Cupboard and Pantry

Want to Cook Italian? Start Here.

2011-04-14T22:39:00.001-07:00

Why is it that I’ve never mentioned my preference for a cookbook before? I’m trying to focus my attention on Italian tomes, since my natural inclination is to cook Italian inspired recipes. There are certainly some strong representatives of several regional cuisines in my collection, but this one with recipes from Emilia Romagna by Biba Caggiano, the Sacramento restauranteur, is a contender for my favorite. Of all my books, this is one of the few I have actually made recipes from, or use as a reference when developing my own recipes. I like to see the combinations of seasonings, ingredients and measurements she uses. Born and raised in Bologna, this woman knows how to cook. Because she travels to Italy frequently, she lists some fine Italian restaurants in all of her cookbooks. I’ve been known to plan trips around her recommendations! If it’s not out of print, you may find it used on one of these sites: http://www.ecookbooks.com/ http://www.powels.com/ or possibly http://www.alibris.com/

M & S Food Halls

2011-04-14T22:09:00.001-07:00

Mark’s and Spencer’s (Marks & Sparks) is an established brand in British clothing and over the last decade or so, this institution of value for price, has made a big splash on the food industry in the British Isles. I’ve reviewed their fair trade chocolates and now I’d like to share a few thoughts on their house brand products in general. They are the excellent!

Take for example the “biscuits” represented in these photos. They are made of all organic ingredients and the recipes are clearly unique. Once, while on vacation in London, I decided to buy a small snack and ended up buying 8 boxes of cookies to take home, once I had tasted my snack of Scottish shortbread, where the butter did all but drip from the box. I have never had better. Luckily, I have twice had friends buy more for me while visiting both England and Ireland. This Pear and Ginger cookie was in the first purchase I made, and it’s still one of my very favorites.

But seeing as I prefer milk chocolate, this next biscuit is my absolute favorite, so far.

Dubliner White Cheddar

2011-04-14T18:35:00.001-07:00

If all the imported cheeses we are privileged to to be able to consume in this country, Dubliner, a white cheddar from Ireland seems to be the only Irish cheese to make it across the pond, with the exception of Cashel Blue. Luckily Kerrygold is a large enough operation to manage and satisfy the terms of the export contracts. Kerrygold, the same people that bring us fresh, Irish butter, both sweet and salted, certainly makes a case for more Irish dairy imports. Out of the imported cheddars, Dubliner is more robust and flavorful than the cheddars from Canada, Britain or Whales that I’ve personally tried. I recently used it in a macaroni and cheese recipe I was developing and it was the only option I had considered.

Not bad for a first try. I used grated parmigiano on top because I knew it wouldn’t melt well and decided to use it for crunch and forgo the breadcrumbs.

Sublimely Delicious Chocolate

2011-04-14T18:04:00.000-07:00

I can’t seem to get away from buying and testing candy bars, while on vacation for two very good reasons. Firstly, my walking increases and stimulates the appetite, while I’m burning infinitely more calories than I do at home, so I can afford the fat calories I’m certain to ingest. Secondly, they make nice little gifts to bring back home and share with friends. Friends, who at this very moment are wondering if they ever received a chocolate from me, and why not. Okay, you caught me, unless I buy multiples, they just never seem to make it home.

This Sublime bar caught my attention in a low end grocery store somewhere near the foot of Rue Cler in Paris and it was so very good with toasted coconut and almonds, that I’m certain to look for it again, and furthermore, if I manage to find it, I’m going to bring many bars home, really.

Ferry Plaza Market

2011-03-13T20:47:00.000-07:00

Of all the farmers' markets I attend regularly, Ferry Plaza has got to be the very highest in quality. The vendors seem to save their best produce for this market. How do I know? Many of them also sell at other markets in the immediate area and sell at lower prices reflecting the grade of the produce. I've seen them and made purchases.

But for the most part Ferry Plaza attracts small producers that are content to sell exclusively at the Saturday or Thursday market. The Thursday market is much smaller than the one on Saturday, and it's seasonal, not year round. New vendors are allowed to sell on Thursdays until they graduate to the Saturday market.

Some of the small producers sell specialty produce, much of it organic, not usually seen elsewhere.

But the market is not limited to fresh produce. There are meat and poultry producers

Bakeries

Several dairy operations providing yogurt, cheese, and butter

Olive Oil and Balsamic Vinegar producers

Flower growers and pizza vendors

Ranchers marketing preserves, nuts, candies and dried fruit

Smoked fish producers who also sell sandwiches

There are vendors selling fresh and dried herbs as well as flavored salt

The list goes on and on, but since a picture is worth a thousand words, I'll be posting a slide show of Ferry Plaza Farmers Market soon.

Burrata

2011-02-24T22:33:00.000-08:00

I have been on the hunt for this cheese, since it first crossed my path and lips in Puglia Italy, the region where it originated. I was visiting family of a close friend and since they had invited us to stay for lunch, I wanted to bring along something we could all share. Having read about it, it was hard to resist when I found it.

Water buffalo milk is used to make this cheese, similar in taste to fresh, water packed mozzarella on the outside. On the inside it's another story entirely; the liquid center is thick cream that thickens further with excess bits and pieces of mozzarella from the cheese pouch that is formed to hold the cream during the making of the cheese. It has a very buttery, milky taste and is traditionally wrapped in leek leaves.

Since it has to be eaten within 48 hours of manufacture, it's not exported here to the U.S. often and rarely if ever to the West Coast, so it is starting to be made domestically with cow's milk. The above photo shows a Burrata I purchased in Boston, but more about that later. Officially, Italians would refer to these two cheeses as fior di latte, because of the cow's milk. It's a major breakthrough to have even an "inferior" version available locally.

I have yet to try the two pictured above from Corti Brothers in Sacramento, but they have the distinction of being the least expensive I have found (under $9). Cowgirl Creamery sells the product I tried and enjoyed from Gioia Cheese ($13.50) out of Southern California, depicted in the second photo. Close, but no cigar. As you can see, although extremely soft in the center, the Gioia Burrata is not oozing with cream. I ate it happily and it was delicious, buttery, milky, but I suspect it too was past it's prime. A- for taste, C+ for texture.

It's the closest I've had thus far in my personal tasting journey. The Burrata from Boston was indeed Italian, but far too old and by the time I cut it open, the center had dried out and was like the outer walls of the cheese except the center was falling apart. It lacked the characteristic buttery taste and was for all intents and purposes, a failed mozzarella.

Keeping with Italian tradition I served it with tomatoes and olive oil. I added Murray River salt flakes and a basil flavored oil too.

Deluca's in Boston

2011-02-10T13:10:00.000-08:00

Deluca's is is always on my places to go list when we travel to Boston. If you happen to be in the Beacon Hill area of the city and want an Italian fix, this deli will do the trick. I can't remember the number of picnics I've made from purchases here, but if I lived in Boston, I'd come here on a weekly basis.

On our last visit I decided to try one of their "select your own" deli sandwiches at the minimal price of $5.99. The custom sandwich was irresistible.

My selection of olive bread, salami, mortadella, and hot coppa was exceptional. As I sat on a park bench, even the squirrels wanted some of the bread.

The imports are even better than the deli and I was delighted to pick up a few items I've never seen before, either in Italy or at our import stores.

The produce section seemed abundant for such a small store, and the shelves throughout were packed with quality items, many of them imports.

No matter what they carry, variety seems to be the key. Take a look at the olive oils that provide a good example of this practice in the store.

The Colonna flavored oils on the bottom left were interesting enough to buy. I selected Bergamont, Asian Spice (Chinese 5 Spice) and the Gran Verde with a distinct citrus taste.

The dairy counter had Burrata with the characteristic leaf wrapping from Puglia. It's imported by the store on a daily basis. Now that is something very special.

The holy grail of Italian imports, Burrata from Puglia is made from buffalo milk mozzarella surrounding an interior of cream and mozzarella pieces.

http://www.delucasmarket.com/index.php

Delitia Butter

2011-01-24T17:18:00.000-08:00

As I am of the opinion that Vermont Butter and Cheese Company, produces the best butter in this country (their Cultured Butter), it seems odd that I would be recommending an Italian butter. Odd until it is noted that Delitia butter shown in the above photo can be purchased locally.

Delitia is an importer of Italian, high quality food products and their butter seems to be the only one of their products that I find on a semi regular basis here in the Bay Area. It has a very distinctive, only very slightly "Parmigiano" taste, very high in butterfat. It takes a concerted effort to find that nutty taste, but it's there, and that is why I like this butter as much as I do.

I buy it whenever I can find it and sometimes freeze it. It can most often be found at Bryans in Laurel Village and Milk Pail. Costco imported a different brand of butter from the same area and it was excellent as well, but seemed milder in flavor.

http://www.delitia.com/

http://www.vtbutterandcheeseco.com/culturedButter.html

Berkeley Bowl

2011-01-15T15:27:00.000-08:00

Berkeley Bowl has to be the gold standard of super markets in the San Francisco Bay Area. When they announced a second store, many of us in San Francisco held our breaths and hoped it would be on this side of the bay; no such luck, but maybe the luck is in how close we actually are.

Can meat get any better than this? For the first time in 20 years, I made my grandmother's pasta sauce with a B.B. chuck roast from grass fed beef and it finally tasted like hers. As I forked over the money for it, I couldn't help but think that I could have purchased 2 from Costco for the same price. I could have but it would not taste the same. This says something very negative about agribusiness and their insistence on feeding cheap, subsidized corn to cattle )who cannot digest it properly), for better profit, not better animal husbandry or taste.

The bakery department is also filled with products that are of better quality than we expect from a supermarket.

Just look at these photos for a sample of the variety of products available to a shopper for one particular item. The top left photo is just olive oil and vinegar, the top right shows the bulk olive bar. For someone who collects different types of pasta, this store makes it easy to purchase something new. And tomato sauce; the selection is so broad, it includes my grandmother's favorite brand "6in1" that I seldom find, except in specialty markets.

Produce at Berkeley Bowl is so special they even have multiple varieties of each fruit, and that is not limited to 3 or 4 Apples. I once counted 8 varieties of mangoes. Vegetables I have never even heard of before are abundant, but don't let me tell you, allow me to show you. I'm putting together a photo montage on the side bar of this blog. Here are just a few examples:

Pears and Apples

Cactus Pears

Mangoes

Black Apricots

McILHENNY Pepper Jelly

2010-12-15T16:41:00.000-08:00

The good folks that brought us Tabasco Sauce expanded their line of products and of those I have personally tried, including their mayonnaise, Red Hots candy, popcorn, and Cheeze-Its, admittedly, this is my favorite. There are many pepper jellies on the market, but the McIlhenny folks really know their way around a pepper and combine the perfect balance of sweet to heat in this product. It comes in both red and green. It works as a very nice condiment for cheese and the colors make it fun to use during the Christmas holidays

Leyden Cheese

2010-11-15T16:17:00.000-08:00

If you're a cheese aficionado who also craves the spicy nuttiness of cumin, this is the perfect marriage for your taste buds. A medium density and slightly salty cheese, Leyden has kept the Dutch happy for a long time. It melts well without separating, so it would be fun to work with this cheese in casseroles. With a bit of finesse it might enhance macaroni and cheese and take it to another level. I recently melted and combined it with pear chutney on a baguette for a vegetarian sandwich.

Pricey But in a Class All Its Own

2010-10-06T23:03:00.000-07:00

Yes, after tasting a true and aged Balsamic from Modena, I finally succumbed and bought a bottle. It is the ultimate taste test to understand why this product is so highly prized in culinary circles. Being thrifty by nature, I could only make the purchase by selecting the 12 year balsamic (in the white box), but in reality, I liked it better than the 25 year version that was offered for me to taste. At the time of purchase, this bottle was $74.00, but with a stronger dollar it could be 30 % less at this time. The same bottle was selling in California for about $125.00, so it was a nice savings to purchase it in Italy. True to a traditional Modena aged balsamic, this product is sweet with a syrupy mouth feel. When compared to the Kirkland 15 year balsamic, it is much heavier and richer. It is ambrosia when drizzled over a good crumbly Parmigiano.

San Leandro Farmer's Market, Worth A Trip

2010-09-24T17:09:00.000-07:00

While visiting a friend in the area, we took a look at the Farmer's Market held each Saturday in the Bayfair mall parking lot. This was smaller and very different from the similar markets in San Francisco. East Bay centric is a way of describing it and there was a true sense of community at this market.

There was one vendor selling sweet potato pies and another selling Afghani specialties, neither of which I had seen in the West Bay farmer's markets. Since this visit, the Afghani products have made their way to Alemany Farmer's Market. Another vendor was making and selling unique breads, and of course there were vendors for vegetables and fruits, but many of them were only selling one specific product.

The corn was the freshest I have ever seen in our area, just look at how fresh the corn silk looks. The vendor had trucked it in today on ice, as it was fresh picked this morning and he took pride in delivering it fresh to the consumer. I liked the way the artichoke vendor lovingly displayed her "crop" in the small oval basket, set atop and alongside boxes of more artichokes. I can almost taste the Jalapeno Cheddar bread in the photograph above and look forward to trying more bakery goods from this market.

I was short on cash and had to carefully weigh all my options. The cinnamon bread in the photo on the left made it home with me, as did the syrupy sweet corn; who could possibly resist those?

Artisan Cask

2010-08-11T22:17:00.000-07:00

Calling Scotch whiskey a food product only works if you believe alcohol is a nutritional building block. The cornerstone for many a lifestyle, it is quite a stretch to call it food, but it might be food for the soul, since it cheers us and lightens our burdens, if only for a short period of time. Not one to imbibe on a regular basis, and not one who generally likes hard liquor at all, it is no small wonder why I include this entry at all. While on a trip to Edinburgh it seemed only proper to try a few Scotch samples to see what all the fuss was about. The description of Artisan cask intrigued me when I saw the word caramel. This single malt is light and on the sweet side, but nothing like candy. It is not imported to the U.S. because of it's limited availability, so if you spot it on your travels, give it a try. Its distinctive oval shaped bottle is easy to spot.

Mi Pueblo

2010-07-24T23:08:00.000-07:00

Another East Bay gem of a super market with a character all its own. The range of groceries and produce is excellent and one could spend the better part of an hour just perusing the menu at the take-out deli or in the meat and fish market section. Every city should be blessed with a Mi Pueblo for the range of products and the reasonable prices, as well as the upbeat atmosphere.

This colorful market sets the mood as you walk in; life is a fiesta at Mi Pueblo. I don't know how I was able to walk away from the prepared foods section with its homemade tortillas and classic Mexican entrees, aromas swirling around olfactory nerves like hookah smoke surrounding the caterpillar in Alice In Wonderland, but I did manage it and went on to the cold case section. Unique could describe this visually exciting area, since dairy products share the space with the butcher shop. This 2nd photo shows Mi Pueblo's flavored yogurts. Bulk yogurts and puddings were lined up in neat rows, like soldiers in a military parade. They came in a variety of pastel shades and were decorated with tattoos of various fruits, sliced and arranged into flowers and butterflies. Small children must certainly skip to this part of the store, it is just that fanciful and delightful.

The meat counter was especially colorful with a large selection of meats that were enhanced with spice rubs and marinades. What a nice way to introduce the uninitiated to Latin cuisine. Have you ever seen so many fresh squabs at a meat and poultry counter, in a modestly priced market or even a high end market? The low price encourages me to try my hand at cooking them. The unadorned meats (sans spice rubs) looked beautifully fresh in pink and red hues, sure signs of a quick turnover in the meat department.

Even the fish was decorated with cucumber coins and orange twists, while the pickled pigs' feet had to settle for carrots and red onions. Looking at this particular counter, I knew I had to come back when I had more time, to identify more of the selection and to fully comprehend all the unusual features of this store. As I walked by the diary cases on my way to the produce section I saw lots of bulk dried beans, fruits and vegetables that were neatly displayed, but my eye kept wandering to the large wooden crate of something yellow. Like a pirate on the hunt for a treasure chest filled with gold doubloons I made my way to the box that was filled to the brim with squash blossoms. At $4.99 per pound, these were definitely a treasure.

Saving the best for last, I snapped this photo of the tortilla team working at breakneck speed to keep pace with the tortilla juggernaut. What a place!

Magnum for Lunch Bunch

2009-10-21T22:39:00.000-07:00

The one bright star in the firmament of Portuguese food options on our recent trip to Portugal was the Magnum Bar. We've seen Magnums in other European countries but the Double Caramel will for us, forever be associated with Portugal. When the bar melts slightly, the caramel becomes gooey and luscious and becomes the perfect, sweet foil for the dark chocolate.

I had grown up thinking that my Portuguese side of the family just didn't know how to cook, but it turns out that my grandmother and aunts cooked Portuguese fare perfectly by boiling the life out of all vegetables and failing to use spices for punctuation, along with overcooking any and all meats and poultry. As a result of this culinary failing, we decided to skip all lunches and simply eat a Magnum. It was the meal we looked forward to the most. When an aquaintance asked my husband what he thought of the food in Portugal, he smiled and told the man that he especially liked the lunches...it's our little joke.

Farmer Joe's

2009-09-02T22:39:00.000-07:00

The East Bay has another fine, family run market and it's name is Farmer Joe's. The name gives a nod to it's owner Joe Tam and helps in identifying itself as a place to buy farm fresh organic produce. My favorite aspect of this market is the bulk foods department where I stop from time to time for my occasional purchase. Living in San Francisco precludes me from becoming a regular customer, but if they ever decide to expand their small 2 store empire I'm all for a new location across the bay. We could use more family run operations in San Francisco.

First and foremost this store is known for it's produce department that was meticulously arranged on the times I visited the market. The variety was broad but not expansive and it was a delight to see quite a few varieties of tomatoes, beyond Roma, Beefsteak, and Cherry. That's a big plus in my opinion. The bakery aisle had old bay area favorites like Grace Baking Company and Semi Freddi so the quality was evident even with a cursory look, and the condiment section was a good size.

What attracted me the most, and what I will go back for are the bulk spices at good prices and the olive oils and balsamic vinegars at equally good prices. The variety was quite large for a store of this size and the oils came from several countries including Australia, as well as from California. I don't think I have ever seen Australian olive oils anywhere else. The best part is the fact that they sell small bottles, so you could easily buy several varietals and blends for taste comparisons. This is a great resource for anyone contemplating a "Tasting Party". Balsamic vinegars come in various fruit flavors that inspire ways to vary your salads from one meal to the next, and of course, the fruit flavors inspire the addition of dried fruits. They would make fine flavor elements in sauces for poultry too. I've included some of these balsamics in recipes for home made cranberry sauce and other fruit preserves. This section of the store is absolutely inspirational when you evaluate your options.
A broad selection does not end with the olive oils and vinegars, just look at this wall of eggs. It implys the importance of this single ingredient, so much so that I feel the need to purchase more eggs on a regular basis. A friend is always talking abut how good the fish is at Farmer Joe's and after looking at the case, I believe him. Every piece looked off-the-boat fresh and glistened like pebbles on a rocky shoreline.

http://www.farmerjoesmarket.com/

3426 Fruitvale Ave

Oakland CA 94602

(510) 482-8899

Cooleeney...Cool

2009-04-06T21:09:00.000-07:00

It is very lucky to be able to travel and see and taste what other cultures produce, but some of us don't have that luxury. KerryGold Butter and Dubliner Cheddar cheese have made a favorable impression in America and we are fortunate to be able to find them in more and more stores. They are a clear indication of the quality of Irish dairy products. I have wished for many years that we could import their milk, since it has been the very best I have ever tasted. Now after a trip to Ireland last year, I can add Cooleeney cheese to that wish list. It must be the Irish answer to brie or camembert as it is creamy, rich and unctuous, so very buttery on the tongue.

www.cooleeney.com

The Spice Shop

2009-04-06T19:27:00.000-07:00

This British culinary institution started because the woman who owns it was looking for extra income to complete grad school. Her weekend spice stall turned into an international business, the shop now sells its products all over Great Britain and Ireland and exports all over the world. This photo was taken in a small gourmet grocery store in Westport Ireland, but more about that later. Upon entering the small, postage stamp sized store in London just blocks from the Portobello Road antiques market, I was stunned at the amount and variety of spices that lined the tall shelving. With insufficient time to really shop I grabbed a few packages and made my way back to the hotel, with plans for a more thorough visit the next time I go to London. I would highly recommend a visit to the store or a purchase over the Internet.

www.thespiceshop.co.uk

1 Blenheim Crescent
London, W11,
United Kingdom
+44 20 7221 4448

San Francisco Civic Center Farmer's Market

2009-03-24T16:35:00.000-07:00

While there are many cross over vendors at all 3 of the major farmer's markets in San Francisco, Civic Center has a larger Asian presence and influence with a broader selection of Asian foods including fish and even live poultry. Some of the vendors sell very good quality produce, and some sell, what appears to my personal aesthetics to be, inferior quality produce, yet every stand has clients making purchases. I probably edit more photos at this market than at Alemany or Ferry Plaza, due to a less formal approach by the vendors in setting up their "wares", yet some are very engaged in their activity and set up their stands in such a way, I believe they are true works of art. I only wish I could take credit for the arrangement in my photo shown here.

Except for the smoked fish vendors at Ferry Plaza and Alemany Farmers' Markets, there is no other fish being sold at our outdoor markets unless you come here to Civic Center. the selection changes from week to week with some staples like tuna, prawns, smelt, and large squid. I've only seen the green lipped mussels once in 3 months.

It isn't hard to identify the catfish, but without signs, it's a guessing game for some of the fish being sold here. Admittedly, seeing the fish frozen and thawing out in the sun poses a few concerns about food safety at this stand, but it's still tempting to purchase something when the prices are better than what you'd pay at a supermarket.

If you click on the 1st photo you'll see about 20 people standing in line. The 2nd photo shows the back side of a live chicken being held by its legs so it can be shoved into a paper bag that will be stapled closed. Is this legal? Seems like animal cruelty to me, and yet there is a large market for these birds. So are these birds being adopted or will they be home slaughtered? It seems "a chicken in every pot" comes in a bag at Civic Center.

The market also has vendors selling garden plants, dairy products, mushrooms, honey, preserves, bakery goods and flowers. There are many more items that grace this market along with vendors selling prepared foods, although not as many as at the other major San Francisco markets. These photos show a bit of the diversity.

After having made a point of going to the markets for several consecutive months, there is one trend that has caught my attention and that is price increases. They fluctuate as does the freshness and quality of the produce. The $4 flats of eggs are now $5 several months later and 5# of almonds went from $12 last November to $15 last month. I inquired about that change and the vendor told me that when the product becomes more scarce at the end of the season, the prices go up. Fair enough.

Wednesdays and Sundays on Market St between 7th and 8th

I Hate To Keep Talking About Chocolate.....

2009-02-26T07:51:00.000-08:00

Yes, I'd much prefer to be eating it, but alas, my stash from our last trip is long gone and but a memory. The Swiss really do excel at making chocolate and there are many more vendors than we are exposed to here in the U.S. While it would not have been impossible to consume chocolate every day of our 1 1/2 week trip to Switzerland, I did manage to limit myself to less than 11 bars. My two favorites are shown in the photograph. While looking for a website for Suchard, it became apparent that the company may no longer exist, although the name is still being used. It was originally a Swiss company and seems to have been sold to Tobler, then got picked up by Kraft Foods and in many cases is being identified with Belgian chocolates rather than Swiss. Since it is my habit to only try regional food items on vacation I'm sure the milk chocolate bar I ate was at the very least made in Switzerland. It, like so many other milk chocolates was rich and sweet and easy to savor.

The Camille Bloch filled chocolate bar was outstanding and like no other chocolate bar I have eaten. The caramel mousse was light as a feather and not overly sweet; the sweetness was left to the chocolate enveloping it. Most certainly I will try more of this fine chocolate whenever I'm lucky enough to find it again. The website informs me that it may be as close as Quebec!

http://www.camillebloch.ch/index.php/en

Switzerland..Dairy Good

2008-12-18T18:23:00.000-08:00

It must be clear to most people who travel that Switzerland is a great country for chocolates and cheese, both utilizing milk from cows grazing on alpine pastures. I knew that going in, bit it never occurred to me that the Swiss also make phenomenal yogurt. As is evidenced by the above photo, the flavors are exotic and very imaginative. The chocolate and coconut combination is a natural, but I've never seen that at home, nor have I ever seen or tasted a citrus/exotic fruit blend like the Lychee/Pomelo blend. Both of these flavors were fresh and delicious. The Mango/Guava would please the entire southern hemisphere. Since Hirz brand is a Nestle product, one can only hope they might consider distributing it in the States. Our tastes have become more sophisticated than to settle for only Swiss Miss Cocoa, Quick, and Nestle Crunch bars, especially since we now know about Banana Split yogurt!

A New Meaning for "Hot Chocolate"

2008-11-18T17:02:00.000-08:00

Lindt, the international Swiss chocolate manufacturer is selling this semi sweet chocolate in Italy. I've tasted chocolate with chili peppers in Italy before and have liked it. That heat hitting the back of one's throat is remarkable, slightly surprising, and just enough of a kick to allow the flavors to linger in your mouth for a few seconds more. If you get a chance try one of these products, please do. I may have to try to make a hybrid version at home, since I can't seem to find this product in stores locally. At the very least I am hoping to recreate a chocolate torte with chili that I ate at Al Mascaron in Venice. The Vosges brand of chocolate that is available locally has a few bars with chili peppers included, but their heat is mild in comparison to the European chocolates. Still, no one can compete with their bacon chocolate.

Country Cheese

2008-10-29T17:09:00.000-07:00

Tucked away mid block on Hopkins St, in the middle of Berkeley's "gourmet ghetto" is a small store with an amazing collection of high quality products. Country Cheese is not just a cheese store. I stumbled upon it as I walked between Monterey Market where I purchased dirt cheap produce and Berkeley Horticultural Nursery, where I intended to adopt some tomato plants for my garden.

Cheese, teas, coffees, spices, chocolates, condiments and much more pack this small 3 aisle store. It has become a most valuable resource for finishing salts because their prices are excellent. Fume De Sel is the most expensive at $60 per pound, but who needs a pound? At $3.75 per ounce it's affordable to everyone. The Salish alder smoked salt is one of my favorites of the smoked salt group and is priced lower here than anywhere I have seen it on the Internet. At $12 per pound they are giving it away. For texture it's difficult to resist the black lava salt with it's square, concave crystals.

Besides the 3 salts listed above, they also sell Murray River pink salt from Australia, one of the most popular finishing salts of all, as well as Hawaiian Alea salt. But we can't stop at the salt... the cheese selection is commendable, but fairly small for a store that has cheese in its name. I did expect more. the selection is nice and many were perfectly ripe and ready for immediate use, a big plus in my estimation.

This small purveyor of comestibles also had a very broad range of exceptional chocolates including Vosges of the bacon/chocolate, wasabi/chocolate, pink peppercorn/lemon chocolate fame. It's worth a trip there just to see what boutique chocolates are currently on the market. One Easter, instead of a dessert, I supplied my guests with a tasting of Vosges chocolates and we all had a wonderful time guessing the ingredients.

(510) 526-1333
1578 Hopkins St

Berkeley CA 94707

If You Like Habanero Heat But Hate the Process...

2008-09-10T22:41:00.000-07:00

The first time I handled a Habanero pepper became my last time. I knew I had to be careful using it because of its excessive number of Scoville units and the potential for not only burning my eyes, but my skin as well. I gingerly washed it and then sliced the sides after cutting off the top. I dared not remove the seeds from it for fear of the damage it might do to me. Fortunately for me, I was merely infusing the Habanero flavor into vodka, so all I had to do was place it into the bottle and toss it after 30 - 45 minutes. Since I had forced the Habanero into the bottle with a chopstick I would not be able to retrieve it. After the infusion I drained the vodka from the bottle and tossed the bottle into the garbage can. Not so bad, I had thought, until disposing of another Habanero that hadn't been used. It went down the garbage disposal, and when I turned it on the entire kitchen seemed like a chemical war zone. I started coughing and my eyes burned from the fumes. I vowed never again to use a Habanero in cooking, even though I did enjoy its fruity heat.

Delight struck me as I looked at the Sciabica Olive Oil website recently and discovered that they had added a new flavor to their fine line of extra virgin olive oils. It was Habanero! On my very next trip to Ferry Plaza I bought a small bottle and tried it as soon as I returned home. Knowing that the heat would be too strong for me, I cut it with an unflavored olive oil and it was perfect. The heat will sneak up on you and catch you in the back of the throat much more intensely than a fine Tuscan olive oil, but it is wonderful. If you like intense heat drizzle this straight onto your food, but if you're a tenderfoot (or mouth) then tame the heat with a 5 to 1 ratio of unflavored olive oil. What a great way to avoid using a fresh pepper, but still getting the fresh flavor and heat.

http://www.sciabica.com/magento/

Alemany, the Grandfather of SF Farmers' Markets

2008-08-11T13:31:00.000-07:00

Not knowing the exact history of this market, its year of origin is unknown to me, but my grandparents bought produce here in at least the late 1950's. It predates all other open air markets in the city in recent memory. After visiting many of the other markets, I can say with certainty that Alemany is one of the largest and one of the best. Prices are lower than Ferry Plaza because vendors who trade at both places have admitted to saving their best quality produce for the rarefied atmosphere of FPFM. The quality of the produce here is generally better than that being sold at Civic Center, but it varies from vendor to vendor, so this assessment can turn on a dime, or the date when visiting the markets. All in all, the produce at Alemany is plentiful and reasonably priced.

The selection of fruits and vegetables is broad and items other than fresh produce are also in great supply. For example, there are extra virgin olive oils from 2 and sometimes 3 vendors, honey, beeswax candles; duck, chicken and quail eggs, handmade soaps, bakery goods; Indian and Afghani condiments, spreads and flat breads; and vendors selling prepared foods. In Spring you may also find a vendor selling seedlings for your own home grown produce.

Exotic fruits like cherimoya can be found and although they are not grown locally, it's nice to have someone willing to drive them up from Southern California. Ordinary fruits like Granny Smith apples, citrus, grapes, peaches, plums and berries are carried in season, but some have been put in cold storage too, such as the grapes I saw in January. It's a good idea to ask if you want truly seasonal produce.

I've also seen Fava Beans in January, but discovered that they had been grown locally in a greenhouse. Most other vegetables are truly seasonal and ethnically diverse from Asian eggplants, mustard greens and melons to Italian specialties like cardoons, artichokes, and flat leaf parsley

As is evidenced by the photographs, this is a very colorful market and it is impossible for me to shop there without my camera. The lower right photo is of the most colorful walnuts I have ever seen. The skins of this nutmeat are reddish burgundy and the flavor is classic walnut. They are on the top of my grocery list when they appear again at Alemany Farmers' Market. Nash's Olive Oils set up the next photo for me. Besides the oils, they also sell cured olives by the pint and have agreed to sell me raw olives in November, so that I might try my hand at salt curing them. You meet the nicest people at the markets.

100 Alemany Blvd
San Francisco CA 94110-6221
Phone: (415) 647-9423

Balsamic Mid-Priced Powerhouse

2008-07-10T17:50:00.000-07:00

Liking balsamic vinegar and wanting the best puts me on a path to try many brands, both local and international. Bariani makes one of my favorite olive oils, but until recently I resisted their vinegar. Since one of the sons mans a stand at Ferry Plaza each Saturday, I finally asked for more information about it. It is not the imported vinegar that one might assume, but a vinegar they bottle themselves. Ah ha, but traditional balsamic is made from Trebbiano grapes.

Obviously they thought of that, and their product is made from Trebbiano grapes, but they have customized it by also using Zinfandel grapes to make their proprietary blend. Delicious! It has a higher acidity than most moderately priced, imported Balsamic vinegars, but it is also sweeter than the imports, with a heavier mouth feel and a more robust taste. At $11 per 500ml, it's a good value. I believe a reduction made with this vinegar may result in a close mimic of a very expensive "traditional" Balsamic. Thank you, famiglia Bariani, for leaving Lombardy to settle in California.

http://www.barianioliveoil.com/

Speaking of European Products...

2008-06-09T22:32:00.000-07:00

Every time when visiting a new country, I beeline to an outdoor market or grocery store to get a feel for what products the locals are consuming. Most often they are using things you might find in an American market, only the products are produced locally. Case in point, Santa fruit juices produced in Italy. On a recent trip to Italy I photographed Santa juices because they are one of my favorites in the world. These commercially produced juices are made with 40% juice as compared to our 10-15%. What a difference the higher percentage of juice makes in the intensity of taste, and as a side benefit less sugar is required to make it. I bought some of the albicoca in Venice and it was delicious on its own, but made a fine addition to the Prosecco our hotelier comped us on the day my husband rejoined me after a hiking trip in Switzerland. I only wish I could buy this locally.

Another Favorite Italian Drink

2008-06-09T22:25:00.000-07:00

When I was a child sitting at my grandparents' dining table, I would often wonder why my grandfather was adding water to his wine. He would often offer each grandchild a small glass of water laced with red wine, to drink along with their dinner, but we recognized that pure wine was for the adults. So why did he add water to his glass? If the question was ever put to him, he most likely would have responded that he liked it that way and that would have been answer enough for a child.

On my first trip to Italy, I discovered Lambrusco in Rome. I loved it as much as any American teenager would love Ripple (even though I was of legal drinking age), a fruity, sweet, red wine with a big plus, it fizzed! But I made no connection with that and my grandfather's preference. Then a few years ago I tasted Gutternio, a wine from Emilia Romagna that was a robust, dry, frizzante (sparkling), red wine. Bingo!!! Everything fell into place as I remembered that the water Papa had used was a sparkling water. He most certainly was trying to mimic an Italian wine that was not imported into the U.S. This wine is the one that I look for when dining in Italy, since it is still not available locally. Prior to all the hoopla about carrying liquids on planes, I used to carry back a few bottles in my purse.

No Shortage on Chocolates in the British Isles

2008-06-09T21:55:00.000-07:00

Butler's has to be the best chocolate in Ireland. After our visit in May, I have been rationing out the few pieces of it that managed to make it back home with me. The idea of using some for small gifts didn't even occur to me once we left the Emerald Isle and my ease of purchasing it was over. The few milk chocolate bars I tried were luscious and silky on the tongue, some had caramel or ganache as fillings, but the best by far for me was this, the white chocolate and raspberry.

It compared favorably with the organic fair trade chocolates that are being marketed by the Marks and Spencer Food Halls all over Great Britain and Ireland. Of the two M&S flavors tasted, I thought the rose infused one was exotic and flavorful, but as a novelty taste, not a classic chocolate. The milk chocolate was distinct from most other good quality chocolates and excellent in flavor. You can bet I will purchase that one again, when I get the chance.

Magnani in Berkeley

2008-04-29T16:04:00.000-07:00

This butcher shop delicatessen is not packed to the rafters with products, but is worth a mention for the quality of its poultry, including fresh Muscovy duck and rabbit as well as some red meat, and its selection of olive oils and flavored Balsamic vinegars. It's really the vinegars that attract me to this small Berkeley, Gourmet Ghetto neighborhood shop. If fig, black currant, or pomegranate suit your taste, buy their empty bottles, fill them up and expand your Balsamic horizons. You can bring the bottle back for a refill another time, or two.

1576 Hopkins St
Berkeley CA 94707
Phone: (510) 528-6370

Salt of the Earth...

2008-03-25T17:28:00.000-07:00

While some would disagree, the texture of various salts seems more important than the actual taste. Some salts have more minerals or a higher degree of salinity, but unless they are flavored, they're pretty much the same...salty. Ah, but that's the rub, many salts are flavored and what a difference that makes, especially among the smoked salts.

Salish, the alder smoked salt of the Pacific Northwest is intense and I like its grayish brown color and small gravel like granules. Halen Mon, the Welsh oak smoked salt has a lighter smokiness with flat crystal flakes and a pale gray color. Having purchased a generic black smoked salt with fine textured crystals, I admit to that being the smokiest of them all. Even in a double bag, its aroma wafted through the kitchen for months, although it was tucked in the back of a utensil drawer, so it wouldn't affect other items like herbs and spices that would normally be stored with salt. When asked what was in it, all I could come up with was salt and carbon. I have never seen it again and I believe that is for the best, considering the description. I recently purchased a hickory flavored salt, but have yet to taste it.

Of the flavored salts I have purchased, Halen Mon Vanilla flavored flakes seems the most exotic, or perhaps an Italian truffle salt, or an hibiscus salt. But I haven't yet tried the latter two or a red pepper infused salt. Some flavored salts really fall flat, as did a sage salt and lemon salt I recently acquired. The ideas were better than the products, so a little experimentation with those combinations might be in order. I've already made my own lavender and rosemary salts with some success.

Pink salts have the most obvious mineral inclusions of iron, creating lovely coloring from the deep rust of Hawaiian Red or Alea salt to the soft pink of Real or Himalayan salt. To my palate, Real salt has the highest salinity level, and I usually refer to it as "salty salt" and reserve it for use on popcorn.

When it comes to textured salts, Murray River salt from Australia is my go to salt. I love the pink color and the flakes are just the perfect size, so as not to accidentally over salt something. Maldon salt from England comes in a strong second with light flakes of a modest size; again very easy to use without the danger of over salting foods.

Costco Italian Imports

2008-03-18T17:30:00.000-07:00

Considering Costco is a "big box" store and is able to negotiate good prices by volume purchasing, I'm entirely surprised and delighted at the quality of its Italian imported balsamic and olive oil. I really believe it is passing along the good deal to its customers.

For very fair prices, they sell the best balsamic I have yet tried outside of Italy, and it has been aged for 15 years, not the typical 5 or occasional 10 years that are readily available in the US. Even compared to the equally inexpensive Trader Joe's 10 year balsamic, Costco has the superior product.

The olio nuovo is just what you might expect from a new Tuscan olive oil, grassy with a spicy finish. It's a steal at just under $12. Be sure to look for it this coming winter.

Monterey Market in Berkeley

2008-03-09T23:23:00.000-07:00

If unkempt store appearance or cosmetic flaws on produce are of upmost importance for you to avoid, this is not the market for you. I can understand the chaotic appearance of the store based on the shear volume of business being done at this Berkeley institution, but cleanliness is another matter. The floors on my last visit were sticky, heaven only knows what they had mopped up, and there was a need to crop out the edges of the refrigerated cases in the following photos, to avoid showing how dirty they were. That being said, I can deal with it; we have to wash everything anyway. Why? Because the prices are dirt cheap, excuse the pun, and they are an incredible resource for unusual products.

Case in point, the Bergamont sour oranges and Seville oranges pictured above. I have never seen these oranges for sale San Francisco. The Bergamont oranges were 79 cents per pound, and make the best marmalade with their classic "Earl Gray" aroma. The Seville oranges were also that same low price and are the classic marmalade orange. Navel oranges, the size of baseballs, could be had for 29 cents per pound. Granted, I had to forage through boxes of all three to find pieces of fruit in mint condition, but it was an adventure.

Their selections of fruits and vegetables are broader than most stores twice their size and I repeat, the prices are cheap by any standard. Click on a photo to enlarge it to better see the price. Monterey Market also has a fine selection of olive oils, vinegars, fresh mushrooms and condiments for a variety of ethnic recipes. The wine and bakery sections do not disappoint either.

http://www.montereymarket.com/

1550 Hopkins St
Berkeley CA 94707
510-526-6042
9:00 AM - 7:00 PM Monday - Friday
8:30 AM - 6:00 PM Saturday
Closed - Sunday

Say Cheese...

2008-03-09T07:03:00.000-07:00

Every time I enter The Milk Pail Market I feel like I'm transported to a rural countryside open air market. Boxes and boxes of fruit and vegetables are stacked as high as they can be to still allow customers to reach the contents, creating small lanes to traverse with their very narrow shopping carts. Bright colored umbrellas shade the produce and customers, cocooning them into an exotic atmosphere. But that is not the primary reason one travels out of San Francisco and halfway down the peninsula to shop....it's the cheese.

Four very long refrigerated cases hold the best selection of imported cheeses I have ever seen. For over 8 months I checked out all my local stores for Cabot Horseradish Cheddar, a cheese I love to use in grilled sandwiches. Milk Pail had it along with a chive horseradish Havarti I intend to try. They carry Italian, Dutch, English, Irish, Swiss, Swedish and Canadian cheeses and many other imports, but their French cheese list is the jewel in this crown. They sell more French cheese than any other store in this country and the turnover is at lightening speed. Best of all, most of it is ready to eat and fully ripe.

I can't even consider having a party without going to this cheese Mecca.The small green refrigerated case pictured above is their holiest of holys...the sale case! On this last trip it was loaded with English Stilton, chevre, Blue D'Auvergne, Roquefort, Norwegian Jarlsberg and smoked Rambol to name but a few, all for $1.99 - $5.99 per pound; absolutely rock bottom prices.

That's not all; their bread, roll, and cracker department is fully stocked and their condiment section is excellent. I buy all my chocolate and extracts for baking here too, since the Guittard is $3.09 per pound and the extracts are $3.45 - $3.99 per bottle. A supermarket extract could easily cost the same at 1/3 the size.

Recently, I've noticed their nuts which also are sold at a lower price than most stores would have. Milk Pail also carries a good selection of pates and other meat products like smoked duck breast and duck salami, that would appeal to the francophile in most of us.

An honorable mention should go to their butter case. Again, there imported selection is broad and includes one of my favorite butters, Delitia made from milk produced in the Parma area of Italy. French yogurts can also be found here. Oh, those beautiful yellow onions pictured at the top of this post... 20 cents per pound.

http://www.milkpail.com/

2585 California St
Mountain View CA 94040
[map + hours]
Phone 650.941.2505
Fax 650.941.2103

Citarella

2008-02-25T07:47:00.000-08:00

Although I did not photograph this gourmet grocery, it is worth mentioning this small chain of upscale grocery stores. Locations are in The Village, West Side, East Side, Harlem, and the Hamptons.

Walking into their Upper West Side store on Broadway, immediately after my visit to Zabar's, I started finding some of the same selection of products. The bargain hunter in me started price comparing. I made a purchase of fruit vinegars I had been eying at Zabar's that Citarella had priced for $1 less.

First impressions are best and this was a great fish market, and butcher shop, stocking prime grade meats. Everything was displayed on ice and the store was immaculate. Though not particularly large or packed to the rafters, the imported condiment selection was made up of quality products, and the presentation of all their products was very appealing.

Check their website for addresses and opening hours:
http://www.citarella.com/

Mascarpone

2008-02-24T22:35:00.000-08:00

What's not to like? Tastes like butter, but much fewer calories; creamy and smooth; a major componant of Tiramisu. For "all of the above" reasons I love this cheese. Even though each manufacturer has a slightly different spin on their product, it all tastes good to me.

Besides mixing it with other cheeses for "spreads", adding it to mashed potatoes has been a very satisfying use for me, in an effort to maintain a buttery flavor without using as much pure fat in the recipe. I also love it sandwiched between 2 amaretti cookies for a quick, no fuss dessert. Not traditional by any means, but Italian all the way.

Smoked Paprika

2008-02-24T16:45:00.000-08:00

Another favorite flavor enhancer of mine is Chiquilin Smoked Paprika. It is smokey and rich, but has no heat. I first picked up a can because I was looking for a way to "cut" chipotle powder, to maintain the smokiness, but reduce the heat. This was the perfect answer for my needs. There are other brands of smoked paprika available in the Bay Area, but so far, this is the exact smoke flavor I'm looking for.

This spice is perfect to use when stove top grilling indoors. Using it in a marinade for meats or poultry will give them an outdoor barbecue taste. It's so good on its own, sometimes chipotle powder is forgotten altogether. It typically sells for $1.39 - $2.29 in markets.

Sciabica Jalapeno Olive Oil

2008-02-24T15:59:00.001-08:00

Anyone within earshot of the kitchen has heard me sing the praises of this condiment. It enhances the natural flavors of vegetables, amplifying their flavor without calling attention to itself. The best descriptive adjectives for this liquid "miracle in a bottle" are the words bright and fresh. Sciabica, a local family owned and operated olive oil producer, has blended jalapeno peppers into a flavor enhancing condiment that positively illuminates the taste of green vegetables in particular. I recommend it especially on broccoli, spinach, broccoli rabe, and swiss chard.

The olive oil used in this product is decidedly buttery in flavor. Although we normally associate heat with jalapenos, this application exhibts more spice than heat. If you want your vegetables to pack a wallop when it comes to flavor, this just may be the help you need. Drizzle is the operative word when using it. Steam, saute, or roast your vegetable, drizzle on the oil and add salt; it's as simple as that. The complexity of Sciabica Jalapeno Olive Oil makes a simply prepared vegetable seem like much more than a side dish.

It can be purchased at the Ferry Plaza Market on Saturdays, or through the Sciabica website.

http://www.sciabica.com/magento/

Porsche Designed Chroma 301 Knives

2008-02-24T15:49:00.001-08:00

Every time someone asks about knives I have to suggest the Porsche designed Chroma Cutlery knives from Japan. I received one as a gift and ended up buying the entire set over time. It has the best ergonomic fit for my hand and the right weight. The blade sharpness has lasted longer than either my Sabatier or Henckles knives.

Besides ergonomics and weight, these are the easiest knives to wash and keep bacteria free, because there is no seam between the blade and the handle for bacteria to gather. I no longer have to worry about the handle becoming loose, or in the case of wooden handles, no worries about water logging the wood.

I have watched countless chefs on television chop food and most have that tell-tale "ringing" sound that comes with practice and good technique. After trying a Chroma for the first time, I finally heard my own knife "sing" on the cutting board, realizing that technique may be easily achievable with the proper equipment. I think the company explains the benefit of a Chroma 301 better than I, so please check out their website.

I have never seen these knives sold locally in San Francisco, except at the shop across the street from the California Culinary Academy, where they were higher in price than offers on the Internet.

http://www.chroma-cutlery.com/type301.php

"Ladies and Gentlemen, Zabar's has....."

2008-02-16T17:22:00.000-08:00

Zabar's! If you ever wondered why you like to shop for food, look no further. Just walking into that store reminds one how remarkable each and every morsel can be. The selection is gargantuan. How can an A list store start with the letter Z?

There were 2 aisles exclusively for cheese. Soft cheeses, hard cheeses, made from cow milk, sheep milk, and goat milk. If they had yak milk cheese I would not have been surprised. Besides prepackaged products, they also have a deli counter where you may select cheese cut to order and taste samples.

The butter diversity was no less spectacular and these photos are only the tip of the iceberg. The selection was international, from Europe (Kerrygold from Ireland) to South America and back to the USA with one of my favorite butters made by Vermont Butter & Cheese Company included. Every 5 minutes or so an employee got on the public address system to announce a new tasting somewhere in the store. "Ladies and gentlemen, it's truffle season at Zabar's. Walk to the back of the bread department for samples of truffle products from Umbria Itly." Yes, it was pronounced "it lee".

Well, how could one resist, I walked to the back and bought the Umbrian truffle oils after an in depth discussion with the vendor. I also purchased the first bottle of saba, concentrated grape must, I have found on this side of the Atlantic. Yes, my curiosity got the better of me and I also bought chocolates, one with bacon that tasted decidedly smokey and salty and utterly delicious, one with oil of bergamont, also a taste treat. Chocolates? They had different selections at the ends of each cash register aisle, again from all over the world. The photo shows only one of the brands with 7 flavors from which to choose. I would have taken more photos but didn't want to overdo it.

They were hawking a book on food sources and restaurants in NYC and offered a deeply discounted price, if customers arrived at the deli section before the author left. With 10 minutes left, the race was on. Sure enough, the book was autographed and paid for with a 45% discount.

How does one manage to miss photographing the largest deli case in the store? The truth is, there were so many people ordering food, it was almost impossible to see. Besides I was on the public address orchestrated merry-go-round, whirling my way across the store. "Ladies and gentlemen, Zabar's has a tasting of French imported olive tepanade made with green olives, capers....". The photograph above shows the Italian salami only, there were at least 2 more cases like this one outside of the main deli section. A bakery rounds out the selections on the ground floor, along with floor to ceiling shelves of condiments and preserves, some with the Zabar label.

There were also cases of oils and flavored vinegars from all over the world. I passed the tea and coffee sections briskly, while on the merry-go-round. Next I toured the upstairs to see every kind of kitchen equipment imaginable. Couldn't help but wonder how frustrated the regular customers must be to see all that and have no counter space!

http://www.zabars.com/

80th and Broadway on the Upper Weside NYC

M-F 8AM-7:30PM

Saturday 8AM-8PM Mezzanine closing at 7:30PM

Sunday 9AM-6PM

Di Palo's in Little Italy NYC

2008-02-16T17:19:00.000-08:00

Located at 206 Grand Street in NYC's Little Italy you'll find a wonderful Italian delicatessen with a wide array of cheeses, cold cuts and condiments to please any palate. Getting into the store is a challenge as it is usually packed with customers. That's a good indicator as to the quality, but inconvenient for thoroughly scouring the shelves of offerings unless you are adept at people moving.

Do not pass go, do not collect $200 until you pick up a number at the end of the deli counter closest to the door.

Di Palo's is noted for making fresh ricotta and mozzarella for their store. As you can see by the front window, cheese reigns supreme at Di Palo's, but don't count out the imported Italian salumi, as that is also an important offering at this Little Italy institution. As small as Little Italy is becoming, it will still have presence as long as Di Palo remains in business.

The selection of imported goods is remarkable considering the small size of the store. I have found items at this store that are not frequently seen elsewhere. Among them are Star brand porcini bouillon , plain and flavored vincotto and a broad selection of vinegars. Most stores are getting hip to providing a selection of olive oils, but very few think beyond basic red wine vinegar and mass produced balsamic. I should mention that the vincotto prices are the best I've seen on both coasts and the bouillon was almost half the price I saw at another Italian specialty store in NYC.

The store also has a broad selection of canned tuna, olives, tepanades, sauces and other basics you would expect in this type store. No trip to NYC would be complete without visiting DiPalo's.

(212) 226-1033
200 Grand St at Mott St
New York, NY

Corti Brothers Market In Sacramento

2008-02-16T17:15:00.001-08:00

If a picture is truly worth a thousand words, this review will be too long to read. While the store is not visually sumptuous, everything they stock seems to be and I couldn't stop recording it all with my camera. Since it was appropriate to ask for permission to take the photographs, I was able to meet Mr. Daryl Corti and have to admit that his own quote is the perfect description of the store and it's philosophy, "We don't have everything that is good, but everything we have is good." Oh, better than good, Mr. Corti, much, much better!

Originally, Corti Brothers was going to be a quick stop for guanciale, during a visit to Sacramento. Having read through their somewhat disappointing website, I knew that they stocked it and a few other things of interest including olives and an exclusive, store brand of extra virgin olive oil. That was enough of a reason to go, and the last of my disappointments with this fine market. Besides guanciale, they also stock domestic prosciutto "ends" that have always been appealing to me, for use in thicker proportions than slices can provide. I have seldom, if ever, seen them for sale.

My foodie heart skipped a beat when I saw Halen Mon, Maldon, and Fleur de Sel all sitting side by side in the spice aisle. Then my eye wandered and found Murray River salt, in two sizes, mind you, along with some Italian, Hawaiian, and Japanese salts. This store must be Mecca for any person appreciating a great diversity of finishing salts. Even at this distance from San Francisco, a trip for salt alone would be worth the time and travel expense. I don't know of a single store in the city that carries even two of these. Heck, I ordered from the source for Halen Mon because it was difficult to find, and with shipping charges paid just about the same as it was priced here. It wasn't until I edited the photos that I discovered the spice aisle was full of Penzy's spices.

A wide variety of Italian imports and pantry staples were hard to miss. Several brands of panforte were available, along with pannetone, ceci (garbanzo) and semolina flours, pine nuts, polenta, and ceci beans. the selection of imported pasta was large enough to fill an entire aisle.

But don't think this market is exclusively stocked with Italian items. it has everything you can imagine, soup to nuts. Speaking of soup, Campbell's sells in every super market in every city, but when was the last time you saw a can of Scotch Broth, Pepper Pot, or Bean and Bacon?

Most specialty stores don't even sell Burrata cheese, but Corti Brothers has two brands to choose from (click on the photo to enlarge for prices, a pleasant surprise awaits). When have you ever seen a can of Haggis in an American market? I don't even remember seeing it in Scotland! And there is even a vegetarian version.

.....
The first two photos above show just a small sample of the vinegars and wines available at the market. Oil in the etched bottle is from Sciabica Olive Oil company and I have never seen them sell it themselves at Ferry Plaza Market. It's made entirely of Arbequino olives, usually associated with Spanish olive oil. The store brand is pictured in the next photo, and is made and bottled by Sciabica. They were the same variety of olive but pressed at a different time of the year. A taste test will be absolutely necessary, to once and for all put to rest the idea that fall crushings taste better,or to confirm the fact. Either way, it's bound to be fun and educational.

Another wonderful thing about this market is their deli counter, bustling with activity all day long. Next visit should yield an entry about that alone, but there was no time to spend on it this first trip.

When asking the employee stocking wine if they had any dry, sparkling, Italian red wines, he suggested Lambrusco. Never having had a dry Lambrusco, I was surprised and told him I thought that might sweeter than I wanted. He pointed to the 3 of 7 Lambruschi that were dry, not sweet....and we were not even standing in the Italian wine section. Their wine section deserves some further exploration.

If spirits are your downfall, this is the place to pick up a Lost Weekend's worth. I have never seen so many brands of Scotch sitting in one place outside of Scotland, other than the Whiskey Store in San Francisco, one of only three such stores in the United States. They also stock more bitters than I have ever seen in one place. French aperitifs anyone?

http://www.cortibros.biz/

(916) 736-3800

5810 Folsom Bl at 58th St

Sacramento CA

Chef's Warehouse in South San Francisco

2008-02-16T17:11:00.000-08:00

Chef's Warehouse at 447 Canal St in South San Francisco is the retail arm of BIA Cordon Bleu, a porcelain company that sells in many retail stores and outlets. Their quality is excellent and you can find bakeware of almost any size and shape. But that's not all; the store also sells cookware and kitchenware from many other vendors such as All Clad, Le Creuset, Peugeot, Cuisinart, Zylis, Oxo, Lodge and Kitchen Aid to name but a few.

Many seasonal or specialty ceramics go on sale from 40% - 60% off regular retail prices. Each time I shop here, the selection has changed a bit and more items have been moved to the 60% off table as the numbers decrease and fewer pieces of a particular color or pattern are available.

Some of my best bargains have been culled from that sale table. For example the small rimmed soup bowl pictured in red was $1.29 after the discount was applied. It came in red or cobalt blue and there were matching salad plates. All worked well with a solid white dinner plates, also available in the store at normal discounted prices.

This bakeware was all located on the 40% off table and the prices so good, it would have been smart to pick up sets as gifts. Available colors at the time were aqua, pictured above, brown, curry, mint green, yellow, and pink. I suspect that colors will be changing seasonally as fall colors were coming in on my last visit .

Besides selling individual specialty ceramics, they also sell dish sets. But not as you might imagine. You can pick the particular salad plate or soup bowl to match the dinner plate which may be round or square, so mixing and matching allows for a unique set for each individual taste. The dishes pictured above came in patterned and plain forms, round and square in both black and white.

Chef's Warehouse also carries Stonewall Kitchen pantry products at about 20% less than other retailers. They have included small selections of cookbooks, dishtowels, oven mitts, silpat, and a broad range of baking supplies.

http://www.biaoutlet.com/

447 South Canal Street

South San Francisco CA 94080

(650) 553-4155

Open Tuesday thru Saturday 9am to 5pm

Buon Italia in Chelsea Market NYC

2008-02-16T16:42:00.001-08:00

Chelsea Market is hiding more than a few treasures and Buon Italia is one of them. This Italian deli looks more like a warehouse of imported goods. Crates and boxes of items, from olive oils and vinegars to pasta and grains, fill all possible floor space not covered by refrigerated cases and shelves. What a treasure trove of items for the Italophile in all of us.

What do you need? They have it: Anchovie flavored oil, Bottarga, Capers, Dolci, Extra virgin olive oils, Fettucine, Gorgonzola, H (sorry no h's j's or k's in Italian,but you get the idea here), Macaroni, Olives, Porcini mushrooms, Romano cheese, Salumi, Truffle oils and pastes, Umbrian olive oils, Vinegars... For those of us not fortunate enough to find fresh porcini mushrooms, they provide both dried and frozen forms at moderate prices for the American market. Their dried form of porcini is light colored, indicating freshness.

As you can see in the above photos, they do not lack selection in the deli case, nor with legumes and grains. Did you notice the quail eggs? In the back of the store there are more deli and fresh meats with butchers to help you get just the right cut. The front of the store has a deli counter where you may order sandwiches and other items to go.

Condiments are my personal benchmark for comparing a good grocer to a great grocer, when it comes to the imported inventory. Buon Italia does not fall short on quality condiments or pastas for that matter. I was thinking the pasta prices around $5.50 were not such a bargain until I noticed that the packages were 1 oz. short of 2 lbs. each. Setaro brand from Napoli is now going to be on my short list for excellent dry pasta. And I have Buon Italia to thank for bringing it to my attention.

http://www.buonitalia.com/

Chelsea Market
(212)633-9090

Take Me to the Casbah

2008-01-16T17:05:00.000-08:00

If you can't make it to a bazzar in Istanbul, or Tangiers try walking into Kalustyan's in New York City. You get the same feeling of wandering along narrow thoroughfares (aisles in this case) and knowing you are not in Kansas anymore. One step inside and you have left the city for the Middle East, sans an airline ticket and passport. Aisle after aisle is packed floor to ceiling with spices, flours, grains, and condiments. Every color of dal imaginable, every dried legume you ever knew about and several others you hadn't heard of, chestnut, rye, garbanzo, amaranth flours, they're all there just waiting to inspire your culinary imagination.

Having little time and being overwhelmed by the selections, I only picked up 2 items, and vowed to come back to buy more; the longest journeys start with a few steps.

http://www.kalustyans.com/

Located at 123 Lexington Ave
New York NY 10016
(212) 683-8458