Jane Stern’s Six Great Food Finds

BLACK BEAN AND CORN SALSA: This salsa is served along with four others at FoCo. It is designed to go on South American dishes, tortillas or corn cakes. I would eat this in a bowl all by itself— okay, maybe a few sprigs of fresh cilantro, some chopped onions and a dab of sour cream. The lily is thus properly gilded.

FOCO COOKIES: These are signature chocolate-chunk cookies served daily. I usually like my cookies crisp, but there was something wonderful about these beauties languishing under their heat lamp. They reminded me of what first-class passengers on airlines were once served after dinner.

GLUTEN-FREE CHICKEN KIMCHI RICE: Stacked alongside plastic containers of orange California roll sushi and ziti marinara at Collis, it not only tastes good but is a cultural reminder that 20 years ago the only identifiable words in its name would have been “chicken” and “rice.”

HONEY CURRY BREAD: This mysterious treat at Collis looks like a slice of beige whole-wheat bread and is found near the corn muffins. It is identified as “honey curry bread,” and I have never seen its ilk before. It is neither Indian nor American but a weird hybrid. It is deliciously unique.

JUICE BAR SMOOTHIES: At Collis you can choose up to four ingredients to blend into a smoothie. All are fine, but I adored a concoction of organic carrots, apples, parsley and ginger, which was astonishingly bright and intensely flavorful. Even an old sugar-and-junk-food reprobate like me surrendered to its charms.

INDIVIDUAL PACKAGE OF YARDEN MATZOS: This is found at the kosher food area at FoCo. I have always bought a full box of matzos when I needed just one or two, and the rest go stale. This is the first time I have seen a single-serving, cellophane-wrapped matzo ready to go. It is what a pocket pack of Kleenex is to a giant box of tissues. Genius.