One lesson we learned in 2020 is that exploring new recipes and entertaining yourself at home can be fun and easy. The top of the year is a great time to explore new flavors and we are always searching for products that are tasty, make our lives easier, and have great stories behind them.
Here are 10 of our picks to help keep your shelves stocked year-round with delicious, convenient products.
Yolélé’s fonio strater pack is a great introduction to fonio, a vegan and gluten-free friendly West African grain that’s packed with nutrients that can be used for a plethora of sweet and savory dishes. The pack includes a signed copy of the cookbook, Yolélé, by author and Yolélé co-founder Pierre Thiam, a bag of fonio, as well as a bag of fonio flour. The best part about fonio is that it’s quick and easy to make so you can bring West Africa home with delicious recipes and stories accompanied by the ancient grain.
Chefs Mavis-Jay and Sicily Sierra are the hearts and minds behind Food + People, a company dedicated to providing ”easy access to quality foods that you can simply cook.” They believe that quality food is a human right and have served up a line of products that have us, the people, in mind. Using quality ingredients and intricate flavor profiles, they are dedicated to ensuring that we don’t have to worry about boring meals. Their pancake mix is a great breakfast or brunch starter, bringing chef-quality flavors straight to our plates.
3. Hot N Saucy
These vegan friendly small batch hot sauces by Chef Sam Davis-Allonce add a kick of heat and flavor to any meal. With a range of heat levels and organic ingredients, the hot sauces can be used as a side condiment or mixed into savory dishes. Chef Sam also includes a few recipes you can try when you sign up for the Hot N Saucy mailing list. Try her recipe for ‘Loaded Breakfast Sweet Potatoes’. You won’t be disappointed!
This sauce collection by Essie Bartels is a steal and should be a pantry staple. Essie Spice’s vegan cooking sauces and spice blends can be used for anything from desserts and cocktails to marinades for your favorite poultry and vegetable choices. They are extremely versatile and packed with flavor. Our favorite is the Mango Chili Medley. Also, watch out for Essiespice’s Loff sauce coming out later on this year. If you love Jollof rice and want to cut down the time it takes to make it, this product might be your savior.
5. Spicesuite
Angel Anderson, the owner of Spicesuite, has created an amazing brand with products encompassing spices and kitchenWEAR. If you follow the Spicesuite closely, they drop different SpiceBoxes throughout the year that include a range of bold combinations. We are currently digging their KitchenWEAR + box w/ herbal chocolate tea. This box includes one of the following:
-Measuring cup with bamboo lid -tea kettle with strainer
- Cornbread mix
- Merlot sea salted chocolate covered almonds
- Balsamic onion spread
- Jar of herbal chocolate tea
Spicesuite products are always in high demand, so hurry and grab this Spicebox drop while supplies last.
The creators of Portrait Coffee have a mission that we can get behind and good quality products for any coffee lover. For the team, their name “comes from a desire to change the picture that comes to mind when folks think of specialty coffee”. Their range of coffee blends have beans from countries such as Ethiopia, Honduras and Uganda. With an array of selections, the company has perfect combinations to fit every coffee lover. If you have a dedicated coffee routine, try signing up for one of the subscription packages.
Blackleaf vodka is the first French organic vodka on the market. The company pairs the perfect blend of premium and organic vodka with their signature bottle of Black Leaf 1889. With a brand known for it’s sleek and sexy look, you can’t go wrong with adding this to your mixology playbook.
8. Moonshot Snacks - Variety Pack
Moonshot Snacks, created by Julia Colins, brings a fresh perspective to the food supply chain and we’re here for it! Using the power of food to tackle climate change, these climate- friendly crackers are made from wheat grown by farmers using regenerative agricultural practices. This variety pack includes Moonshot’s Sourdough Sea Salt, Tomato Basil, and Rosemary Garlic crackers.
With each purchase, you’ll be contributing to global efforts to save the plant while eating healthy and tasty snacks. You can’t beat that!
A Dozen Cousins by Ibraheem Basir, takes the work out of cooking beans and packs “health, comfort, and culture” into a line of ready-to-eat bean pouches. We love that the pouches are inspired by recipes from the American South, Latin America, and the Caribbean. Their variety pack includes two pouches each of: Cuban Black Beans, Mexican Cowboy Pinto Beans and Trini Chickpea Curry.
Enjoy great flavors with wholesome ingredients that can be eaten by itself or paired with a side of your choice.
10. Phreshly
Cocktails in a can take on a whole different look with Phreshly and we’ve got our eyes on them. Kicking it off with two products, ‘ Bay Lemonade’ and ‘G’iddem’, Phreshley is the new go-to for a full-strength cocktail in a can that’s low in sugar, carbs, and also gluten free! An extra plus for us is the company’s commitment to sourcing from minority-owned farms to create their flavorful selection of specialty cocktails.
Deliveries of Phreshly begin Spring 2021. Get ahead of the crowd and pre-order now.