A great moment of appreciating my job came recently when I was discussing cheese with some of the cheese nerds on my staff. I then realized that Caputo’s Downtown’s staff has re-entered a Golden Age of Great Cheese Geekery, which brings me no end of pleasure.

Don’t get me wrong, we always have a lot of cheese lovers on the crew, but not like this—this is a group that really cares about the quality of the cheese we serve and enjoys it in their own homes often, as well. Understand, when you have managed a small business as long as I have, staff can begin to feel cyclical, as generation of crews change you get different personalities, approaches, and interests within the different goods we sell. Well, the wheel has turned, because we now again are in a moment of unsurpassed, unabashed cheese love.

The cheese prompting this heart-swelling conversation is a recent arrival from one of our favorite dairies, Quickes, from Devonshire, England. For years, my favorite cheddar that we have carried has been the Quickes Farmhouse Cheddar (this is probably the only only thing I have in common with the Queen of England). Well, Quickes makes more than just this flagship cheddar.

Quickes also makes another classic English-style cheese: red leicester. This cow’s milk cheese is stylistically very similar to cheddar. It uses raw cow’s milk and is bandage wrapped, etc. However, red leicester is dyed with with annatto extract, a coloring agent derived from the fruit of the annatto tree which hails from the Caribbean. Quickes ages their red leicester for for to eight months.

Quickes red leicester, which is produced by hand, displays rich creaminess from the raw milk, as well as Quickes characteristic grassy excellence, due to the lush grasses upon which their heritage breed cows graze. Less sharp and a little sweeter than their classic cheddar, red leicester is an exciting addition to our cheese selection. And we are all nerding out about this cheese around here, which makes it a good time to shop at Caputo’s.

Quickes red leicester is also part of our June Cravings, read more here. 

I love to people watch. It’s one of my now-not-so-secret pastimes while I’m sitting in busy places. Airports, restaurants, bars, you name it, I’ve watched people in ’em. While planning the menu for a class in our Classic Cookbook Series, I came upon an exceptional reason and place to put my people-watching skills to work: the grocery store.

Julia Child was the first goddess for our series, and her first cookbook, Mastering the Art of French Cooking, took center stage for the evening. I wanted to provide a glimpse into Julia’s book with only four recipes. Talk about a challenge. Recipes in this book have taken me an average of 2.5 hours to successfully serve, from start to finish, with many taking much, much longer. Putting these recipes on the board for a class that would ideally take 90 minutes was surely difficult—and panic inducing. That considered, I relied on my personal favorite recipes, many hours of prep before the class, and said experiment.

Salt Lake City is afraid of artichokes. Not the frozen hearts, not the dips, not the actual vegetable itself. We are afraid of purchasing a whole artichoke and figuring out how to coax it into a presentable and edible state. I now know this from creeping around local grocery stores and watching people inspect these lovely little globes. I spent about fifteen extra minutes wandering aimlessly around the produce section of two stores, keeping a close eye on the heaping piles of artichokes. Kids were always the first to find the artichokes. They’d pick them up, poke at the leaves, then get poked back by the tips of the leaves. Yelps of pain, surprise, or anger followed. They would march to their mothers, demanding to know what the mean little green thing was. The mother would often put it back with a one word answer, and then tell them they’re not easy to make or good to eat. Younger adults would approach them, inspect them like the younger kids, get on their phones—most likely googling uses for them—and then frantically put them down and move on.

On one of my most recent adventures, I spent time picking a few perfect artichokes for friends. At least three shoppers and two sales clerks asked me what I was planning to do with them. When the word ‘braise’ left my mouth, eyes popped, mouths dropped, eyebrows raised.

Guys, they’re not that bad! These lovely thistle blooms deserve credit for being delicious, unique, and rich with history. Mediterraneans love artichokes for good reason. They are plentiful, delicious, and packed full of folate, vitamins A and K, plus they’re listed as the #7 best source of antioxidants from the USDA.

So, you wanna give it a try? Yes? Excellent! Let us show you how to prep an artichoke for devouring and cook it to perfection, all courtesy of Julia Child’s Mastering the Art of French Cooking.

Start by selecting artichokes with their leaves stil tightly closed, we run the risk of them being too tough when beginning to bloom. Give them a quick rinse and then trim off the small leaves at the base. Trim the base or stalk so it is able to stand upright on its own.

Slice about one inch off the top of the artichoke and then trim the points off the rest of the leaves. I often skip trimming all the leaves, don’t tell Julia! Slice the artichokes in half lengthwise and cut out the choke—the small, hairy looking center—with a paring knife. There! Done! You’re ready to cook your artichokes in any way you desire. I’m including Julia’s recipe for braised artichokes with wine, garlic, and fresh herbs below. This is my favorite preparation for the funny little vegetable. Enjoy!

Julia’s Braised Artichokes with Wine, Garlic, and Herbs
Serves 6-8

• 6 artichokes, prepared as described above
• 1 cup yellow onion, diced
• 6 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/4 cup white wine vinegar
• 1/4 cup white wine
• 1 tied herb bundle (4 parsley sprigs, 2 bay leaves, 4 thyme sprigs)
• Parchment paper
• Freshly chopped parsley

Cut artichokes into quarter and blanch in boiling, salted water for 10 minutes. Drain and set aside.

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Heat a large cast iron casserole dish over medium heat. Saute onions until soft. Sitr in garlic and arrange artichoke pieces in the casserole. Baste with olive oil, onions, and then season with salt and pepper. Continue to cook for 10 minutes, being careful not to brown the artichokes.

Add vinegar and wine to the dish. Bring to a boil and continue to cook until reduced by half. Add the herb bundle and lay a piece of parchment paper directly on top of the artichokes. Cover casserole and place in the middle of the oven. Braise for 75-90 minutes, or until liquid has almost entriely evaporated. Discard herb bundle, sprinkle chopped parsley over artichokes, and serve.

For at least the past three years, I ‘ve been preaching that Utah is the bright center of chocolate culture in the U.S. This year, Ritual Chocolate has proven me right by uprooting its entire operation from Denver and transplanted to Park City.

It’s not like Denver is some culinary backwater, where the chocolate and culinary scenes aren’t thriving. Quite the contrary—Denver is a booming foodie town, and Ritual had been adopted with great zeal into the community. Too bad for Colorado that Utah just has too much chocolate gravity for such an excellent company to resist once exposed to it.

Robbie Stout and Anna Davies, the husband and wife who own and operate Ritual, often visited Robbie’s family in Park City, where he grew up. Sure our access to the outdoors is far superior to Denver—we all know that. But I would like to think that after seeing the unparalleled energy and chocolate appreciation from our local food community at Caputo’s 2nd Annual Chocolate Festival, plans were set in motion. Alright, maybe I give myself too much credit. You’ll have to ask Robbie and Anna if you want the whole truth.

Nonetheless, no serious craft chocolate connoisseur would dare argue that Ritual is not one of our country’s Top 5 elite chocolate makers. So whatever the reason for their move, we win.

June is always exciting—vacations, outdoor concerts, farmers markets, and summer festivals are one the horizon. And the small amount of gardening I attempt every year isn’t quite ruined yet. Plus, it’s national Accordion Awareness Month. So there’s that.

We’re gearing up for Father’s Day, and it shows in our Cravings this month. We may or may not have been hungry when we put the list together, and now I just can’t stay away from these fantastic little treats. Check out June’s selections for you and your friends, for Dad, and for another upcoming summer to remember.

CHEESE: Quicke’s Red Leicester

We’ve always been big fans of Quicke’s traditional cheeses from the United Kingdom. Their meticulous processes involve hand-making every wheel and milling the cheese curds twice before forming the clothbound wheels for this cheese. Quicke’s Red Leicester is made with vegetable rennet and annato seed, which gives it its wonderful dark orange hue. It’s aged at least four months before wheels are released.

Red Leicester is crumbly, dense, and has a lovely, well-balanced sweet and caramelized flavor. Serve on a cheese board and pair with full bodied white wines and seasonal summer beers. We’ll be testing recipes with this beauty soon, so stay tuned!

CHOCOLATE: Rozsavolgyi Chocolate with Olives and Bread 77%

To be perfectly honest, we were not prepared for this chocolate to be as good as it is. This brand is definitely some of the best in the world, and Caputo’s is thrilled and proud to include it in our portfolio. Single origin and inclusion bars alike are produced with the utmost care, no vanilla, and a balanced roast. This type of passionate production allows for a very deep exploration of terroir, while still having a distinctly European ‘chocolatey-ness’ (we insist this is a word).

Additionally, some of their inclusion bars, like this 77% bar with olives and bread, will amaze even the most jaded connoisseur! Roasted olives, toasted bread, and olive oil are blended with 77% dark chocolate for an entirely unique chocolate experience. The result is an unlikely, but incredibly satisfying, combination of sweet and savory.

Rozsavolgyi was given a Bronze award by the Academy of Chocolate for this bar in 2013 in the Seasoned Bar category. We’re proud to say we’re truly addicted to this award-winning bar.

CHARCUTERIE: Smoking Goose Delaware Fireball

It all started on Delaware Street in Indianapolis. Coarsely ground pork met its match in crushed chili, espelette peppers, and garlic and was wrapped in caul fat, dry aged, and finally cold smoked. Thus, the Delaware Fireball was born. Smoking Goose Meatery in Indiana makes a drool-worthy array of smoked and cured meats that we can’t seem to stop eating. Animals are sourced from independent farms across Indiana and these truly artisanal products speak to that in just the first bite. Hand-tied, nitrate-free, and utterly-delicious, with a perfectly pleasant spicy finish…what more could we ask for?!

SWEET / DRINK: Bittermilk New Orleans Style Old Fashioned Rouge

This is our second Bittermilk selection. Our cocktailing remains incredibly easy with Bittermilk in the proverbial arsenal. If you missed it last month, here’s a quick refresher on Bittermilk:

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? 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 shopping 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. Dad’s going to love this fresh take on an all time favorite drink.  Add 1 part Bittermilk with 4 parts rye, stir with ice, strain into a rocks glass and garnish with a lemon twist. Done. It couldn’t be an easier, or any more delicious for that matter.

We’re looking forward to another fantastic Salt Lake City summer, and we plan to welcome the season with these addicting nibbles. We hope you have the tastiest June possible!

Five years ago, I searched around for fellow chocolate geeks to share in a wacky experiment: develop a local club dedicated exclusively to testing, tasting, and talking about the finest chocolates.

I love chocolate, and I love to share it with my friends, but I wanted a “society” of friends who were as nerdy and passionate as me. So I created a safe harbor for them to join me in chocolate geekery. I called the group the Utah Chocolate Society specifically to evoke visions of robes and torches and secret chants.

Early April 2010, the first 12 people joined Nick Frappier and I to blind taste chocolate. We inadvertently established our modus operandi: a strong emphasis on blind tasting. We began having monthly meetings with a focus on bars made from beans originating in Madagascar or Venezuelan or chocolate made by brands like Amedei or Amano. As it turned out, the similarities and differences told stories about the characteristics of bean origins and stylistic choices of the producers.

With our first anniversary, we started an incredible tradition of anniversary gelato, courtesy of Amber Billingsley. The first batch involved $70 worth of Amedei 9 transformed into a mere half-gallon of chocolate stracciatella gelato. It literally made some of us misty-eyed. Leading up to the second anniversary, we started our annual Chocolate Society March Madness Tournament—unless that violates a trademark, in which case let it be known that it is our Spring Silliness Tournament. The first tournament featured 32 chocolate bars paired off in a single-elimination, randomly-paired tournament. But each year since has included 64 chocolate bars. We have the only blind, honest chocolate competition out there, and it is some fun!

We have had lectures from a chocolate producer (Rob from Fresco) about the production process, Eric Durtschi from Crio Bru about bean agronomy, and Francis Fecteau from Libation about the tactics of smelling and tasting. We have visited a variety of chocolate producers, had meetings in various local venues to see and celebrate Salt Lake City, and we have eaten a LOT of great chocolate.

It didn’t take long for the real value of the Utah Chocolate Society to shine through, and it wasn’t in the chocolate. It turns out the society—the people who make it up—are easily the best part. We represent different ages, backgrounds, faiths, and senses of humor. We share in a common passion of chocolate, and we do it loudly and with much merriment.

April 30th saw us celebrating five years of getting together to get nerdy about chocolate, and I may have set too high a bar for myself if ever I try to outdo it. Adam Kriesel from Chaia Cucina Catering provided an awesome meal, after which we had, in typical ChocSoc fashion, WAY too many desserts and goodies provided by the people that make the whole institution so great.

My original goal was to find like-minded people to share in the chocolate discovery journey. Mission accomplished.

The next goal is to help Salt Lake City—and all of Utah—realize that Utah is a weird outlier in the chocolate world. The world of fine chocolate is completely overrepresented here in terms of both the number of world-class producers and the number of people who can’t get enough of the stuff. And I want Utah to further embrace that happy fact and shout about it annoyingly loudly to friends and family who ask, “What’s good in Utah?”

You can also learn about fine chocolates in one of the many classes taught at Caputo’s Market.

This is the end, dearest friends, to one of the most delicious weeks I’ve had this year.

We’ve used Chili Beak for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. We’ve mixed, stirred, pulsed, and baked it into zesty dips and spicy tacos and more. So, naturally, we couldn’t leave you without a knockout dessert option. Brownies! Because duhhh.

Matt recently taught Chocolate Through the Ages, just one of the classes we offer. We explored how cacao was originally prepared (savory drinking chocolates) in the Mayan and Aztec cultures and followed the evolution of chocolate to the artisan bars being made today. Chocolate and chilies have been pals for centuries, each complimenting the other in some really cool and, well, extremely sexy ways. I felt inspired by all of this knowledge droppin’ to create a spicy brownie in the hopes of presenting everyone with an unexpected little treat. Also, I just need more friends. So, enter brownies.

I harassed Matt for a chocolate selection for such a recipe, and he sent me home with a handful of Solstice Uganda bars to attempt making these treats. It worked. It really, really worked.

I love the dense, fudgy texture that’s juxtaposed by a crispy, even spicer top layer. It’s everything a dessert should be in my opinion. Luxurious, not too sweet, and complex (yes, even for brownies).

I hope everyone enjoyed Chili Beak week as much as we have. Go forth, stir that Chili Beak, add it to everything, and never, ever look back.

Chili Beak Brownies
Makes 16-20

• 8 ounces 70-75% dark chocolate (Solstice Uganda wins), chopped
• 2 ounces unsweetened chocolate (I love using the Pralus 100% bar), chopped
• 1 stick, plus 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 packed cup light brown sugar
• 3 tablespoons Chili Beak, plus more for drizzling
• 4 large eggs
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

Preheat the oven to 350°.

Combine both sweetened and unsweetened chocolates with the butter in the bowl of a stand mixer set atop a saucepan of simmering water and stir until melted, then reattach to the stand mixer. Using the whisk attachment (or electric handmixer), beat in both sugars with the Chili Beak. Add the eggs and salt and beat until smooth. Sift the cocoa and flour into the bowl and beat until blended.

Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and use your spatula to mostly even out the batter. Using a teaspoon, scoop a small amount of Chili Beak into a small pile on top of the batter and drag the spoon through the Chili Beak and batter to create spicy swirls atop the batter. Bake for about 45 minutes, until the brownies are set around the edges but slightly wobbly in the center; a toothpick inserted into the center should have some batter clinging to it. Transfer the pan to a rack and let the brownies cool, then cut into squares and serve.

There are some foods that I refuse to make without a crowd, mostly because I know I’ll inhale these types of dishes with great gusto. Spinach & artichoke dip would fall in that category. Sure, it sounds healthy. Turns out, it’s not (#wompwomp).

It is, however, entirely delicious and a great appetizer when consumed in small quantities. If I make something like this without a party coming up or friends stopping by, I’d no doubt eat the entire thing.

My new roommate moved in over the weekend. After a long weekend of lugging awkward furniture in and out of cars, elevators, and doorways, we were spent. Not only that, the landlords (the nicest, sweetest, most amazing kind) were stopping by for an annual check in and to meet my new roomie. I whipped up a quick batch of classic spinach & artichoke goodness, and stirred in some of the magical Chili Beak to make it even more fantastic.

Landlords and tenants alike bonded over creamy dip and microbrews. The Chili Beak was the perfect flavor contrast to the creamy mix of creme fraiche, cream cheese, and mayonnaise, but still not so overpowering that we couldn’t taste the spinach and artichoke hearts. I wish every annual meeting could be this delicious.

This dip will keep well for about four days once combined. I like making this in advance of a gathering and popping it in the oven just for that magical reveal. So here’s your warm, decadent dip for flatbread and veggies.

Spinach Artichoke & Chili Dip
Serves 6-10 as an appetizer

• 3 handfuls fresh spinach, thick stems trimmed
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1  shallot, chopped
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1/3 cup cream cheese
• ½ cup creme fraiche
• ½ cup mayonnaise
• 8 ounces marinated artichoke hearts, chopped
• 4 tablespoons Chili Beak
• ¾ cup grated Parmigano Reggiano

Blanch spinach in a pot of salted water for about 1 minute, or until wilted. Remove to a colander to cool. Once cooled, squeeze all water out of spinach with your hands. Wrap a clean dish towel around spinach and press once more.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Saute shallot in olive oil over medium heat, until softened and beginning to brown. Add spinach and continue stirring until most oil has been soaked up by the spinach. Season with salt and pepper and allow to cool slightly. Whisk cream cheese, creme fraiche, and mayonnaise until smooth. Fold in artichoke hearts, spinach mixture, Chili Beak, and grated Parmigiano. Transfer to a 9-inch baking dish and bake for about 20 minutes, or until the top is browned and bubbling. Serve with baguette, crackers, or flatbread and fresh veggies.

I was born in New Mexico. There, I’ve said it. No, I don’t know any real people like from Breaking Bad. Yes, I love the balloon fiesta. Yes, Hatch green chile is unlike any other chile. I like spicy, New Mexican food, but I also have a deep love for Mexican. I’ve been numerous times and love the culture, food, people, and the excessive amount of tequila I’m able to consume.

My grandparents make a New Mexican version of tinga, which is a shredded chicken recipe from Puebla. Whole chicken thighs are braised in a tomato- and chipotle-based sauce, shredded, and served as a tostada or taco. Our New Mexican version is spicier and uses dried New Mexico red chile rather than smoke-dried jalapeños (aka chipotle).

I grew up with this version, so my first true Mexican tinga was a welcome surprise. It was less spicy, but the smokiness from the chipotle was fantastic. I’ve since blended both recipes for my ideal tinga. It’s no surprise then that I immediately made this upon trying Chili Beak for the first time.

The smokiness and spice from Chili Beak makes my endeavors infinitely easier and as delicious as the original recipes. I love making a big batch to last for a week and revisiting it for dinner every other night. Just gently rewarm in a sauce pan and enjoy all over again as a tostada, taco, or over greens.

Chili Beak Chicken Tinga Tacos
Serves 4-8

• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 2 pounds skinless chicken thighs (preferably bone-in)
• Salt
• 1 onion, thinly sliced
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• One 28-ounce can crushed tomatoes
• 3 tablespoons Chili Beak
• 1 cup chicken stock

For Serving:

• Corn tortillas
• Avocado
• Scallions
• Cilantro
• Cotija or sour cream

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Season chicken thighs with salt and brown in a skillet with olive oil over medium-high heat, about 10 minutes. Remove to a baking dish and set aside, leaving oil and fat in the skillet. Add onions to the skillet and saute until softened and beginning to brown. Add garlic and stir until fragrant. Add tomatoes, Chili Beak, and chicken stock. Bring to a boil, then simmer 10-15 minutes. Transfer to a blender or use an immersion blender to puree until smooth. Pour over chicken and bake about 30-40 minutes, until edges are dark and chicken is very tender.

Remove chicken from the sauce and shred with two forks. Return to the sauce, and serve with taco accoutrements.

I’ve developed a newfound affection for Southern cooking over the last two years. It’s not something I make as often as the Mediterranean fare, but it’s always an anticipated and welcomed evening for myself and my hungry friends. We’ve always begun with staples fried chicken and buttermilk biscuits, then added vegetable sides depending on seasonality. I was craving a spicy component with this last Southern kitchen evening, and it landed in an unlikely place: my biscuits.

I love a fun twist on a classic recipe, and I love it even more when Chili Beak makes creating that twist easy and delicious.

Biscuits are one thing I have a firm opinion on and process for. I may be a New Mexican at heart with my roots firmly planted in Utah, and my cooking may be mostly Mediterranean, but I still believe in my biscuit method.

Unwavering opinions:
1. Always use buttermilk: you’ll end up with shorter, drier, blander, and definitely sadder biscuits without it.
2. Never over mix: we want big pieces of butter here. Big bits equals big, flaky air pockets
3. Never twist your biscuit cutter: when cutting, you want to use a straight up-and-down method; twisting closes off those butter pockets and makes biscuits less flaky.

With all that out of the way, let’s talk about the biscuit.

They are, of course, perfect as a side for supper; however, my favorite time to consume these is during breakfast. Egg, cheese, biscuit, extra Chili Beak, and a cup of coffee make for my perfect Saturday morning. Enjoy!

Chili Beak Biscuits
Makes 10-16 biscuits

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2  teaspoons sugar
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 10 tablespoons cold, unsalted butter, cut into small chunks
• 3 tablespoons Chili Beak, solids only
• 3/4 cup buttermilk

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Scoop 3 heaping tablespoons of Chili Beak into a fine mesh sieve. We’ll use the solids for the biscuits. Save the oil for brines, salad dressings, or to finish roasted veggies.

Whish flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt together. Mix in pieces of butter with a pastry cutter, two knives, or pinch between your fingers until the mixture resembles a very coarse meal (remember, big chunks are your friend). Stir buttermilk and Chili Beak in until mixture forms a raggy dough. Use your hands to finish mixing until the dough just comes together. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate for at least 20 minutes.

Roll dough out until about 3/4- to 1-inch thick. Use a biscuit cutter to cut straight through dough. (I use a larger size cutter for breakfast sandwich biscuits, smaller when used for a dinner side). Set biscuits on a parchment-lined baking sheet about 2 inches apart. Bake until biscuits are golden brown, about 12-15 minutes depending on the size of your biscuits. Serve warm with butter and more Chili Beak. We also tried some with raspberry jam, the sweet/spicy combo was delicious.

Our addiction to Chili Beak around Caputo’s is palpable. We douse our eggs, salads, sauces, pizzas, and anything else we’re currently consuming with the stuff.

To be honest, I’m not a fan of hot sauce, in general. But this is a game changer.

In the past, I’ve shied away from hot sauces because the overwhelming acidity overtakes the flavor of whatever it’s added to. Chili Beak is a great way to add some heat and additional flavor, without sacrificing the integrity of your dish.

We’re dedicating this week to Chili Beak, and we’re starting off with breakfast—my favorite meal. Shakshuka is a Middle Eastern dish that’s said to have originated in Tunisia. Eggs are poached in a tomato-based sauce often made with onions, peppers, and cumin, which is a perfect savory breakfast dish. It’s also something I’m happy to eat for evening meals, as well. Shakshuka makes for a lovely centerpiece at the table, one that epitomizes family-style eating.

Serve Shakshuka with plenty of flatbread or veggies for dipping, and you have a fun, delicious meal. Added bonus: versatility. You can include potatoes, beans, or whatever you have on hand, and make this dish your very own. Of course, you’ll want to have loads of extra Chili Beak as a final garnish and for extra heat.

Here’s to the start of a great, delicious week. Cheers!

Chili Beak Shakshuka
Serves 4-6

• 4 tablespoons olive oil
• 4 Anaheim peppers, diced
• 1 small yellow onion, diced
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• 2 teaspoons smoked paprika
• 5 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1 28oz can crushed tomatoes
• 3 tablespoons Chili Beak, plus more for garnish and serving
• 8 eggs (we love using fresh eggs from Clifford Family Farm)
• Warm pita, for serving
• Freshly chopped parsley

Heat olive oil in a large skillet or cast iron pot over medium-high heat. Add peppers and onions, stirring occasionally, until browned, about 8 minutes. Stir in garlic, cumin, and paprika. When garlic has softened, add tomatoes, Chili Beak, and 1/2 – 1 cup of water. Reduce heat to low and simmer until thickened, stirring occasionally, about 20 minutes.

Crack eggs over tomato sauce and cover until whites are just set, about 5 minutes. Spoon sauce over egg whites and garnish with parsley and more Chili Beak. Serve immediately with pita and veggies.

In the nearly 10 years that I’ve been working for Caputo’s, I’ve seen our selection of fine chocolate bars grow to be one the most robust and diverse collections in the country.

So believe me when I say that I have had a chance to try some really excellent chocolates. However, I have never been more excited about a new brand to our collection than I am about Marou Faiseurs de Chocolat.

Marou is a chocolate company founded by two Frenchmen living in Vietnam. They have dedicated themselves to revitalizing cacao culture in Vietnam, which was nearly lost during the country’s turbulent war years. Marou makes a number of bars, each meant to be representative of the terroir of a unique micro-climate within the southern region of Vietnam. The chocolatiers work with small farmers, who are painstakingly insuring that the cacao is of the highest quality through their careful practices, such as growing the cacao trees beneath taller, shade granting foliage.

The chocolate that Marou makes is challenging to many palates. It’s certainly not a variety that sidles up to you with a lot of vanilla and added sweetness. As this post’s title should indicate, Marou is chocolate for whiskey drinkers.

Need something to bring out the vanilla and honey in Booker’s bourbon while smoothing out some of the heat associated with a 127 proof bourbon? Look no farther than the Marou Tien Giang 70%; its spice and fresh fruit notes will enliven the depth of flavor in this and other hot whiskies. Looking for something a little more balanced for a Scotch tasting? You’ll find a perfect fit in the Marou Ben Tre 78%. Is it intense? Certainly, but it is also balanced. This is exactly what we ask of our whiskies: we like the intensity but we want it to be balanced artfully by a master.

Whether a master of malt or a master of chocolate did the balancing, I know what my palate likes, and these chocolates from Marou have me very, very excited.

Those of you who have gotten to know me through my classes or personal interactions at the store know that my early time at Caputo’s was not marked by my great love of cheese. The most unique cheese that I ever took home was manchego. Now don’t get me wrong, I still love manchego, but I was just a man in the spring of his youth who knew not what cheeses the world had to offer.

That was before I met my first true cheese love, Leonora. Oh goddess, oh muse.

Leonora is an alpine goat’s milk cheese from Leon, Spain, with a mild, natural rind. This is a cheese, that to quote one of Caputo’s finest employees, “Makes me hate other cheeses.” Yes, it’s that good.

In terms of production, a single herd of goats produce the milk for this delicate four-pound log of cheese. The rind is ashed and has naturally-occurring molds. The cheese is not meant to be aged for an extended period of time and should be enjoyed when the rich cream layer is just beginning to drift down from the rind into the flaky, flinty paste.

The texture alone makes this cheese a must, it could taste like cardboard and still be worth it. Leonora’s flavor is citrusy, grassy, and creamy and dissolves with leisurely pace if allowed to linger on the pallet.

Remember, though, this is not merely a cheese blog, this is a love story.

After about a year of deeply-felt, hot-burning, mutual love between myself and Leonora, the light loaves of joy seemed to be arriving in ill-health. They began to come in already too advanced to enjoy—beaten up and depressed, things were changing. We had no choice; Caputo’s had to stop carrying a cheese which arrived in too poor of shape to sell. That was more than five years ago. Leonora and I had to go our separate ways; we had to grow on our own. I did not see my love for five years.

In December, I was breaking down pallets when I saw a familiar box. I did not want my hopes to get the best of me, but as I saw the label on the side, I could not help but become ebullient. My darling Leonora had returned to me! I rushed the case upstairs, trying not to let my emotions get the better of me. It had been a long time, and I had been hurt before. We opened the box and tried it. My friends, Leonora is back—and better than ever.

Stop what you are doing, quit your job, cancel your vacation, get up from lunch and come to Caputo’s for some Leonora.

Trust me, with me around, it is not going to last in the cases for very long.

Leonora is featured in this month’s Cravings.