Of all the gifts I’ve been given in this life, mixology is decidedly not among them. I have more love and appreciation for a well crafted, balanced cocktail than the average adult, but I am absolutely unable to recreate or riff on one at home. My cocktailing skills stop right around what it takes to create a decent old fashioned; even a Sazerac eludes me. For me, simplicity is key. I want to make things that would result with me on the floor in a puddle of tears. Three ingredients are my limit, and sometimes that even includes the garnish.

So I get invited to a ‘Gal’-entines brunch and am requested to provide the cocktail. I oblige, of course, but do so with panic in my heart and fear in my eyes. I refer to my three ingredient rule and got right to brainstorming. The three ingredients had to fun, festive, and above all, delicious. I wandered the downtown market for inspiration and found it nestled into our bitters & bar section – rose water. This is the stuff Valentine’s parties were made to have. Floral, sweet, fun, it was all I needed. Fast forward about an hour and I’m home with a small assortment of sodas, spirits, and wines. Of the five concoctions I tried, Prosecco came out on top. Funny thing is, it was the most simple creation and ended up being the best. You won’t hear any complaints from me, I can put out a dozen of these in less than five minutes. My gals will enjoy as much as I will, no tears in sight.

PS – If you’d like to make things a little more boozy, try adding an additional half ounce gin (I prefer something floral like Hendricks or The Botanist), or add a fruit liqueur like Chambord or Crème de Cassis.

Rose Fizz
Serves 6

• 750 ml Prosecco (or other sparkling wine)
• 6 ounces rose water
• 6 ounces gin or berry liqueur
• Raspberries, dried flowers, or other berries for garnish

In six coup glasses, add one tablespoon each gin and rose water to the bottom of each glass. Top with Prosecco and garnish with fruit, flowers, or plain ol’ love.

Like all social media these days, food blogging is a flurry of gorgeous, drool-worthy photos and the most precise instructions. Things appear perfect from the onset and the string of photos prove that each blogger is the Mary Poppins of their own kitchen kingdoms. I am no such Mary Poppins. Rather, I’m practically imperfect in every way. My recipes often fail before I find success, and I can’t help but relate to the rest of life.

For me, recipes are like relationships. Some take a long time to develop and stay with you forever. Some last a season and a forgotten by next spring. A few might be dreadful from the start, but we press on anyways, only to abandon it forever in a fit of rage and tears. But we all keep trying, testing, and tasting. The promise of a future success is enough to will us forward, knife in hand. This little fennel tatin took more work that I’d anticipated, but in the end, I made something I loved.

I’ve been wanting to create a fennel tarte tatin of my own for a few weeks by the time I’d set out on my first voyage, so I thought I’d have a pretty fool-proof first go of it. Wrong. So, so wrong. I’d burned the fennel to a miserable crisp in an effort to bake my pate brisee to golden perfection. I’d also thrown in a few generous spoonfuls of chevre on top of the fennel before capping my pan with pastry, and even that was dismal, at best. After a week of coming to terms with my sad first attempt and a lovely, quick discussion of cheese choices with our affineuse, Antonia, I was back on track and ready to try again. A handful of edits and substitutions later, I’d made something worth sharing. I’d gathered wisdom from the recipes of friends and experts (in this case, my friend- and expert- Vanessa, and other expert, Yotam Ottolenghi). Blanched fennel bulbs, buttered caramel, and puff pastry made it possible, and Antonia added the final touch with Nocetto di Capra.

It may have taken a village, but this is one I’m glad I saw through to the end. Share this with your real-life loved ones morning or night, they’ll be glad you saw this tarte to the end, too.

Fennel Tarte Tatin with Nocetto di Capra
Serves 4-6

• 4 medium fennel bulbs, base and stalks trimmed
• Kosher salt
• 3 tablespoons butter
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 8 ounces Nocetto di Capra cheese*
• 1 sheet (at least 10 oz) puff pastry

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees and bring a large pan of water to a boil. Season the water with salt, add whole fennel bulbs, and return to a boil. Cook for five minutes, then drain. Cut each bulb in half lengthwise, and each half into 4 wedges, similar to apples.

Add butter to a 10-in cast iron pan and warm to medium high heat. Once butter is melted, sprinkle the sugar evenly over the base. Arrange fennel wedges in a fancy (or un-fancy) manner in the pan. Leave to bubble away until the juices thicken and begin to turn to a deep brown caramel.

While the fennel is caramelizing, cut Nocetto into slices, you should have about 8, and roll out puff pastry to about 1/4 inch thick. Cut out a circle of pastry just larger than the pan and set aside.

Once the fennel juices are caramelized, lay the slices of Nocetto over the wedges and lay the puff pastry over the cheese and fennel. Tucks the edges into the pan and pierce the pastry with a fork a few times. Bake for 30 minutes more or until the pastry is golden brown. Remove from the oven, and carefully invert the tart on to a clean plate. I find it easiest top the pan with the plate and hold them together with a kitchen towel while inverting. Serve warm. If reserving for another day, allow to cool on the counter for 20 minutes before refrigerating. To reheat, warm in a 300 degree oven for 5 minutes.

*If Nocetto is unavailable, substitute another bloomy rind cheese like brie, Harbison, or Casatica di Bufala

Tis the season for indulging in sweet treats. That’s how it goes, right? Well, it is now. Mix up something familiar and fun with a warm and local spin. Caramel apples aren’t just for fall, anymore. We’re taking the apple cider back to its roots and mixing in a locally made, honey caramel based sauce for a treat worthy of Santa’s discerning palate.

The caramel sauce used to mix into the cider can be saved for up to two weeks and drizzled over breakfast pastries, cakes, and stirred into any other hot drink you might be mixing up. Consider making more than you might need for the morning after’s french toast.

Caramel Apple Cider
Serves 4

• 1 quart apple cider
• 8 Bee’s Brothers honey caramels
• 3 tablespoons heavy cream
• Salt
• Cinnamon stick, for garnish (optional)

Heat cider in a saucepan over medium heat to a simmer, keep warm.

In a separate saucepan, combine honey caramels and cream over medium-low heat, whisking constantly. remove to a bowl or jar when mixture just comes together (we’re not looking to cook the caramel any further), and season with salt.

Stir cider and a tablespoon or two of the caramel sauce together in a mug and serve with plain or with a cinnamon stock garnish. Keep any remaining caramel refrigerated for up to two weeks.

So, the gifts are almost all wrapped, the tree is already coming apart thanks to your four-legged family members, you’ve threatened Santa’s visitation rights to your kids more than you care to admit, AND WHERE IS THE SNOW? You deserve a break, a sweet indulgence of sorts, and a drink. Let’s combine all of those into one lovely, warm cocktail to soothe your soul and melt away the stress.

If you’re not yet familiar with Waterpocket Distillery, consider this your introduction. One of Utah’s newest distilleries is raising the bar with centuries old traditional liqueurs, unique spirits, and a fresh face. We’re using their Notom Amaro here, you can find it at liquor stores around town or by visiting the distillery for their entire line. This is a great way to introduce amaro to your home bar, but also try this with a ice cube, neat, or stirred into your next cocktail. (Wanna know more? Come to the class we’re hosting them at here!)

My take here on the classic hot toddy replaces whiskey with Waterpocket’s Notom Amaro and we’re swapping out the usual sweeter honey for deep, savory, and slightly bitter chestnut honey. I’m also omitting lemon juice as I find it a bit overpowering for the amaro, but feel free to take control of your toddy as you see fit. The combination of Amaro and chestnut is herbaceous, complex, and lovely stirred with hot water. Try your favorite honeys, amari, and citrus as you see fit.

Notom Hot Toddy
Serves 1

• 2 ounces Waterpocket Notom Amaro
• 2 teaspoons chestnut honey
• Hot water

Stir amaro, honey, and hot water together in a mug. Turn off all electronics and enjoy some human interaction with friends and family.

I’ve finally done it. I, Adri, of gifting procrastination and of slow wrapping skill, have completed my holiday shopping EARLY.

Try as I might, I have never before been able to finish my to-do list for gifts on time. December 22nd rolls around and I finally realize how behind I am. I run all over the city looking for gifts at picked-over stores and pop-up shops (arms flailing above my head the whole time), and I finally realize the perfect gifts have been right under my nose the whole time. At Caputo’s, of course.

Here’s what I know: Everyone likes to eat. Artisan food will always be in style. Why not let your friends and family eat the very best and most delicious treats available? Here’s your guide to the very best last-minute gifts. One gift for each of the 12 days of Christmas, a la Caputo’s:

1. Utah Chocolate – You can never go wrong gifting chocolate, especially in Utah. The Beehive State is internationally recognized as a well known hub for craft chocolate, in both consumption and production. Utah is home to five bean-to-bar chocolate companies that are putting themselves on the fine-chocolate map with their artisan bars and dedication to creating the best chocolate possible.  Give your pals a taste of Utah with this perfect collection of fine dark chocolate, all made in Utah.

2. Local Treasures Gift Collection – This is the ideal choice for the locavore in your life. We’ve hand selected seven items that are not only made locally, but they’re world-class artisan products. From bean-to-bar chocolate to smoky and savory chili oil, this is sure to please you local-lovin’ pals.

3. Scaldaferro Torrone – I’m quite sure that I would prefer torrone to diamonds, and I know I’m not the only one. This is it. The most luxurious and ultimately wonderful confection to gift to your loved one with a notorious sweet tooth. Skip the holiday candies with questionable ingredient lists. These are made by true artisans  with a list of ingredients you can count on one hand. Read more here and you’ll see why we’re so enamored with these little gems.

4. Underberg Digestif – We’re in the middle of a craft cocktail and bitters revival here, people! Along with some truly fantastic locally made bitters, Underberg is another true home bar necessity. These tiny bottles of German digestifs are the perfect spicy backbone for a cocktail or the perfect medicine for an over-filled belly after Christmas dinner. Shake into cocktails or sip solo, either will be a welcome treat to your palate. Stuff into stockings or stock your pals’ bars, but be sure to keep a bottle or two for yourself as well.

5. Caputo’s Cheese Cave Collection – Our market was founded on our love of cheese, and that love has only grown stronger with our burgeoning cave program. One cave just wasn’t cutting it for us. We need more room to to add additional wheels of cheese into their ideal aging environment (it makes them as absolutely delicious as possible, not to mention healthier). Our second cheese cave is fully stocked since last holiday season with plenty of projects and affinage happening every second.  Wanna know what the cave is all about, or want to share your knowledge? This is the perfect choice. Four of our favorite cave-aged cheeses come bundled and ready to eat. Hopefully they share with you!

6. Blue’s Chocolates – The country’s most inimitable filled chocolates live right here at Caputo’s. These little treasures are handmade in Berkeley, CA and are only available at Blue’s Chocolate stores and Caputo’s. Not only does Blue’s Chocolates use locally-made Solstice Chocolate, they make products that are utterly divine. One taste will convince anyone of their superiority. The good news for you is that there are plenty of box sizes to choose from. There’s a perfect size for each person depending on how naughty or nice they’ve been this year.

7. Luxardo Cherries – There’s something incredibly attractive about shaking a cocktail shaker around like a mad person…or like you know what you’re doing. If your loved ones are getting into the craft-cocktail movement and experimenting at home, this is the perfect gift. Luxardo cherries are steeped in history and are the original Maraschino cherry that those chemical red sugar-bombs are attempting to imitate.  Garnish classic cocktails like an Old Fashioned or Manhattan, throw into pork pan sauces, and chop into ice cream custards and cake batters. These will be the jar that empties the fastest this season.

8. Viola Colleruita Olive Oil – An Italian condiment olive oil is the ideal gift for those taking Italian food seriously. If someone on your list is looking to unleash their inner Marcella Hazan, this will become a key finishing component for nearly every dish. Think of the brightest, greenest flavors of summer and now imagine harnessing those very flavors in the dead of winter. This is the way do it. Use this oil for finishing roasted dishes, drizzle over vegetables and protein alike, and save a few drops for your gelato (I’m serious). It doesn’t get any more flavorful, or Italian, than this.

9. Holiday Chocolate Trio – It won’t get any easier than this. The season’s most iconic flavors, enrobed in chocolate of varying percentages. Whether your giftee is a craft chocolate geek like us or simply enjoys traditional holiday flavors, you can’t go wrong with these three bars. Pro tip: kids love this as a stocking stuffer and are most likely to share based on a sample set of one little sister.

10. Caputo’s Old School Gift Collection – If you’re fond of the good ol’ days and want to share some tasty nostalgia with your pals, this is the collection for you. It’s like a shopping spree of our award winning market bundled into a gift, and ready to be unloaded into the pantry or right on into a pot for dinner. Snacks, provisions, sweet indulgence, and the makings for a tasty weeknight meal all rolled into one. What’s not to love?

11. Fresh Truffles – For the gourmand in your life. This is it. The most luxurious and ultimately wonderful gift for your foodie friend, or you can use it as the focal point of you holiday meal. We’re air-shipping truffles into our downtown market as often as is needed to ensure a fresh, aromatic supply. This friend will have just the recipe to shave these beauties over and I sure hope you get an invitation to the meal. Just the aroma knocks you off your feet, so imagine what your finished entree will do.

12. Class Certificates – Give the gift of food (or drink!) knowledge. It’s the perfect gift for a couple or a friend who might be new to either cooking or the Salt Lake valley. Pick up a certificate for the amount of the class, plus the optional beverage pairing, and let them choose the best class for their calendar and tastes. We’ll help you give the exact dollar amount or round up so your giftee can pick up a special little treat after the class. Choose from cheese or chocolate tastings, cooking classes, or whiskey classes. You read that right: whiskey classes! Remember that bucket list from SL Mag? Send them to class!

You’re still not sure what to give, and you haven’t started shopping yet? That’s OK, we won’t tell a soul. In an effort to inspire your food gifting, here’s what some of your favorite faces from Caputo’s are giving to their friends and family this year.

Don’t see your favorite monger here? Drop by before the holiday—we’re open through the afternoon of Christmas Eve—and ask them for their personal recommendations. We’re certainly not lacking in opinions around here.

So, here you have it: each of our gift picks for 2017:

Matt Caputo
President and ultimate boss-man

Dok Dall’ Ava Prosciutto: “One bite will tell a story of why Italy gained a reputation for culinary greatness in the first place. Time, quality, skill, and a love for tradition are clearly ingredients. The taste is unrivaled by any other ham. Yeah I’m looking at you Iberico!”

Yelena Caputo
Vice President, and ultimatest boss who oversees said boss-man

Caputo’s Cheese Cave Collection: Struggling to find a gift for the one who has everything? I know I always do. And the struggle is real. I am ashamed to admit that I’ve always hesitated to give the gift of cheese; it’s awkward to wrap and present (don’t tell my husband). Enter Caputo’s Cheese Cave Sampler. Unique? Check. Specialty? Check. Local? Check. Delicious? Double check. Aged in our Cheese Caves and wrapped in the most gorgeous new threads. Accompany the cheese sampler with a couple of our matching custom posters and voila! Hard to top!

Adri Pachelli
Director of Education (and self-proclaimed office monkey)

Panettone: “There is nothing more iconic than panettone when the holidays roll around. I’ve been plenty noisy about my love for panettone before, and I don’t plan on stopping. Pro-tip; those leftover slices after dinner make an amazing french toast the next morning.”

Noel Watson
Downtown General Manager

Luxardo Cherries:  “These are such a special, out of the ordinary addition to any cocktail, cheese plate, or for use in baking. Dating back to 1821- these are a fantastic example of all we stand for in protecting classic traditionalism.”

Antonia Horne
Affineuse AKA maker of all tasty things from our cave cheeses

Trio of unusual vinegar:

“This year I’m expanding my loved ones’ vinegar libraries beyond the Balsamic I usually give. The Acetum Mellis Mead vinegar is as bright and crisp as a ray of sunshine, which is perfect for the cold winter months. The Arvum Moscatel Sherry vinegar is sweet and luxurious, but still delicate. It’s an amazing alternative to Balsamic. And Leonardi Saba is rich and unctuous, perfect for dessert or savory dishes.”

Jamey Chelius
15th & 15th General Manager

Dick Taylor Drinking Chocolate: “I can stuff kid and adult stockings alike with this drinking chocolate. The package doesn’t even need wrapping. Kids can stir into warm milk and enjoy, adults simply need to add a dram of their favorite spirit for the perfect grown up hot beverage.”

Austin Shimada
Holladay General Manager

Blue’s Chocolates seasonal flavors: “I walked in as Sondra was unpacking the first seasonal flavors this month. Hard cider, spiked eggnog, marzipan, and cardamom are just a few of the available and seasonally perfect options to choose from. I’m buying a range of box size for a range of friends and family. I know every single one of them will enjoy them as much as I do. ”

Sean Rorke
University General Manager

Mister Bitters Fig & Cardamom: “Because whiskey cocktails.”

The One & Only Tony Caputo
Owner and man behind the magic

“Something that’s about to expire from the half off rack”

He’s not wrong though, friends. Each location has a unique and delicious selection of items on the half-off shelves that are more than worthy of a good belly and happy home. Plus, what’s not to love at half off?

I am among the vast number of people who look to Matt Caputo for inspiration when seeking out new, exciting food when life starts to taste a little dull. With the holidays drawing closer everyday, now is time for me to start poking my nose into all the decadent, delicious treats hiding in plain sight on the shelves here at Caputo’s. I stock up now on things like cheese, chocolate, and confections to keep on hand for last minute host gifts, gift exchanges, and snacks to keep me going through decorating and gift wrapping.

Like every time before, Matt’s done it again and found a tiny company worthy of all praise and adoration. Friends, meet Scaldaferro Torrone. Torrone is an ancient old Italian confection from the time of the Roman empire made from honey, almonds, and egg whites. Scaldaferro takes this time honored confection to new heights with their commitment to using only the highest quality monofloral honeys, DOP and IGP protected nuts, and production methods that are almost outrageously particular. The result is a crunchy, ethereal treat perfect for sharing after large meals with your family.

Since no one can describe such a treat like Matt himself – here’s his take on Scaldaferro:

“When an artisan makes nougat based on the waxing of the moon and explains it in such a way that makes sense, you should go out of your way to eat that nougat. Scaldaferro is the perfect nexus of heirloom ingredients and outlier in skill. No other nougat on Earth will taste like this. In my somewhat expansive nougat experience, it is the best out there. With our modern day food system continuously degrading what people are willing to pay for food, it is a treasure that will likely be lost to history some day. I am giving Scaldaferro as a gift, because it is a perfect example what Caputo’s is trying to achieve. We fight to protect these traditional foods by sharing our passion for them with our friends, family, and customers.”

My favorite? I have a hard time choosing between the Rose almond torrone made with Sicilian DOP Avola Almonds and rose honey OR the pistachio torrone made w/ DOP Bronte Pistachios from Sicily and coriander honey. Both are lovely and easy to buy together so I never have to choose. I’ll keep these stashed away for gifts and shared treats, but I am pretty sure most of these will be kept hidden away for my own indulgence.

So, are you drooling yet? Dying to get your mitten-ed paws on these confections? You can get them here or at your nearest and dearest Caputo’s location.

Mashed potatoes are the second most quintessential dish on my Thanksgiving table behind cranberry sauce. There is no thankful Adri without a heap of the stuff, and it’s taken a few tries and many tweaks to nail down my favorite recipe for them.

The basics are simple – use Yukon golds, add fat before liquid, always taste between additions, and finish with aromatics at the end. Finally, keep it fun. Mashed potatoes are pretty fantastic no what you finish them with, but I’ve found my favorite – parsnips and celery bitters. Your parsnips will need to be boiled separately from your potatoes, but the sweet backnote they offer is a lovely juxtaposition to the comfort of starch and butter AND to the complex aromatics from the celery bitters. It’s a simple enough addition that the kids will still love them and gussied up enough that you won’t feel bored with them the next day. Bonus – it makes for a great layer in day-after turkey sammies.

Bitters and Parsnip Spiked Mashed Potatoes
Serves 8

Taleggio is many things. It is the second most popular cheese in Italy behind the reigning king, Parmigiano Reggiano, it is one of our stinkier selections (making it less popular here in the states), it is one of the darlings of Cheese Cave II, and it is now the beneficiary of a local beer wash.

What was once an already delicious, funky, creamy cheese now also has an even funkier, more savory, and more ‘Utah’version. Both our cave aged Taleggio and our cave aged Double Skull Taleggio ebb and flow in ripeness and availability based on the whims of both our mongers, local chefs, and your fellow stinky cheese lovers. This has given me the opportunity to cook with both and investigate the best uses for each. The original I find to be the most suitable for cold dishes and entrees with milder ingredients. Think of a raddicchio and pear salad with cubes of Taleggio and a lemon/mustard vinaigrette OR Taleggio spiked polenta with browned butter sauce.

The Double Skull iteration loves to beef up dishes with more complexity and serve as the centerpiece for a cheese and salumi board for myself and my most enthusiastic cheese fiend friends. The complexity that develops in the cave after many a beer wash make it exemplary nestled with assorted cured meats, olives, and other cheeses. My favorite use, however, is this dish.

As the cold evenings become more frequent, I crave the comforts of risotto. There really is nothing like the pillowy cloud of starchy happiness created by rice, stock, and time. A saute of mushrooms atop a taleggio riddled risotto is both full of comfort, but also full of big, fun flavors that play well with each other while stepping back just enough to also appreciate the lovely creamy, starchy texture and subtle bite of each grain. While stinky and sometimes menacing in its original state of being a cheese wedge, both Taleggios melt down into a more mellow version when used in a recipe. The texture becomes even more silky and the flavor mellows to a slightly milder, much more approachable version. It invites you in with the lightest whiff of earthiness and keeps you coming back for its sweet paste and creamy mouthfeel.

Enough of me, let’s talk about you. This is the kind of recipe you could whip up on a weeknight (say, before a stroll around the neighborhood hunting for tiny morsels of candy) for a small dose of a comfort and a large dose of sustenance. This is also the kind of recipe you could stow away and save to impress company. The idea that risotto is both a toiling all day exertion of energy and a royal pain in the butt to make is completely false. Just take a look below.

Double Skull Taleggio Risotto
Serves 4

• 4 cups chicken or veggie broth
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/2 cup onion or shallot, chopped finely
• 2 cups risotto rice
• 1/2 cup Double Skull lager or white wine
• 1 pound Double Skull Taleggio cheese
• Salt

In a medium saucepan, bring the broth to a very slow, steady simmer on a burner nearest to where you’ll be cooking the risotto.

Put 1 tablespoon of butter, the olive oil, and the chopped onion in a broad, sturdy pot, and turn on the heat to medium high. Cook and stir the onion until it becomes translucent, then add the rice. Stir quickly and thoroughly until the grains are coated well.

Add the lager or wine to the rice, stir and allow it to evaporate. (Note: you can skip this step and proceed immediately to stock if you prefer to not cook with alcohol, though all of it will cook off) Add ½ cup of simmering broth and cook the rice, stirring constantly with a long wooden spoon, wiping the sides and bottom of the pot clean as you stir, until all the liquid is gone. You must never stop stirring and you must be sure to wipe the bottom of the pot completely clean frequently, or the rice will stick to it.When there is no more liquid in the pot, add another ½ cup, continuing always to stir in the manner described above. Maintain heat at a lively pace.

Begin to taste the rice after 20 minutes of cooking. It is done when it is tender, but firm to the bite. As it approaches that stage, gradually reduce the amount of liquid you add, so that when it is fully cooked, it is slightly moist, but not runny. When the rice is about 1 or 2 minutes away from being fully cooked, add all the Taleggio and the remaining butter. Stir constantly to melt the cheese and wrap it around the grains. Off heat, taste and correct for salt, stirring after adding salt. Serve promptly.

If you wish, serve along with sauteed mushrooms. Here, I sauteed them quickly in a pan with olive oil, 1 tablespoon minced shallot, 1 clove smashed garlic, and a teaspoon of thyme. You won’t regret it.

There are certain cookies we make for the delicious tastes of the season and there are other certain cookies we make to celebrate the themes of the season. Christmas is an easy example. Gingerbread is for taste, sugar cookies for decorative fun. But now consider Hallow’s Eve. Sure, there are cookie cutouts and images aplenty, but there’s little left for taste other than the spices behind the now cult favorite Pumpkin Spice everything.

In the spirit of both taste and decoration, we’ve combined the two here with a simple swap of ingredients. Bitters are much like vanilla extract in that the flavors of a raw ingredient are extracted into an alcohol based solution over a long period of time. When used in baking, the alcohol evaporates and leaves behind the ghost of its place presence in the form of those extracted flavors. While sugar cookies are often a blank canvas for spooky cookie cutters and sweet icings, seasonal bitters are an invaluable resource to also breathe some flavor into what was once just a fun cookie to look at and never sink your teeth into.

Instead of a recipe, here’s the pro-tip for tip top tasty treats. Substitute equal amount of bitters for vanilla extract and take a taste. Add more flavor if needed, but the same amount should do the trick.

During my lunch date with Gia and Frankie, both our sugar cookies and royal icing had Workhorse Rye’s Pumpkin bitters in place of vanilla extract. There’s just a hint of spice in both, but nothing too potent to change the place a sugar cookie serves. They’re tasty and almost as adorable as these two little ladies, but now with a hint that fall flavor we love so dearly.

Have you made the switch to bitters in any of your recipes? What’s been your favorite?!

Just like last year, I’m still not the Pinterest loving, paper-crafting, holiday-decorating millennial my grandmother wishes I would be. I’m just not. I’ve gotten away with wearing an animal onesie for the last few Halloween’s (this year’s rendition is a llama) and my pals have since refrained from lamenting about my lack of creativity and excitement surrounding such days.

Again, just like last year, all the festive fun I’ve held in my fun-bank savings have been reserved for the kids in my life. With none of my own, the littles of the Caputo clan are my go-to gals for holiday baking and festive, spooky treats of both the sweet and savory sorts. While Matt and Yelena were out of town, I borrowed their cuties for a lunch date filled with pasta, cookies, and festive decorations. It was carb-laden, delicious, and my favorite way to celebrate.

Our pals at Ritrovo are the source for our favorite Halloween time pasta, tagliolini colored with squid ink, and also the inspiration behind lunch. Baked sugar pumpkins are the perfect vessel for serving pasta. The roasted inside is easy to scoop out while attacking the pasta, and an easy way to trick your kids into eating some semblance of vegetable along with their promised pasta treats. With such a fun presentation and high quality ingredients, there’s no need to heap on loads of sauce here. Instead, we opted for browned butter with fried sage leaves. The sage pairs so well with the pumpkin and the nutty complexity of browned butter compliments both noodle and vegetable perfectly. This was the perfect meal to fill us up before an afternoon of cookie decorating…and eating.

Roasted Pumpkin with Squid Ink Tagliolini 
Recipe from our friends at Ritrovo

Yield: 4 Servings

• 1 package Ritrovo Squid Ink Tagliolini
• 4 small sugar pumpkins
• 4 tablespoons olive oil
• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter
• A handful or so fresh sage leaves
• Grated Parmigiano Reggiano
• Salt & pepper – to taste

Directions:
Pre-heat the oven to 375 degrees F. Wash the pumpkins, cut the top stems off, and scoop all the seeds and pith out (keep the seeds to make roasted pumpkin seeds). Brush the inside of the pumpkins with around four tablespoons of olive oil and season with salt and pepper, then place face down on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake for an hour or until the meat of the pumpkin is fork tender

While the pumpkins are baking boil a large pot of salted water on the stove top. Once the water has reached a rolling boil add the Ritrovo Squid Ink Tagliolini and cook for 8 – 10 minutes until pasta is al dente, Add the butter to a skillet and heat to medium high, stirring frequently. When you begin to smell a nutty aroma and the solids become colored dark gold, add the sage leaves. Stir until the sage starts to crisp and remove from heat.

Using tongs remove the pasta from the water into the skillet with the olive oil and sage. Add the Parmigiano to the skillet with the pasta, butter, and sage. Mix and distribute among each of the pumpkin “bowls” and season with  more salt and pepper to taste. Enjoy by digging into the sides of the pumpkin bowl to eat with the Tagliolini.

Italian cuisine does not exist. I could likely make this argument about many other classic cuisines, but no other country lives and dies by the bible of regional cuisine quite like Italians do. Calabrian cuisine exists, Roman cuisine exists, Tuscan cuisine exists, but none of these are the same. That said, there is one common opinion that has seeped into the veins of every region, city, and town that inspires some of our favorite dishes. Source ingredients locally and seasonally at the peak of ripeness and quality. Then, honor those ingredients with pure, simple preparation. Don’t complicate it.

So, let’s simplify things and get back to the basics. Let’s do it with one classic dish that has been the victim of complication across the globe: Insalata Caprese.

The beloved ‘Salad of Capri’ is a celebration of the union of two of our favorite ingredients, mozzarella and tomatoes. We’re in the peak of tomato season here in SLC, so there is no better time to serve this than right now. Add up to three more ingredients and we have a dish worthy of greatness.

The key, of course, is selecting the highest quality ingredients. Locally grown tomatoes picked when ripe rather than picked under-ripe to ripen in the pipeline of food transportation will result in tomatoes that taste like tomatoes. Start here. Select fragrant, dense tomatoes of your favorite hue. I prefer a large heirloom like Eva Purples with thin skin and abundant flesh blotted with a towel to remove any excessive amounts of juice.

From here, choose your cheese. My first choice is our housemade burrata. I love how the creamy, decadent interior of burrata permeates the holes in each slice of tomato. You can also choose mozzarella di bufala from mainland neighbor Campania or another fresh cow’s milk mozzarella. The key here is a fresh cheese, no aged mozzarella here, please! Drop dollops or slices throughout your tomato slices, leaving more tomato than cheese in your wake.

Add fragrant basil, ideally picked at this moment. I prefer a chiffonade or fine chop to evenly disperse flavor and aroma across the plate rather than using whole leaves. Finally, add a sprinkle of finishing salt (e.g. a fleur de sel), which should be given a few minutes to melt into your ingredients to highlight the flavors in fruit, dairy, and herb rather than add ‘salty flavor’.

If you wish (and I always do), serve with a bottle of your very best olive oil. Drizzle sparingly over the plate just before digging in for a touch of bitterness and grassy backbone to an already excellent dish.

You’ll notice no mention of balsamic, olives, pesto, or any other ingredient. While I love all these things, they have no place on a plate served as caprese. Save fusion, addition, and refrigerator purging for another time. Right here, right now, when tomatoes are meant to be eaten and burrata is being tied up as you read, this is the time to enjoy the pureness of caprese.