coconut Collaborative.

The #1 brand of coconut milk-based yogurt brand in Europe, The Coconut Collaborate has come to the U.S., bringing their very impressive dairy-free products.

Whether you’re vegan, lactose intolerant, want to eat more sustainably and/or eat more plant-based foods, The Coconut Collaborative yogurts must be tried.

Don’t miss the dessert pots, pots de creme with a very high satisfaction factor.

Check out our review.
 
 
3. COOKIES: GOOEY ON THE INSIDE

For picky palates, the moment of joy occurs when your first taste informs you that you have an outstanding bite of food. It’s when you know that it doesn’t get better than this.

This was our reaction to Gooey On The Inside cookies (photo #1), a brand of handcrafted, baked-to-order cookies that was born when a career public servant decided to embark on her second career.

Her “perfect” cookie recipe—crispy on the outside and gooey on the inside—is just great.

Read our review.
 
 
4. GOLDEN CANNOLI: THE ORIGINAL CANNOLI CHIPS

These sweet chips that seem to be made from pieces of cannoli shells (photo #2) provide the cannoli experience without having to go out for cannoli, one of our favorite pastries.

At home, we dip them into some sweetened ricotta cheese (we use Splenda), to enjoy “deconstructed” cannoli. Add some mini chocolate chips for fun.

Read our review.
 
 
5. LANTANA: NEW-STYLE HUMMUS

Lantana, a new brand of hummus made with white beans, black beans or yellow lentils instead of chickpeas, is shaking up the hummus category.

Standing out in a sea of beige hummus, Lantana’s hummus is green (edamame), orange (carrots, chile peppers), purple (beets—photo #3), tan (black beans), yellow (yellow lentils) and other hues. The flavors deliver color to the plate and excitement to the palate. We’re hooked.

Read our review.
 
 
6. MADDY & MAIZE: ARTISAN FLAVORED POPCORN

Could these be the best flavored popcorns anywhere? Each flavor is standout:

 
The Bourbon & Barbecue is the best BBQ popcorn we’ve ever had.

Read our review.
 
 
7. MILKBOY SWISS CHOCOLATE

We have reviewed dozens of the world’s best chocolate brands. The first to turn our head in a while is MilkBoy Swiss Chocolate (photo #5).

The company, based in Brooklyn, New York, produces its chocolate bars in Zurich, Switzerland. The milk, dark and white bars, plain or flavored, are equally splendid.

Two must-tries: Alpine Milk Chocolate With Refreshing Lemon And Ginger and White Chocolate With Blue Potato Chips and Sea Salt.

Read our review.
 
 
8. POT LICKER KITCHEN: BEER JELLIES

We’re enchanted by this line of artisan jellies from Potlicker Kitchen in Stowe, Vermont (photo #6). There’s real beer flavor in each spoonful, from Vermont craft breweries.

What does beer jelly taste like? It tastes like the beer it’s made with, which is why you need to use great beers.

Read our review.
 
 
9. SMASHMALLOW: FLAVORED MARSHMALLOWS

The flavors and colors of Smashmallow (photo #7) are delectable, in Cinnamon Churro, Coconut Pineapple, Cookie Dough, Hot Cocoa, Mint Chocolate Chip, Root Beer Float and others.

If your idea of marshmallows is “plain vanilla,” you’re missing out.

Read our review.
 
 
10. ZUCCHI: EXTRA VIRGIN OLIVE OIL

There’s a lot of good olive oil around. Our kitchen has everything from good supermarket oil for sautes, and the top, pricey oils as “anointing oils,” to drizzle over foods as a garnish.

A large producer with state-of-the-art technology, Zucchi produces oils that taste as good as some that are produced in small, artisan facilities.

A 17.6-ounce bottle, less than $12, is worth your attention.

Read our review.
 
 
We look forward to sharing more favorite discoveries with you in 2019.

[1] The chocolate chip cookie from Gooey On The Inside.

[2] No cannoli tubes to fill here! You can dip these chips into sweetened ricotta for the cannoli experience (photo courtesy The Original Cannoli Chips).

[3] Flavors like Beet, Black Bean and Carrot make this line stand out (photo courtesy Lantana Foods).

[4] Raspberry Lemonade is one of a line of standout flavored popcorns (photo courtesy Maddy & Maize).

[5] MilkBoy is a new favorite, in dark, milk and white chocolate (photo courtesy MilkBoy).

[6] Small-batch beer jellies made with craft beers (photo courtesy Potlicker Kitchen).

[7] These flavored marshmallows are Wow! (photo courtesy Smashmallow).