That point in the summer has arrived. IT’S TOO HOT. My legs stick to any surface I sit on, I’ve melted numerous lip balms and plastic cups left in my car, and I have to keep a close eye on my roommate’s air conditioning habits, that power isn’t gonna pay itself.

Oppressive heat calls for icy luxury. This week, that luxury comes to us by way of Luxardo cherries and you nearest freezer. You may recall a recent fennel pollen semifreddo and my argument for making this every day. But really, semifreddo is the ultimate easy dessert.

Whip cream, whisk eggs with additional ingredients, combine, and freeze. There, done. It’s almost too easy.

My pal and fellow class instructor, Evan, and I decided it was high time we rally the Caputo’s troops from all locations for a fun, food-oriented gathering. We love these monthly Cravings and wanted to share that with our fellow cheesemongers and deli co-workers, so we pulled a few cocktails and cheese samples together to learn about, discuss, and enjoy.

I wanted to make something special to add to the lineup. Luxardo semifreddo, duhhhhh.

I couldn’t stop there. I wanted to incorporate a fun play on neapolitan ice cream by adding a chocolate and mascarpone component as well. The Luxardo semifreddo was fantastic, but sandwiching it between two other semifreddi made it even more so.

We nibbled and snacked. We sipped and laughed. And then we ate semifreddo. LOTS of semifreddo.

You can make yours and keep them frozen for up to a week without compromising flavor. So I say make a giant batch to cool off and keep your heat-induced impatience in check. It’s worked for me all season. Enjoy!

Luxardo Cherry Semifreddo
Serves 10

• 1 egg
• 4 egg yolks
• 1/3 cup Luxardo Cherries, roughly chopped
• 3 tablespoons Luxardo cherry syrup, poured off from the whole Luxardo cherries
• 1 ½ cups cream

Line a medium loaf tin with plastic film. Beat the cherry syrup, egg, and egg yolks with the honey in a bowl until pale and thick. Whip the cream until it has thickened and doubled in volume. Fold in the egg and cherry juice mixture and pour into the loaf tin. Wrap in plastic and freeze for 3 hours. Remove the semifreddo and fold in the chopped cherries. Cover again and continue to freeze for an additional 2 hours or overnight.

When ready to serve, invert the semifreddo onto a serving platter and drizzle with extra Luxardo syrup or more cherries. Serve slices immediately.

(For chocolate or mascarpone semifreddo, substitute cherry components for melted dark chocolate or mascarpone. You’ll also want to add 1/4 cup sugar when mixing with the egg yolks.)

We’re in the full swing of summer, and I couldn’t be more excited. I’ve opted for early Saturday mornings at the downtown farmer’s market in lieu of sleeping in, and it’s proven to be incredibly rewarding. I’ve missed seeing my favorite local farmer and purveyors of all things delicious since the winter market ended. For me, the market feels like one giant gathering of all my favorite people and all the yummy things they make. It doesn’t get much better than that—but in one way, it does.

When the market ends and the vendors close up, I’m left with heaping piles of produce, treats, snacks, and too many fresh flowers. The flowers are scattered across my home begging to be adored, and the food begs to prepared. I often buy just a tiny bit more than I myself can eat in the upcoming week, so I have to recruit some friends willing to help consume my market treasures. Thank goodness for my pals, they’re real martyrs for my market cause.

I love hosting Sunday brunches rather than meeting at restaurants (hint: Saturdays make for a much quieter brunch scene when you want to frequent your favorite spots). It’s easier, more casual, and I don’t have to wait until 11:30 for my first mimosa.

Last week, I got my hands on tons of lovely hardy green from Ranui, a new jar of Toum from Laziz, eggs from Clifford Family Farms, and an extra jar of Chili Beak in anticipation of running out of my then current supply. My final stop is always at Caputo’s for those little necessities like oil and butter, and, ya know, all of the other awesome things we carry.

But I stepped my game up this last weekend and snagged Delaware Fireball salami to really spice things up. Sunday is the Day of the Frittata, because duhhh. The custardy texture and adaptability of using nearly any ingredient make this a fresh and new kind of frittata each time I make it. If you’ve had frittata blunders in the past, here are my foolproof tricks to the perfect frittata:

-Use enough dairy. Pick your dairy of choice and stick to this simple ratio: 1/4 cup dairy for every 6 eggs. Milk, creme fraiche, yogurt, you name it. Go for it!
-Cast iron is your best friend. A heavy, well-seasoned pan lends itself to not-so-sticky eggs.
-Overcooking is the ultimate sin. Ain’t nobody got time for dry, chewy frittatas. Cook at 350 degrees and begin checking for a set center at 15 minutes.

Try that post-market home brunch out, I’m sure you’ll enjoy it as much as my pals and I have been these past few weeks!

Fireball Frittata
Serves 2-4

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 Delaware Fireball salami, roughly chopped
• 1 shallot, chopped
• 1 bunch greens (something like chard, kale, mustard, or dandelion)
• 1 tablespoon Laziz Toum
• 6 large eggs
• 1/4 cup whole milk
• 1/4 cup grated Parmigiano Reggiano
• Salt, freshly ground pepper

Place a rack in upper third of oven; preheat to 350 degrees. Heat oil in an 8-inch nonstick ovenproof skillet over medium heat. Add Fireball; cook, stirring often, until browned and crispy, about 5-10 minutes. Add shallot and greens and cook, stirring often, until softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in toum.

Whisk eggs and milk in a large bowl. Season with salt and pepper. Increase the heat to medium-high. Pour the egg mixture over the mushrooms, shaking the pan to evenly distribute mixture. Cook the frittata (NO STIRRING!), until the edges begin to set.

Sprinkle 1/2 the Parmigiano over eggs and transfer skillet to oven. Bake frittata until golden brown and center is set, 25-30 minutes. Garnish with remaining Parm and fresh herbs and Chili Beak on the side.

I’ve done it. Consider those rainy day blues cured—forever and ever. The treatment? Mozzarella di Bufala. Evan recently wrote about Mozzarella di Bufala, and I agree with every single thing he said. It’s a gem of a cheese that’s steeped in history and is a perfect reminder of warm, summer days. Our recently released sale this week on this life changing cheese has me in a much better mood than the current weather situation would normally have me in. This is the time of the year when I begin to look forward to tomato season, mostly so I can consume them in mass quantities with mozzarella and basil. Since there aren’t any mid-August tomatoes laying around, here are 10 ways to enjoy Mozzarella di Bufala with May’s very own seasonal ingredients:

1. Lasagna

Thinly slice your Mozzarella di Bufala and layer between pasta sheets and ricotta for an even more delicious cheese layer in this famous dish. Follow your favorite recipe or substitute it for Burrata in our Asparagus and Burrata Lasagna from last year. Mozzarella will melt deliciously into any baked pasta dish, but this one is my personal favorite.

2. Pizza

This is the most perfect use of Mozzarella di Bufala. Take our frozen pizza dough, a can of crushed tomatoes, and some basil home with your mozzarella, and you have the makings for the most traditional pizza ever. This pizza is why Napoletanos created Mozzarella di Bufala in the first place …. I’m sure of it.

3. Bruschetta

Fancy toast is all the rage right now. Say what you will, but I think bruschetta is the O.G. fancy toast. Select any number of toppings to combine with your Mozzarella. My favorites are locally fire-roasted tomatoes and artichokes, kale pesto, olive tapenade, or thin slices of prosciutto.  Serve cold or toss these under the broiler to begin the melting process of your precious Mozz.

4. Prosciutto Wraps

This is the easiest way to get our cheese from plate to mouth other than eating it by itself. Wrap thin slices of prosciutto around slices of mozzarella and basil leaves. Drizzle with oil and enjoy immediately. If you’d like to make this more of a meal than a snack, add other veggies or lay wraps atop dressed greens. Speaking of salads …

5. Spinach, Pea, & Herb Salad

Dress Spinach, snap peas, basil, and mint with lemon juice, olive oil, and salt. Toss chunks of mozzarella over the top and you’re now looking at my favorite springtime salad.

6. Eggs

Pick your means of cooking eggs, and I’ll give you a place for the mozzarella. Omelette? Toss it in with your veggies. Frittata? Sprinkle chunks in before baking. Fried? Between bread and egg, of course! Eggs love Mozzarella di Bufala almost as much as our cheese mongers do.

7. Arancini

Tonight, make risotto. Lots of risotto. Tomorrow, make arancini. These little fried balls of rice and other delectable ingredients are heavenly, but they’re even better when rice is packed around pieces of mozzarella before frying. Just think about cutting into a warm fried ball of rice that gives way to melty Mozzarella in its center. You’d better wipe away that drool before it lands in your lap.

8. Salt, Oil, Pepper

This was my Nonna’s favorite appetizer, and I’m sure it had everything to do with how quickly it quieted the entire room. Sprinkle an entire ball of mozzarella with sea salt and freshly cracked pepper, then drizzle your very best condiment grade olive oil over it. Serve with crackers or warm bread and enjoy the peace and quiet while you finish making dinner.

9. Roasted vegetables

Roasting brings out all the natural sugars from veggies like beets or carrots. Find your favorite recipe for these or roast simply with salt and oil and serve over slices of mozzarella. In this case, the simplicity is as beautiful as the flavors.

10. Strawberry and Balsamic

It almost sounds like dessert, doesn’t it? Lay slices of mozzarella out in a circle on a salad-sized plate and top with sliced strawberries, hazelnuts, and chopped basil. Finish this dish by sprinkling the entire plate with sea salt, and then a drizzle of your thickest or favorite balsamic.

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.

All good things must come to an end, even fennel pollen week. I had way too much experimenting with this special ingredient and we’ve been reaping the benefits all week long. Plus, we saved the best for last. We’re looking at a warm weekend that I plan on filling with lots of outdoor activity and this semifreddo.

Like the name suggests, semifreddo is a semi-frozen treat that gets its decadent and luxurious texture from heavy cream and raw egg yolks. I used to call this the ‘lazy-girl gelato’ but I find myself making this even when I have plenty of time and energy to make gelato or ice cream instead. It’s just that good. Here, honey and fennel pollen combine for that transcendent little pairing discovery that we just can’t get enough of.

This is my favorite recipe of the week and I can’t wait for you to try it for yourself. I hope fennel pollen has found its way into your hearts and pantries this week like it has ours. Now, how about that weekend?!

Fennel Pollen Honey Semifreddo
Serves 10

• 1 egg
• 4 egg yolks
• 1/3 cup honey, plus more for drizzling
• 1 tablespoon fennel pollen
• 1 ½ cups cream

Line a medium loaf tin with plastic film. Beat the fennel pollen, egg, and egg yolks with the honey in a bowl until pale and thick. Whip the cream until it has thickened and doubled in volume. Fold in the egg and honey mixture and pour into the loaf tin. Freeze at least 2 hours or overnight.

When ready to serve, invert the semifreddo onto a serving platter and drizzle with extra honey and another sprinkle of fennel pollen. Serve slices immediately.

Thursday dinners are always a simple meal for me. I’ve gotten over the hump of Wednesday, but it’s not quite the weekend. I love cooking for friends any chance I get, but whether it’s dinner for one or dinner for five, Thursdays are all about simplicity. I’m limited on time for dinner prep since I’ve spent the day here at Caputo’s and I’m a little pooped from the rest of the week, I’m always reaching for my quick, but still delicious recipes.

Potatoes are just the kind of blank canvas I need for a quick starch side dish. Let’s be honest, there’s likely a whole chicken roasting in the oven and a salad waiting to be dressed and tossed. I’m a woman of simple pleasures during the week, but it wouldn’t be a meal at my house without some kind of starch. Enter the potatoes. An easy roast and a few quick toppings later, I have a complete meal.

Our fennel pollen feast this last weekend was my final chance to make sure our recipes were in check before sharing them with you. I love being part of these little meals with my work family. It’s great to see everyone sans aprons and enjoy their company. Tricia, our lovely manager of the Holladay location, was a huge help with this meal. She took over the potatoes like the pro she is and those heavenly nuggets of golden roasted potatoes sung with dollops of chevre and a sprinkling of fennel pollen. Simple, easy, and lots of flavor. It’s exactly how I like my potatoes. Well-seasoned potatoes, tangy chevre, and sweet, aromatic fennel pollen? Sign me up.

My first recommendation to customers buying fennel pollen for the first time is the same theme as this dish: keep it simple. Make something you love that’s incredibly simple and finish it with a dusting of fennel pollen. Tomato sauces, roasted vegetables, simple baked goods, and lightly seasoned roasted meats are all great ways to begin familiarizing yourself with fennel pollen. This is a great side to poultry dishes as they won’t overpower a milder protein, but I also love these served alongside anything grilled. I’m looking forward to the warm weekend and I think these will be part of at least one meal in the next few days.

Fennel Pollen & Chevre Roasted Potatoes
Serves 4-6

• 1 1/2 pounds waxy potatoes, cut into large cubes
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 4 ounces chevre
• 2 teaspoons fennel pollen

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Toss cubed potatoes with salt, pepper, and olive oil. Spread in one layer across a baking sheet and roast for 20 minutes. Remove baking sheet and toss potatoes once more. Bake for an additional 15 minutes, or until tender and golden brown.

Remove potatoes to a serving bowl. Crumble chevre over potatoes and fold into potatoes. Finish potatoes with fennel pollen and any additional salt if needed. Serve immediately.

We’ve had so much fun trying new recipes out with our beloved fennel pollen in preparation for this week, but it’s time to touch on a classic recipe for today. There are few things in this world that love each other as much as pork and fennel do. It’s a lovely symbiotic relationship that enhances the flavor of high quality pork and the aroma of the fennel pollen. You’ll find various cuts of pork prepared with fennel pollen, seeds, or the entire vegetable across all of Northern Italy, but Piemonte is where I would pinpoint this combination if I had to. Let me tell, those Northern Italians had this figured out. Pork loves fennel and fennel loves pork, it’s just that easy.

Here, we’ll use the pollen as a rub for tenderloin. The longer it can rest on the meat before cooking, the better. I would also suggest cooking the pork until the internal temperature hits 145 degrees. This will keep it from drying out. If you prefer a more well done protein, there’s no shame in a little extra cooking time. We’ll finish this dish with a drizzle of Tuscan condiment olive oil, so that extra hydration will go a long way for a longer cooked loin.

Give this classic a try. The weather is back on the cusp of warming up and this is a good, lighter protein option I love serving alongside farro or a big salad. Enjoy your daily dose of fennel pollen!

Fennel Pollen Pork Loin
Serves 4

• 1 pound pork tenderloin
• 1 clove garlic, thinly sliced
• 4 teaspoons fennel pollen, divided
• 1 ½ teaspoons salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
• condiment grade olive oil, like Laudemio

Cut about 4 shallow slits in the tenderloin, lengthwise, and stuff slices of garlic evenly amongst the slits. Combine 3 teaspoons of fennel pollen with the salt and pepper and rub all over the loin along with 1 tablespoon of olive oil.  Allow to sit at least 20 minutes, ideally 1 hour.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Heat a cast iron skillet over medium high heat with the remaining olive oil. Brown all sides of the tenderloin, about 2 minutes per side. Move skillet to the oven and bake for about 15 minutes, until internal temperature reaches 140 degrees.

Allow loin to rest about 10 minutes on a cutting board. Slice loin, remove to a serving platter and drizzle with your condiment olive oil of choice.

I couldn’t give you a week of fennel pollen without throwing some sweet treats at you, now could I? Another reason I love fennel pollen is its ability to transcend the lines that often divide sweet and savory ingredients. It’s often easy to place an ingredient beneath the sweet or savory banner, but that is not the case here. If someone asked me to choose using fennel pollen in either sweet or savory applications for the rest of my life, I’d be hard-pressed to choose.

This cake is the stuff of legend as far as I’m concerned. It’s not too sweet and gets a hint of tanginess from the buttermilk that is only amplified by the vanilla creme fraiche dolloped on top. I’ve served this for birthdays, team gatherings, dinner parties, and pity parties. The fennel pollen takes this to a place where warm cake and bright, summery fennel flavors meet and have a dance party on your taste buds. Naturally, you’ll want to throw some poached pears or berries on the side of this, which I fully support. This cake- and the creme fraiche- loves fruit. Try it with whatever is in season, or keep it simple with the creme fraiche. Either way, your life needs a little sweetness and you deserve an extra dose of fennel pollen. Enjoy!

Fennel Pollen Buttermilk Cake
Serves 12

• 2 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 stick unsalted butter, softened
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup light brown sugar
• 4 large egg yolks
• 1 1/2 teaspoons fennel pollen
• 2/3 cup buttermilk
• 1 cup crème fraîche
• 1/2 vanilla bean, split and seeds scraped
• 1/4 cup confectioners’ sugar

Preheat the oven to 350°. Butter a 9-inch cake pan and line it with a 9-inch round of parchment paper. Butter the parchment paper.

In a bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder and salt. In a large bowl, using a handheld mixer, beat the butter with both sugars at medium-high speed until light and fluffy. Add the yolks, one at a time, beating well between additions. Beat in fennel pollen. At low speed, alternately beat in the flour mixture and the buttermilk until almost blended. With a rubber spatula, finish folding the mixture together just until smooth. Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and bake for about 35 minutes, until a cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean. Transfer the cake to a rack to cool completely.

In a small bowl, combine the crème fraîche, vanilla seeds and confectioners’ sugar.

Unmold the cake onto a plate, top with vanilla crème fraiche, and serve.

It’s here, the most exciting week for food to date has finally arrived. Matt and I share a serious love for fennel pollen, so we’re taking full advantage of that love and it’s taking over the blog this week.

IT’S FENNEL POLLEN WEEK!

We’ll be sharing a daily recipe all week using this addicting ingredient, and we’re starting off with a personal favorite of mine.

First, let’s just talk about the pollen. It’s easily my favorite part of the entire plant. That’s saying a lot, considering I was that weird kid that brought thin slices of fennel bulb to school with me in my younger years as part of my lunch. Fennel is a personal favorite of mine for salads and as parts of roasted veggies and stocks. The seeds are a fun option for sauces, homemade sausage, and spice rubs. But really, the pollen is the most magical part.

The pollen is easily harvested by shaking fennel flowers over your hand or a small bag in the high summer months, but the yield is quite small. I spent an hour doing this last summer and barely had half an ounce. Use it fresh or dry, both will make you a happy, happy eater. The dried version here has a really fantastic flavor and an even better aroma than the fresh version. Either way, what fennel pollen has to offer is really extraordinary. The aroma is both sweet and spicy, with its classic hint of anise, but also with a honey and citrus finish. The flavor instantly takes me to a place where it’s always summer. Those honey and citrus aromas are also present in the taste. Finally, it’s a flavor enhancer. I don’t care what anyone else says; fennel pollen intensifies the flavors of anything and elevates other sweet or savory components of your dish. Basically, it’s magical fairy dust.

Our most recent food discovery here at Caputo’s is the marriage of honey and fennel pollen. I’m taking advantage of this pairing twice this week, and for very good reason. The sweetness of the honey pairs incredibly well with the aroma and flavor from the pollen. Here, we’re using pan roasted carrots as the base for this combo.

Pan roasting carrots releases all the natural sugars from the carrots and makes them an easy choice as a side for roasted or braised meats and creamy polenta. I love bringing them to the brink of burning to get that really nice, caramelized flavor and texture on the exterior, which is made easier and more delicious with Clifford honey. These end up being sweet, decadent carrot candy. When finished with your magical fennel pollen fairy dust right after they come out of the pan, these carrots will steal the show.

Honey Glazed Carrots with Fennel Pollen
Serves 4 as a side

• 20-25 petite carrots or 10-16 medium carrots, peeled (either works great, but try to find all that are of a uniform size)
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1-2 large spoonfuls honey
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• 1 teaspoon fennel pollen

Heat a large stainless steel skillet, melt butter over medium heat. Add carrots in one even layer, and raise heat to just higher than medium. Turn carrots a few times over the course of about 15-20 minutes so all sides are browned and carrots are tender. Drizzle a spoonful of honey over the carrots, toss, and keep on the heat for another 1-2 minutes. Salt and pepper to taste and finish with the sprinkling of ¾ of the fennel pollen. Toss once more and transfer to a serving dish and finish with the remaining fennel pollen before serving.

Guys, it’s already March! We’ve dabbled in spring, I pulled out a pair of shorts, and then I had to dig my snow boots out again. It’s been a crazy few weeks for us here at Caputo’s. We’re adding new brands of chocolate and delicious new treats to the cheese and charcuterie cases almost weekly. The influx of exciting new ingredients and the crazy weather have us craving all sorts of things.

Here’s what we can’t keep our hands off of and how we play on consuming them:
CHEESE: Testun al Barolo

Testun al Barolo is a semi-firm mixed milk cheese from the Piedmont region of Italy. The cheese has a beautiful, complex flavor thanks to the sweet and grassy milk from alpine pastures and its aging process. It ages for a minimum of four months in small oak barrel under the residues of the Nebbiolo grapes, the grapes for making Barolo wine. The fruity wine flavors seep into the crumbly paste, adding sweetness and complexity to the paste. There’s no better presentation, in my opinion, than our testun cheeses. The packed Nebbiolo on the rind of this cheese is intriguing, lovely, and a fun center piece for a cheese plate.

CHOCOLATE: Rozsavolgyi Csokolade Trincheras 

Don’t let the name scare you. I know, it’s a mouthful of letters in an intimidating order, but this bar is so worth fumbling through the pronunciation. Our friends at Roszavolgyi in Hungary are making beautiful, award-winning bars we can’t help but devour. Awarded a Silver Medal by the Academy of Chocolate in the “Bean-to-Bar Best Dark Bar” main category, these cocoa beans from Trincheras, Venezuela are roasted at very low temperatures to preserve every little bit of their natural taste. Guys, this is the stuff dreams are made of. Just wait until you hear what Matt has to say about this one.

SAVORY: Salumeria Biellese Culatello

Prosciutto is often considered the king of Italian salumi. This is the one cured meat that will forever reign in our hearts. Salumeria Biellese makes their culatello in the most traditional and delicious way. Only the largest muscle mass from the hind leg of heirloom breed pork is used. Simple seasoning and over a year’s worth of curing results in a supple, delicious cured pork that is second to none. Slightly drier than traditional prosciutto and more robust in flavor, culatello is a remarkable item perfect for serving alongside other fine charcuterie. Wrap spears of asparagus, layer on flatbreads and pizza, or add to your favorite pasta and vegetable dishes.

SWEET (But also savory): Fennel Pollen

This is the main event, the creme de la creme, the Justin Timberlake of the NSYNC lineup for March. Blame Matt. I got so excited about this that we’re dedicating an entire week of March to this one ingredient. If you are familiar with the flavor of fennel, this is the more heavenly, aromatic, fantastic version of ground fennel seeds. I really can’t say enough about how much I love this. It belongs in cakes, on top of roasted chickens, as part of a crust for roasted red meats, even in semifreddo. Intrigued? Fennel pollen week will convince how versatile this is, and how desperately you’ll need a jar of your own.

I can’t wait to share our recipes this month. As always, eat deliciously, and feed those cravings.

Everyone has one, everyone needs it, the welcome January cleanse. Starting at Thanksgiving and ending with New Year’s, the season is packed full of rich, fatty, decadent holiday food. We consume it happily and with gusto, but all good things must come to an end. By New Year’s Day, I just want a salad and water for weeks. I love the transition from heavy sauces and too many desserts to greens and root vegetables, but I’m finally starting to want just a little more starch. I’d be lying if I didn’t admit my first heartier meals were pasta. Every year, as January wanes into February, I just want pasta. The best way back to my one true food love is with simple, light pan sauces and plenty of vegetable matter. I’m not ready for heavy cream sauces and braised meats amid my noodles, it’s just too soon.

Enter, the braised vegetables. Hearty enough to make you feel good, and healthy enough to put your mind at ease. This veggie and pasta combo really needs an extra boost of flavor, and it’s now the go-to meal for the month. Secret ingredient: condiment grade olive oil. Not just any oil, Bariani Early Harvest.

As the harvest of late fall/early winter comes and goes, the newest and freshest extra virgin olive oils are released to the masses. Our very favorite domestic olive oil is worthy of international awards, and I can’t wait to get my hands on a new bottle. The Bariani family has historical roots in Lombardia, but now call California their home and playground helping to create truly beautiful olive oil. The possibilities here are endless. So endless, that there should just be a bottle placed in the kitchen and another on the dinner table. It’s perfect for drizzling over roasted meats, when you’re ready, of course, and veggies, tossed with pasta and a few other choice additions (read: cheese), or as the ultimate condiment to be drizzled over every single thing that touches your table.

It’s incredibly important for me to have both cooking oils and finishing oils handy. I’d hate to waste my money by cooking with condiment oil and I would hate a bland dish even more. Sautees, roasts, dressings, even poached eggs and veggies get the cooking oil treatment. I’m not saying run to the nearest grocery store and stock up on the cheap nonsense that likely isn’t even olive oil, I’m saying find something you like. I love this for my cooking oil. For the most exciting finishing oils, I love Bariani. It has that green, grassy top-note and peppery finish I love in a good condiment oil with a lovely, silky mouthfeel. So, it’s perfect — for everything. But don’t take my word for it. Make your favorite pasta and veggies, drizzle all the oil you want over them, and get back to me.