Here are a few more food items that may work as stocking stuffers or hostess gifts this holiday season:

La Farm bakery in Cary is selling stollen (pictured at left) and a Linzer challah bread. Baker Lionel Vatinet makes the stollen with a brioche-like dough filled with rum-soaked orange zest, raisins and nuts. After baking, the bread is rolled in sugar. A large loaf costs $15.99. A small costs $8.99. Vatinet's Linzer challah is his take on an Entenmann's cake -- a challah dough filled with a cream cheese-based custard and fresh raspberries. It sells for $7.89.

The special breads are available every day at the bakery in Cary or at the bakery's stand at the state Farmer's Market in Raleigh from 8 a.m.-2 p.m. Saturday-Monday. Local Whole Foods stores also are carrying these breads and can place orders for customers. Special orders for the holiday must be placed by Friday either through Whole Foods , by calling the bakery at 919-657-0657 or online at lafarmbakery.com. Orders also can be delivered to the state farmers market.

La Farm also sells the traditional Buche de Noel cake (pictured at right) for $36.99 in three flavors: Belgian chocolate, vanilla buttercream with a raspberry coulis and hazelnut praline. It is only available at the Cary store and pre-order is necessary before Friday.

Raleigh-based coffee roaster Larry's Beans is now selling a cold brew coffee concentrate. It can be used to make iced coffee, hot coffee and cocktails. A three pack of 16-ounce bottles costs $32.50 online at LarrysBeans.com. A single bottle sells for $11.49 at these stores: Taylor's gas station and wine shop and Harmony Farms in North Raleigh, The Meat House in Cary and Tyler's Bottle Shop in downtown Raleigh.

I also wanted to mention Mrs. Hanes' Hand-made Moravian Cookies. This Clemmons, N.C.-company makes 10 million cookies by hand each year. A one-pound tin costs $20.30. Order online at hanescookies.com.

Larry's Beans is offering a coffee cupping event, sort of a wine tasting for coffee, from 1-3 p.m. Nov. 10.

The tasting will explore how flavor is affected by how the farmers process their coffee beans. The coffee will all be from Sidama Coffee Farmers Cooperative Union in Ethiopia. Participants also will get a chance to sample Larry's Beans cold brew iced coffee, a new offering that the company is now selling online at larrysbeans.com.

The cupping event, which will take place at 1507 Gavin St., Raleigh, costs $5. Tickets are available at larrysbeans.eventbrite.com.

Coffee lovers take note: Here's your chance to take a peek inside Larry's Beans eco-friendly coffee-roasting plant in Raleigh and sample Larry's fair-trade coffees.

And if the promise of free coffee isn't enough, there's also free food, live music and beer. 

If you've never sipped a cup of Larry's Beans coffee, here's your chance to taste it free, meet Larry and tour the eco-friendly roasting facility (Larry calls it a green-o-vated beanplant).

Oh, and did I mention there's also free food from Neomonde, live music and Big Boss beer.

The tour and tasting is from 11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 24, at the bean plant, 1507 Gavin St. in Raleigh. But I wouldn't procrastinate if you're interested.

Local fair-trade coffee roaster Larry's Beans is introducing a new product for wholesale customers that takes the guesswork out of brewing a pot of coffee.

Larry's "portion packs" come in 2.5 or 3.25 oz. sizes and are individually wrapped, pre-measured portions designed to be the perfect amount for brewing a 64 oz. pot of coffee.

The company says the packs have been particularly popular with institutional customers like hospitals, churches and schools. They are only available by the case to the company's wholesale customers. Larry's plans to introduce the product at the 2010 National Products Expo East tradeshow in Boston next month.

Larry's Beans, the fair trade and organic coffee maker, is offering a free coffee tasting and insider tour of its "green"-ovated bean plant on Saturday, May 15, from noon to 1:30 p.m. The recent renovation of the bean plant features passive solar design, wind-powered vents, rainwater harvesting, fruit bushes and even dual flush toilets. Doors will open at 11:30 a.m., and the tour begins at noon.

So if you're intrigued by this green renovation, or by tasting organically certified and fair trade coffee and local fare, sign up by e-mailing your name, phone number and number of those attending to info@larrysbeans.com. Space is limited to the first 45 people to sign up, so you better hurry.