BREAD AND CHOCOLATE
It’s a little daunting at first to try to figure out what you are going to do with a jar of Chef John Folse’s Chocolate Butter with Pecans. You can’t eat it like ice cream, nor is it candy. It’s just a luscious mixture of cream, sugar, cocoa and little pecan pieces. It’s too rich to snack on, say the way you would peanut butter, dipping it out of the jar with a spoon. So after lunch, spread some of the chocolate butter on a left over piece of French bread. Voila! There aren’t too many American treats that combine bread and chocolate, but just think how pain au chocolate (a chocolate filled croissant) lights up an afternoon. Folse’s Chocolate Butter on Poupart’s bread with a cup of cafe au lait. How Louisiana can you get? An 8-ounce jar costs about $5 at local groceries, or you can order it from Folse’s Web site, www.jfolse.com. — Mary Tutwiler
THE COLOR PURPLE
Sheer fabric, great winter color, jeweled neck embellishment, ruffles. More suited for a Ralph Lauren display window than a crowded rack at the reasonably priced boutique Vertigo, this blouse has it all. If you were concerned about ruffled blouses and jeweled clothing tiring on the trend cycle, this understated top transcends the clichés and is fresh as ever. In a season of elegance and modesty, staying flirty and feminine is exceptionally tricky without sacrificing class and occasion-appropriateness. This $79 MM Couture by Miss Me easily pairs with dressy slacks, heels, and jewelry for a cocktail party or just as well with dark jeans for dinner with the girls. Call Vertigo Clothing in River Ranch’s Mainstreet Shopping Center at 991-9980. — Elizabeth Brown
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BOB, MEET DEVENDRA**
Ray Ban Wayfarers. Try to imagine a press photo or album insert without them. The unapologetic grit of rock is molded into the very plastic of the frames. A reemerging interest in the look occurs as freak folk-rock icon Devendra Banhart picks up where Bob Dylan left off with a modern white pair. For those with neither the face nor the ego to attempt the original, there is The New Wayfarer: a smaller, more wearable style. New incarnations made for a different wave of degenerates range from basic black or tortoise shell to aqua, orange and violet. Oh, you are too bold. Prices start at $109 at L.A. Specs in River Ranch. Call 993-8170 to reserve your pair. — Angelle-Leigh Breaux