As promised yesterday, I’m here to share my thoughts on a small sampling of the over 145 new and returning items celebrating 25 years of President’s Choice gourmet, consumer priced products.

If you received your share of 10 lb. fruit cakes over the holidays, filled with dyed, sugary turnip pieces (ugh) – the President’s Choice Fruit Cake with Single Malt Whisky, imported straight from Scotland, will prove a delightful alternative.  Made in Scotland, this relatively light and tasty fruitcake is FREE of dyed turnip – hooray!  It is loaded with sultana raisins, spotted with glaceed cherries and sprinkled with toasted almonds.  All this in a festive tin for gift giving at $9.99 – yummy.  The whisky?  I’m not too skilled at detecting it, but since the cake is cooked, all that’s left is a slight lingering flavour.

Two fun and festive chocolate barks are also available this holiday season.  the PC Dark Chocolate Candy Cane Bark features bittersweet dark chocolate liberally paired with crunched up candy cane, both within and on top of the poured bark.  The candy cane flavour is sweetly reminiscent of childhood winters past, I almost felt like a child again when I sampled this bark.  The trip down memory lane is affordable at $2.99 per package.

For those who prefer white chocolate candy to dark chocolate, the White Chocolate Cranberry Pistachio bark pairs poured white chocolate with whole, dried cranberries and crushed pistachios both within and on top – creating a red, white and green treat that pairs salty and sweet flavours.  I love pistachios and cranberries, and I’ve never seen them paired this way before – doubtless you’ve never seen it either!  It’s like peanut brittle on a whole new level..erm, and without the peanuts!

The Memories of Fuji 3 Mushroom Sauce is a President’s Choice flavour that has been brought back from 1993.  Unfortunately it didn’t survive it’s sub-zero adventure to it’s destination here in Alberta.  I did have the chance to smell it, and it sure does smell tasty – like it would make a great steak marinade.  White, shiitake and porcini mushrooms blend with rice vinegar, soy sauce, garlic and spices for an earthy scented sauce.  At $2.99/bottle it’s worth experimenting with on chicken, pasta and in Asian inspired dishes that will complement the vinegar and soy sauce notes.

My absolute favourite from the lot are the PC Belgian Chocolate Mousse Cups.  Wow, these are heavenly.  A delicate milk or dark chocolate cup filled with light and airy mousses and ganaches.  White chocolate, dark chocolate, hazelnut, espresso, light notes of ginger and lemon.  Oh, they are subtle, understated and so delicious.  Far from the realm of checkout line chocolates, they’re simply mouthwatering.  Too, too good.  Each cup comes nestled into it’s own pocket in the box, making a neat and tidy presentation in and of itself.  If you can only try one of the new products, and would like to – ahem – treat yourself, these are the ones.  Think bubble bath, champagne and a box of these little sweetlings at $7.99/box.

Don’t forget that bite sized hor d’oeuvres and shrimp rings are available NOW at a Loblaws/Superstore/Extra Foods near you.  I haven’t tasted these myself, but couldn’t resist including them here.  Not only do they look so adorable, I can picture them on a silver platter, but these Wild Pacific Salmon Mini Wellingtons sound irresistible.  For the finger food set looking for a spiffy looking, convenient snack for their New Year’s shin-dig, these will fit the bill.    Two bites per hor d’oeuvre, delicate butter puff pastry surrounds chuks of tender wild salmon in a lemon dill cream sauce.  Oh, it sounds tasty.  The salmon is even certified to the Marine Stewardship Council standard, so it’s eco-friendly as well.

So enjoy your New Year’s celebrations no matter how and where you’re celebrating.  With food, friends and love you can’t go wrong.  God bless you and your family as we head into 2009.