Q: RyKrisp is a great-tasting crisp rye cracker, without a lot of additives, that has been around a long time. All of the major supermarkets seem to have gradually discontinued it, and I can no longer seem to find this healthy and delicious product. My wife and I were hoping you might be able to tell us where we could find it. Thanks for any help you can give. Jerry Chesler, Dacula
A: While curious consumers were checking out other cracker offerings over the years, causing the Swedish-style cracker’s sales to slump, ConAgra Foods swooped in and bought the company in 2013. Unfortunately, it turned out the last batches of RyKrisp last year in the Minneapolis factory where the rye crackers were produced since the 1920s. It seemed that another venerable brand was destined to bite the dust and become little more than a scrap of culinary history. However, last May, Ted Leavitt, a former Pillsbury executive, and two partners bought the intellectual property from ConAgra — not the manufacturing plant — and are working on bringing back the healthy cracker in five flavors. Fans should be able to purchase RyKrisp online sometime this summer. To keep tabs on the progress, check out www.rykrisp.com and wander over to the company’s Facebook or Twitter pages where you’ll find plenty of updates. You also can commiserate with other fans clamoring the cracker’s return.
Q: Can you please help me find Comet brand rice? It’s not flavored or anything, it’s just plain white rice. I used to have no trouble buying it, but it seems to have disappeared. Thanks. Libby Rodriguez, Atlanta
A: Comet rice is a popular brand originating out of Galveston, Texas, and it rests under the American Rice, Inc. umbrella, along with Colusa Rose rice, Green Peacock and Dragon rice. You can find Comet long-grain white rice in eye-popping yellow one-pound bags for 99 cents at Buford Highway Farmers Market, 5600 Buford Hwy., Doraville 770-455-0770.
Q: I want to try my hand at making jerky in a grinder, not slices, and heard about LEM seasonings that get mixed into the meat. Is there a local outlet so that I don’t have to order it online? I’m not sure what flavor to get, but I can figure that out when I find the product. Thanks. Bob Elliot, email
A: Bob, you’re in luck. You can find packages of LEM Backwoods jerky seasonings locally at Bass Pro Shops, 5900 Sugarloaf Pkwy., Lawrenceville, 678-847-5500. Check out the variety pack, $11.99, that lets you experiment with four flavors: Cajun, jalapeño, teriyaki and cracked pepper. Each flavor packet holds enough spices to flavor up to five pounds of ground meat.
Q: I hope you can help me. I need to find some of those chocolate coins wrapped in foil. The difficulty I’m having is that I need them in different colors, not the gold. This is proving nearly impossible. I don’t want to order them because I need these later this summer, and there’s no way that I can risk them melting during shipping. The colors I’d like to mix are purple, yellow, red and blue, but I’m fine with just assorted colors. I’ll need quite a bit — a couple of pounds at least. Thank you. Peg Miller, email
A: Peg, candy bars at showers and other gatherings are a big deal these days, and that means you’ll have little trouble finding a vast assortment of brilliantly tinted candies. You’ll find foil-wrapped chocolate coins in 13-ounce bags for $5.99 each at Party City, 4743-A Ashford Dunwoody Road, Atlanta, 770-395-9226. While they’re available in assorted colors, including purple, they’re packed in single colors.
