Shopping Cart: Vanilla from Cook's Flavoring Co.

We've been cooking and baking with vanilla products from Cook's Flavoring Co. of Paso Robles, Calif., and we like the results. Plenty of Washingon chefs use them, including Kate Jansen, pastry chef at Willow in Arlington: "Before I switched to Cook's, I was using a lot more extract and still not getting the pure vanilla flavor I wanted. Now that flavor is pronounced," she says.

On our shopping list: plump, shiny vanilla beans from the South Pacific island kingdom of Tonga; Cookie Vanilla, whose combination of bourbon and Tahitian vanilla extracts is designed to retain flavor in high-heat baking; and vanilla powder, good for sprinkling on coffee or berries. Citrus and coffee extracts are available through Cook's as well.

Prices range from $8 to $13; it's best to call for availability. At Griffin Market, 1425 28th St. NW, 202-965-1222; Lebanese Taverna Market, 4400 Old Dominion Dr., Arlington, 703-276-8681; Butcher's Block, 1600 King St., Alexandria, 703-894-5253; Stoneyman Gourmet Farmer at the Montgomery Farm Womens Cooperative Market (Wednesdays, Fridays, Saturdays), 7155 Wisconsin Ave., Bethesda, and at the Bethesda Central Farm Market at Elm Street and Woodmont Avenue in Bethesda (Sundays), 202-257-5116; Fran's Cake and Candy Supplies, 10927 Main St., Fairfax, 703-352-1471; and online at http://www.cooksvanilla.com. (At checkout online, mention promo code WP1, good for $1 off.)