Moms deserve a day of spoiling, and it is our duty to do so. After all the dirty diapers, temper tantrums, homework help, fighting over curfew, learning to live alone, and then finally realizing she was right all along, it’s fair to say she is owed more than a few indulgences. Here’s what our moms are getting this year:

Take a Class

There is nothing cliche about giving Ma the gift of continued education, especially when said education revolves around chocolate, cheese, and other delicious ways to enjoy herself. Our summer schedule is filling up quick, but there’s still plenty of time to get in on the fun. The best part about this gift is joining her for some quality family time and reaping the benefits of both chocolate education and chocolate consumption with her!

The Chocolate Box

If Mom is a busy one these days and can’t join you for a class, upscale chocolate never hurt anyone. Chocolatier Blue started in Alpine, Utah, but has since relocated to Berkeley, California. Despite the move, Chocolatier Blue uses Salt Lake made Solstice Chocolate for each filled chocolate. There is not a better filled chocolate in the country and you know your mom deserves the best there is. Select from a range of box sizes and flavors, we’ll fill them to order so you can select which flavors your mom will like best.

Dessert – Flowers & Cacao Pavlova

There’s always something incredibly satisfying about cooking for mom, and doing it well. This beautiful dessert is a welcome treat for any gathering and perfect to wow mom with. Added bonus, the hardest part can be done in advance so mom doesn’t have to see you struggle or hear any expletives that might leave your mouth during the process. You can arrive with premade components, easily assemble them, and present a treat fit for any mom.

Brunch – Baked Adelle

Any holiday is a good time for cheese.  ANY DAY is a good day for cheese, but especially Mother’s Day. Wrap our favorite bloomy rind cheese in puff pastry, douse it with your favorite jam (mine is Amour’s Apricot Rose for this recipe) and serving a warm, gooey, bubble of cheesy goodness to your mom, and the rest of your family if she decides to share it.

Bar and Bitters

Remember all those nights your mom spent worrying about you for one reason or another? No? I’m sure she remembers, and I’m sure she could use a drink to recover from those long, stressful years. If your mom appreciates a well-made cocktail, get her the ingredients to make her own at home! Luxardo cherries, countless bitters, and assorted bar syrups are a great place to start. Plus, one she hones her skills, maybe she’ll share those cocktails at the next family gathering. One can hope, right?

There you have it. Our top gifts for the best moms out there. Hey Moms, happy Mother’s Day! We hope you get showered with love and spoiled with treats!

Holy cow, this was such a wet week for us in SLC! I’ve been cozied up in all my favorite sweaters and boots all week, and I’m so surprised at how much I’ve enjoyed the cool weather and rain puddles. I had spent last weekend and the beginning of this week preparing for our Eat Local Cooking Class. Eat Local Week began this past Saturday, and our class was part of the festivities taking place all over the valley in celebration of our fabulous local food farmers and artisans. I had the menu set weeks in advance, local produce purchased, and a hoard of local products from the Caputo’s shelves that I couldn’t wait to share. Then, the rain came, and it changed the whole menu.

One of my favorite recipes comes from one of my favorite women, Marcella Hazan. I don’t think there will ever be another person or collection of recipes that I will admire more than her and hers. Smothered cabbage—it may sound bland or boring, but this is the base to the most comforting soup I’ve ever made. Caramelized onions, browned garlic, shredded cabbage, and light seasoning slowly cook over low heat for hours. This transforms the cabbage into a sweetened, complex, and totally craveable dish. On its own, it is the perfect side for roasted and braised meats. When I’m sick, however, this is the foundation for the soup that has entirely replaced the ol’ standby, chicken noodle.

I make a double batch of smothered cabbage as soon as I begin to feel a cold coming on. The cabbage will last for about two weeks in the refrigerator, and it only takes 25 minutes to make a new bowl of soup to snuggle up to. Cabbage is just beginning to make its fall debut at our local farmers markets, and this is the perfect recipe to add to your wintertime arsenal.

Marcella Hazan’s Smothered Cabbage, Venetian Style
Serves 4-6

• 2 pounds green, red, or Savoy cabbage
• ½ cup chopped onion
• ½ cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1 tablespoon chopped garlic
• Salt
• Black pepper, ground fresh from the mill
• 1 tablespoon wine vinegar, white or red (I use sherry vinegar)

Detach and discard the first few outer leaves of the cabbage. The remaining head of leaves must be shredded very fine. If you are going to do it by hand, cut the leaves into fine shreds, slicing them off the whole head. Turn the head after you have sliced a section of it until gradually you expose the entire core, which must be discarded. If you want to use the food processor, cut the leaves off from the core in sections, discard the core and process the leaves through a shredding attachment.

Put the onion and olive oil into a large sauté pan, and turn the heat on to medium. Cook and stir the onion until it becomes colored a deep gold, then add the garlic. When you have cooked the garlic until it becomes colored a very pale gold, add the shredded cabbage. Turn the cabbage over 2 or 3 times to coat it well, and cook it until it is wilted.

Add salt, pepper, and the vinegar. Turn the cabbage over once completely, lower the heat to minimum, and cover the pan tightly. Cook for at least 1 1/2 hours, or until it is very tender, turning it from time to time. If while it is cooking, the liquid in the pan should become insufficient, add 2 tablespoons water as needed. When done, taste and correct for salt and pepper. Allow it to settle off the heat for a few minutes before serving.

Marcella Hazan’s Rice and Smothered Cabbage Soup
Serves 4

• 3 cups homemade meat broth or 1 cup canned beef broth diluted with 2 cups of water, or 1 1/2 bouillon cubes dissolved in 3 cups of water
• 2/3 cup Arborio rice
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1/3 cup freshly grated Parmigiano
• Salt
• Freshly ground black pepper

Put the cabbage and broth into a soup pot, and turn on the heat to medium. When the broth comes to a boil, add the rice. Cook uncovered, adjusting the heat so that the soup bubbles at a slow but steady boil, stirring from time to time until the rice is done. It must be tender, but firm to the bite, and should take around 20 minutes. If while the rice is cooking, you find the soup becoming too thick, dilute it with a ladleful of homemade broth or water. The soup should be on the dense-ish side when finished.

When the rice is done, before turning off the heat, stir in the butter and the grated cheese. Taste and correct for salt and pepper. Ladle the soup into individual plates and allow it to settle a few minutes before serving.

Note: The smothered cabbage can be prepared 2 or 3 days ahead of the soup, or served as a side dish from here. It also freezes well.

May is the start for my favorite time of year. Warm weather, spring cleaning, sundresses, barbecues, pitchers of icy cocktails, and lots of shared meals. The warm days are still tempered by cool nights, and the first blooms of spring have now sprung. Here’s the list of goodies and treats we’re enjoying to help us welcome the month ahead:

CHEESE: Leonora

Yep, this should look familiar. We highlighted Leonora last month, but we can’t quit this baby. Read what we had to say last month below. This month you can expect a few quick recipes and even more cheese love from your favorite SLC cheese mongers.

If you’ve visited any of our stores recently—namely downtown—there may have been an incredibly eager cheese monger or two nearly force-feeding you a sample of this little beauty. What you’re experiencing is cheese geekiness in its more exuberant, pure form. Leonora was an all-star, staff favorite years ago at Caputo’s. We lost it for a long period. All of a sudden this winter, it was back, gracing our cases and palettes with its acidic perfection. This log of pure goat’s milk cheese from Leon, Spain, has an intense acidity in its flaky, dry interior, but balances itself with a cream line just beneath its thin rind that makes it its own best friend. Wanna guess what I like to pair with Leonora? More Leonora. If that’s an unacceptable answer, then I’d say white wine. All the white wine, to be exact. Stay tuned for musings from Evan, and make sure to come by for a taste of this cheese. It’s a knockout. But be warned, no one has ever loved Leonora more than Evan.

CHOCOLATE: Ritual Ecuador 85%

It’s true, Ritual is now local! Its lovely chocolate factory and cafe is now open minutes from the historic downtown Park City neighborhood for you noshing pleasure. Check them out the next you visit Park City, but don’t forget you can still get all of their amazing bars at each of our Caputo’s locations. We’re often not as fond of chocolate that has more than 75% cacao content (cacao really blossoms with the addition of sugar) but this 85% bar from Balao, Ecuador, has us rethinking what it means to be really dark and really good. The surprising sweetness offered by this high percentage bar is a pleasant surprise, making it both easy to eat and incredibly flavorful.

Added bonus: This high percentage bar is all cacao. It’s not a 75% bar with added cocoa butter to raise the percentage, which speaks to the true craftsmanship and artisanal element of all things Ritual. You’ll notice when trying a Ritual bar that there is an exquisite snap on your first bite and silky smooth mouthfeel, all due to long conch and attention to detail—down to the microscopic proportions. What’s more, a higher percentage of cacao, especially with brands like Ritual with no addition of cocoa butter, make this an easy choice for ice creams and semifreddo applications. Higher cacao content = deeper chocolate flavor. Milk powder and extra sugar often hinder my attempts at extremely flavorful frozen chocolate treats, but the key lies in percentage. Make your own batch of ice cream or semifreddo and see what I mean—you won’t regret it.

SAVORY: Chili Beak
For me, this is not a craving, this is a straight up addiction. I. Can’t. Stop. That said, this should be on your list for new local products, and it deserves a great deal of attention. Picture this: You’re in the middle of devouring one of your favorite entrees and realize it could really benefit from a little extra spiciness. Vinegar-based hot sauces often take over any dish they’re dashed onto, and you end up with a mouthful of acidity and a lingering, odd heat from who-knows-what-kind of pepper. Not anymore, friends, not anymore!

Chili Beak is made with four ingredients: dried Mexican chilies, sunflower oil, garlic, and Utah salt. The result is a so-sexy-smooth oil-based hot sauce that lets the chilies do the talking. You get a slowly-developing heat that is made even more addicting by good seasoning. That missing acidic component from vinegar lets even the most delicate flavors of your original dish shine while still being able to enjoy the introduction of both heat and flavor. Crazy, right? I’ll provide plenty of recipe ideas in the weeks to come, but start off with my favorites ideas—simple add ons. Give your jar a loving stir, and drizzle over your morning eggs, mix into your favorite mayonnaise or aioli, and stir into your favorite hummus. You’ll find yourself reaching for this multiple times a day, and we don’t blame you, we’re doing the very same thing.

SWEET / DRINK: Bittermilk Charred Grapefruit Tonic

Meet your new secret ingredient for the easiest and most impressive home cocktails. Fans are singing praises for Bittermilk across the country, and the full line of Bittermilk has already been highlighted in the Wall Street Journal! Joe and MariElena Raya are the owners of Gin Joint in Charleston, South Carolina, and the makers of our newest all-natural cocktail go-to. Simply mix your Bittermilk of choice with a spirit and ice. Voilà: a cocktail, and an impressive one, too. Add a garnish if you insist, but how easy does that sound? No more muddling, peeling, and hunting for a whole shipping cart full of grocery items to serve your friends a delicious libation. You just need this lovely bottle and a quick jaunt to the liquor store.

With six fantastic concoctions, there’s an option for every spirit and every soul. Whiskey fans? They’ve got a few for you. Clear liquor only? Fret not, this Charred Grapefruit Tonic works with gin, vodka, AND rum. Try them all—we have. We’re currently digging this in particular because of its multiple uses; plus, spring feels like the perfect time for a fun spin on a the classic gin & tonic. We’re big fans, and we hope you’ll join the club.

Enjoy this lovely month of May, fellow Cravers. We cannot wait to help you find these at your local Caputo’s, so don’t be shy. We’ll guide you to your craving of choice, and send you on your way with a bounty of ideas on how to prepare them. I hope you’ll adore these cravings as much as we do!

April, you love it or you hate it. I love it, and I love this month’s cravings. We kept it short and sweet for April since we’re all busy scrambling to clean up Easter eggs and get our taxes submitted. Here’s what we can’t get enough of this month:

CHEESE: Leonora

If you’ve visited any of our stores recently, namely downtown, there may have been an incredibly eager cheesemonger or two nearly force-feeding you a sample of this little beauty. What you’re experiencing is cheese geekiness in its more exhuberant, pure form. Leonora was an all-star staff favorite years ago at Caputo’s. We lost it for a long period. All of a sudden this winter, it was back, gracing our cases and palettes with its acidic perfection. This log of pure goat’s milk cheese from Leon, Spain has an intense acidity in its flaky, dry interior, but blanaces itself with a cream line just beneath its thin rind that makes it its own best friend. Wanna guess what I like to pair with Leonora? More Leonora. If that’s an unacceptable answer, then I’d say white wine. All the white wine, to be exact. Stay tuned for musings from Evan and make sure to come by for a taste of this cheese. It’s a knockout. But be warned, no one has ever loved Leonora more than Evan.

SWEET: Marou Ben Tre 78%

Don’t look at me, Matt always says it best when it comes to the chocolate obsessions.

“Marou evokes many thoughts and emotions. From exhilaration, lust, fear, and back to comfort. It is an incredibly complex and exotic chocolate. It manages to be ethereal and visceral at the same time. On the one hand it is like an exotic and mysterious woman whispering in a language you can’t remotely comprehend. On the other it is like a musical journey from slow Asian instrumentals to death metal.

Using 100% Vietnamese ingredients including shade grown cacao from 5 different provinces, Marou captures aromas and flavors never before experienced by our Western palates. While it will take us much more tasting to really get to know the soul of Marou’s chocolate, one is perfectly clear. The two French expatriates behind Marou live in Vietnam make chocolate that is a cousin to French, but distinctively Vietnamese. Marou makes globalization look sexy.”  -Matt Caputo

Yep. Marou. The Ben Tre region along the Mekong River lends itself to cacao that is well balanced and not too acidic. It’s a thing of Vietnamese beauty, and one that I’ve loved using this for budinos and flourless cakes. My craving extended beyond the bar, but be sure to give this a try next time you visit one of our stores. You’ll see what Matt’s talking about.

SAVORY: Salame Beddu Cacciatorini

We’ve got a soft spot for small batch salami, and boy does this fill that soft spot with delicious, porky goodness. Salame Beddu is a small artisanal production in St Louis that is nothing short of exciting. I first tried this at a recent dinner gathering with some work pals. One of our warehousing guys brought it along as an afterthought and hostess gift for yours truly. Turns out it was the star of the entire evening (even more so than my famous Amatriciana). We couldn’t get enough and immediately polished off the piece, and then we couldn’t stop talking about it. Seriously, half the night’s discussion was about this new brand none of us had ever heard of. Salame Beddu passed the taste test well before we heard their lovable story of artisanal passion and dedication to quality. Due to such a small production and recent well-deserved attention, we may run out of this little guy. But fear not, we’ll stock whatever we can get from our friends in St. Louis. Everything we’ve tried is equally as delicious as the devilishy spicy Cacciatorini.

After the Easter decorations are stashed away for 2016 and you’ve submitted those pesky taxes, you’re going to be hungry. And you’ll definitely want something tasty and satisfying, whether it’s pork, cheese, or chocolate. You deserve, we’ve got your back on this one.