You know it’s gifting crunch time, we know it too. You’re still not sure what to give, and you haven’t started shopping yet? That’s OK, we won’t tell. Here’s what some of your favorite faces from Caputo’s are giving to their friends and family this year to serve as gifting inspiration.

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 never lacking in opinions around here.

So, here you have it: each of our gift picks for 2016:

Matt Caputo
President and residing ulitmate boss-man

Scaldaferro Torrone – 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.

Yelena Caputo
VP and ultimatest boss who oversees said boss-man

Pump Street Bakery Father Christmas – Is there anything better than a chocolate figurine of Saint Nick stuffed into your stocking on Christmas morning. There is – said Saint Nick made out of really, really good chocolate. Father Christmas is hand poured 60% dark milk chocolate from HCP protected Ecuador cacao beans. This is one I’ll be gifting both family and friends this season. The best part – Father Christmas is a whopping $8.99!

Adri Pachelli
Director of Education and expert gift wrapper

Holiday Chocolate Trio – I know exactly how much time went in to procuring the selection for all of our gift collections this year because I got to help! This collection is my favorite, it’s a taste of each holiday flavor we all know and love, but each is encased in chocolate. Who says no to something like this?! Scrooge, that’s who. Unless you’re searching for a Scrooge gift, this is perfect for stuffing individually into stockings or gifting bundled in adorable, festive gift wrap.

Mason Mostoller
Downtown Deli Manager and widely regarded happiest deli elf

Royal Rose Naughty or Nice Moscow Mule Duo – Moscow Mule’s gained their popularity in the 50’s and 60’s. Traditionally served with Vodka and ginger beer in a copper mug, this drink has become a regularly sought after item in most drinking establishments. Royal Rose’s Naughty or Nice Moscow Mule kit adds a twist to the mix in the “Naughty” mixer with the addition of fresh jalapeno peppers. I chose to gift this to my Mother because she has always been interested in Moscow Mules and the culture surrounding the drink.

Austin Shimada
Holladay General Manager and jolliest smiler

Utah Craft Chocolate Collection – What’s better than a bar of chocolate? A whole crate of local chocolates. Our local chocolate crate is a great way to introduce someone into the world of fine chocolate. I will be gifting our local chocolate crate to not only show my love for chocolate but also to support small local companies that strive to do such an amazing job.

Sean Rorke
University Deli Manager and avid hat wearer

Fee Brother’s Grapefruit Bitters – I’ll take a hefty dose of citrus any way I can get it in these cold winter months, why not incorporate it into cocktails?! I’ll be adding to gin & tonics at gatherings all season, but these make for a great gift for anyone interested in starting a home bar.

Antonia Horne
Affineuse and general cheese whisperer

The Silver Spoon cookbook – available at our Downtown location

The Silver Spoon is an elegant book brimming with recipes for classical Italian dishes, accompanied by striking photos. There is a recipe for practically any Italian ingredient you can think of, as well as many that may be unfamiliar. The recipes are straightforward and ingredient-focused, and I find this book inspiring when I want to get out of my comfort zone and try something new. If you love a food-nerd, you can not go wrong with this book. The Silver Spoon is a great investment in the future of your table and tastebuds!

Melted cheese is a thing of beauty. Never mind your preference regarding the type, I’m sure we can all agree that gooey, melty cheese is just the thing to pull us out of the winter doldrums. My go to melty meal of choice? Raclette.

The name of both cheese and meal is often met with sighs of appreciation and longing at first mention. Anyone who has experienced this centuries old tradition likely remembers it fondly. If you haven’t, think back to your first grilled cheese or macaroni and cheese that used high quality cheese. Remember that comforting feeling and delicious experience. Now I want you to imagine multiplying that feeling by at least five. That’s what Raclette will do you.

Raclette is a traditional Swiss alpine cheese made of cow’s milk that is aged at least three months and finished with brine baths to further develop its aroma and flavor. The result is a slightly stinky, but very creamy, decadent semifirm paste that, of course, begs to be melted. Most people will tell you the meal based on this cheese was started around the campfires of hunters who mainly ate potatoes, pickles, and this cheese while on long hunts. The story goes that the cheese ended up too close to the fire, melted over the potatoes, and voila, Raclette (the meal) was born.

Over the past few centuries, many iterations of raclette grill contraptions have arisen. Some have a long, thin heating element to melt on face of a quarter wheel of the cheese. Others resemble an Easy Bake Oven with small plates inserted under larger heating elements that can be removed and the cheese scraped over your starch and protein of choice. If you’re dying to experience this melty meal but aren’t so crazy about aquiring another crazy kitchen contraption, fear not, I love this meal and have never used anything other than my oven.

You’ll need Raclette, potatoes, and cornichons for the most basic version of this meal. I love to also include thin slices of Speck, crusty bread, pickled onions, and a big green salad when I’m making this for friends. Whatever you choose, you’ll remember it fondlt and crave it often. Don’t say I didn’t warn you.

Raclette
Serves 4-6

• 2 pounds sliced Raclette, rinds removed
• 1.5 pounds boiled fingerling potatoes
• 1 loaf artisan bread, sliced
• Sliced speck, prosciutto, or roasted meats
• 1 jar cornichons
• 1 jar pickled onions
• Other vegetables, mustard, or condiments, if desired

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Lay slices of raclette on the bottom of a shallow baking dish or small baking sheet. Bake for about 5-10 minutes, or until cheese is completely melted and beginning to bubble and liquefy.  Scrape over potatoes, bread, and any protein selections. Season with salt and pepper, serve immediately with cornichons, pickles, and other vegetables and sides.

“Ask Matt Caputo” is an ongoing feature where Matt answers commonly asked questions from the market. This week, he discusses the mislabelling of EVOO found in many grocery stores.

Q: I heard that most Extra Virgin Olive Oils found in grocery stores are mislabeled. How so?

A: Last week, 60 Minutes had a big exposé on how 70 to 80% of the olive oils found in U.S. grocery stores are mislabeled, meaning they are not real Extra Virgin grade.

Although it was “breaking news,” this is not new news. Tom Mueller first broke this story in a 2007 New Yorker article titled “Slippery Business.” But even before then, we knew something was not right in the industry. We were seeing incredibly vibrant-green colors in olive oils that tasted flat, stale, and worse.

After years and years of blind taste tests, I can identify between dozens of oils and name the brand and region of production (I’ve even been able to impress my wife, Yelena, with this skill). I’ve learned to put a lot of faith in my nose and palate.

Over the years, any oil whose flavor, aromas, and textures did not add up to the claims on the label were discontinued at Caputo’s. We always eagerly analyze samples for quality before putting products on our shelves.

We do not stop at blind taste tests, however. We wanted to make certain, so in cases where the price seemed too good to be true, we sent the oils in for professional taste tests to Agbiolab where they conduct many gustatory, chemical, and other scientific tests on olives and olive oil. At no small expense, we have had them run a full spectrum of tests—a tasting panel, UV light test, chemical analysis, etc.—on oils we were curious about.

When a study came out by the UC Davis Olive Center that tested 40 popular brands of olive oil showing how the vast majority of them failed the tests to be called Extra Virgin, we were proud—but not surprised—that Caputo’s did not carry a single one of them.

The moral of the story: Even the less expensive Extra Virgin Olive Oils on Caputo’s shelves are the real deal, and those that are more expensive have been selected for a reason and will be worth every penny. The only thing to decide upon is whether you would like a grassy Sicilian, a thistly Tuscan, or a more complex Umbrian oil.

We keep samples open, so patrons can taste each to ensure they are going to enjoy their purchase. So come on in!

Disclaimer: While Matt Caputo is a Certified Cheese Professional and specialty food fanatic, he is not a medical professional, doctor, or certified nutritionist. Please consult with your doctor or other qualified health care professional before making any healthcare decisions, diagnostics or treatment decisions based on Matt’s answers.

What a year 2015 was! We had loads of fun with our ever-growing chocolate selection, we introduced the world to our amped-up array of bitters and bar goods, and we pulled out some seriously fantastic cheese from our cheese caves. It was tasty year indeed, but I can’t wait to show you what we’ve got in store for 2016. Let’s welcome the new year with our first cravings of 2016:

CHEESE: Raclette

Of course, one raclette couldn’t suffice for us at Caputo’s. You do need options, after all, when you decide to tackle a traditional, melted-alpine-cheese-themed meal. We’ve got both Swiss and French raclette to help you and your friends stay warm this January. Raclette is one of the most well-known alpine cheeses from Europe. Raw cow’s milk wheels are washed daily while maturing into the ultimate creamy, complex, and pungent cheese. It’s perfect for the table as is, but I’ve got a serious soft spot for it melted. Get thee to thy nearest Caputo’s for raclette, artisan bread, cornichons, and more for your own traditional raclette meal. Don’t worry, I’ll have a full how-to for you in the coming weeks.

PANTRY: Olio Novello – Laudemio, Olio Verde, and Capezzana

Is it too early to call 2016 the year of the condiment oil? I proclaim it so, just you wait. There are certain foods in each type of cultural cuisines that are true stalwarts. Mustard in France, ketchup here in the states—you get the idea. Italy’s is, of course, my favorite. Condiment oil is placed on the table and hopefully never leaves. This is not the stuff for sautéing and cooking. It is reserved only for drizzling over already-cooked or prepared foods right before serving or while eating. Condiment oils can be peppery, grassy, or bright—or even all three. The feeling after your first drizzle is transcendent. It makes everything more complex and even more delicious.

Now is a great time to stock up on oils because we are currently receiving the newest releases from the oil harvest of October/November 2015. This is also the ideal time to use them. I try to finish all my condiment oils before the new harvest arrives in late winter, so I always have the very best oils at their peak of deliciousness. These are three of our very best. Start by tasting them at the store and take home your favorite. You’ll be amazed at how often you reach for it at dinner. Or breakfast. Or lunch.

CHOCOLATE: Domori Milk Chocolates

I know, I know. We love our dark chocolate here more than almost anything. But these, my friends, these are a game changer. Domori is my favorite boutique chocolatier from Italy. I love their chocolates for their untouchable texture, silkiness, and delicate attention to detail. It would only make sense that they would tackle milk chocolate with the same gusto for complexity and ingenuity. Choose from goat, sheep, donkey, or camel milk bars. They’re all unique and all incredibly complex. I have never sat and pondered milk chocolate while eating it like I have with these bars. The difference in taste, texture, and finish are exciting for me and hopefully for the world of fine chocolate.

Are you a cheese geek? Here’s Matt’s two cents, “Cheese geeks will certainly appreciate tasting through these incredible offerings of ruminant and non-ruminant milks.” It’s Adri again: I Googled ruminant for you. Your non-ruminant milk that Matt speaks of is in the donkey bar. I’m sure you’ve seen other “odd milk” bars on the market from other brands. Trust me, these are by far the best. Domori obviously uses the highest quality and freshest milk possible just based on taste.

ruminant [roo-muh-nuh nt] , noun
1. any even-toed, hoofed mammal of the suborder Ruminantia, being comprised of cloven-hoofed, cud-chewing quadrupeds.

Stay tuned for tasting notes, opinions, and more about these exciting new bars.

TREAT: Scaldaferro Torrone

It pains me to even post this. Not because of anything negative, but because it will be hard to let all you lovely people buy this and not hoard it all for myself. Matt calls this a “here today, gone tomorrow” kind of item that is only briefly on our shelves for the holidays and slightly thereafter. And I hate that. I wish I could eat this torrone everyday for the rest of eternity. It’s that good. Torrone is a traditional confection made from egg whites, honey, and nuts. So simple, but so divine. There is really nothing better than the Scaldaferro Torrone selections, and I hate to admit it, but I’ve grumpily typing this since the first mention of Scaldaferro. Seriously, get this before it’s gone. You’ll miss out on a tiny piece of cloudy, sweet perfection.

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 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 2015:

Matt Caputo
President and ultimate boss-man

“For the food and/or beverage geek, Workhorse Rye’s bitters are glorious. Whether it be Passionflower, Salted Cacao, Aromatic Coffee Bitters, or one of the ever-changing seasonal varieties, each Workhorse Rye bitters is crafted with unrivaled skill. Each recipe creates an immersive experience whose transcendental effects are hard to shake off. For example, the Passionflower Bitters—made with the soothing botanicals passionflower, hops, echinacea, chamomile, violet leaf, blackberry leaf, and valerian root—lulls the imbiber into a dreamlike state, where they are transported to a warm and friendly Eastern European apothecary from the mid-1800s. Luckily, you won’t want to wake up from this dream.”

Yelena Caputo (above)
VP, and ultimatest boss who oversees said boss-man

“Luxardo cherries are the ultimate gift no matter the time of year. It’s my go-to hostess gift, my go-to holiday gift, and my own go-to treat. I’ve not met a single person who hasn’t loved these candied cherries and the many, many uses they serve. I stock them in both bar and pantry for cocktails—hello, perfect old-fashioned—and garnishes, desserts, and pan sauces. These offer a taste of luxury and perfection which everyone should experience.”

Adri Pachelli
Cooking Instructor and self-proclaimed office monkey

“My dad and brother have a huge obsession with salami. My grandparents had a knack for finding (ahem, smuggling) some of the best cured meat options available long before the days of Creminelli and other artisan salami. Now that I’ve been here at Caputo’s for almost a decade, I have one job at holiday gatherings: bring the salami or don’t bother coming at all. Just kidding, I’m sure they’d still let me inside.

I have to bring Chili Beak this year as well. I go through a jar almost every two weeks and my family’s roots in New Mexico lend us all to having a great appreciation for heat. Chili Beak, however, is both spicy and incredibly delicious. I can’t help but share my obsession.”

Ashlee Mason
Market Manager and cheese slayer

“If you’re looking for a unique and delicious stocking stuffer, consider the humble nougat (or torrone, as it’s called in Italian). It’s a treat dating back to the Roman Empire that consists of little more than sugar, egg whites, and honey. Whether you want to savor the floral La Florentine torrone bon bons, munch on the perfectly crunchy Mandorlato scaldaffero, or feast on an entire bar of Relanghe hazelnut nougat (which I may or may not do on a nightly basis) is entirely up to you! It might be my personal mission in life to bring nougat and halva (a tahini-based nougat from the Middle East) back in vogue, and we have an entire section dedicated to the chewy treats. So come in, stuff those stockings full, and INDULGE.”

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

“I like to give my aunt a bottle of high quality oil and vinegar for the holidays, something nice enough that they wouldn’t buy for themselves. Viola is always in my kitchen and is my favorite condiment oil, and Villa Manodori is my favorite vinegar. I also love giving these because it’s a gift that keeps on giving. Rather than one nice meal, my family is able to enjoy a taste of luxury each time they pull these bottles out of the pantry.”

Michael Eldridge
Deli & Catering Manager and party monger

“After 15 years in New York, this is my first Christmas in Salt Lake City and with Caputo’s. Beautiful snow, great food, many fun events to plan and cater, great food, happy customers with a lot of Christmas spirit…did I mention great food? Then this happens: Today, one of our deli regulars gives me a warm handshake and wishes me a Merry Christmas and I realize…it’s December 18th! Only a week until Mr. Claus’ Monster Truck Event of Giving. I have more than 20 family members and friends in the Big Apple who need gifts, and none of them are easy to buy for (read: They are snobs). I breathe deeply…and remember I have a Christmas miracle on hand.  I work 10 feet away from the best market in Salt Lake City, a mecca of chocolate and cheese and charcuterie, none of which my East Coast-biased peeps can find without risking a death-defying shopping run. And Caputo’s ships overnight. I step across the threshold into the market, and I am met by Ashlee, the GM—the Han Solo to, me, Chewbacca. She seems to know my plight. She takes me by the fur and helps me run the gift basket creation gauntlet.  She’s throwing down Solstice Wasatch Blend Chocolate, Durci Defiant Viajero Chocolate,  Barolo Creminelli, locally roasted La Barba coffee (in stores only!),  and truffle honey. All in less than twelve parsecs. I hold my gift baskets, breathe deeply, and recover from the panic and explosion of mixed metaphors I just survived.  Gift cards?  Please. In brownstones all over New York City, they shall praise my name. And then, they’ll go to the website to figure out what they want me to buy them for New Year’s Eve parties.  I’ll be ready.”

It’s hard to believe that we’re approaching the 4th annual Caputo’s Chocolate Festival this week. What a delightfully delicious and cacao-filled fun ride it’s been!

Each year, our goal has been to highlight one craft chocolate maker—and this has varied from the best chocolate born abroad and in the United States—while also showcasing the dynamic culinary power of our local chefs. On top of that, it’s been a great way to get nerdy with the chocolate community and would-be chocolate connoisseurs.

Always educational and and brimming with tasty bites—the forthcoming festival featuring Solstice Chocolate surely won’t be any different. But before we get to carried away with excitement, let’s take a trip down memory lane, shall we?

These vignettes just so happen to get us extremely excited about chocolate. So give them a watch.

Caputo’s 1st Annual Chocolate Festival, featuring Amedei Chocolate

Caputo’s 2nd Annual Chocolate Festival, featuring Ritual Chocolate

Caputo’s 3rd Annual Chocolate Festival, featuring Dick Taylor Chocolate

Salt Lake City’s newest bean-to-bar chocolate maker Solstice Chocolate is now part of our award-winning, craft-chocolate selection. Owner Scott Querry has developed his love and passion for chocolate over the last 15 years and is now the company’s sole chocolate maker.

“Using little cocoa butter, but no vanilla, their chocolate is one of the most well executed we have,” says Matt Caputo, CEO of Caputo’s Market & Deli. “From their unique and functional packaging to their flawless tempering, Solstice embodies truly incredible sophistication and depth of nuance.”

High-quality, hard-to-find, organic cacao beans are processed with organic cane sugar and organic cocoa butter in extremely small batches with a meticulous process and eye. The result is mature, full-flavored, single-origin bars that have stolen a piece of our hearts.

Here’s an added bonus: Solstice is not just delicious, there’s an incredibly pure, mindful process behind its deliciousness. The company strives to minimize its carbon footprint by eliminating waste during production and offering its chocolate in 100% biodegradable and resealable bags.

Don’t let this fool you into thinking they are just another marginal “artisan” or “craft” chocolate pop-up. You can tell this chocolate is chef-approved by looking at a number of menus around Utah. “The raw energy behind Solstice Chocolate has their vibrant chocolate popping up on the best menus around town,” Caputo says. “The restaurant industry has never shown this level of support for a Utah craft-chocolate company.”

Solstice’s skillful chocolate-making produces straightforward bars that scream the origin of the cacao beans loud and clear. Terroir is never a mystery with Solstice. “Some would call their style loud and brash,” Caputo continues. “When the notes are as clean and pure as this, I say rock on!”

Solstice Chocolate’s current lineup includes a total of five bars. One blend, titled Wasatch, and four single origins: Bolivian Palos Blancos, Madagascar Sambirano, Uganda Bundibugyo, Ecuador Camino Verde. Here’s some more information and tasting notes for each bar:

Description and Tasting Notes (provided by Solstice Chocolate):

Solstice Bolivian premium chocolate bars are handcrafted from Palos Blancos cacao beans. Palos Blancos is harvested from a damp rainy region of Bolivia. This climate gives rise to the unique qualities of this rich elegant chocolate. Tasting Notes: This deep rich chocolate has subtle notes of nuts, honey, and fresh cream.

Solstice Ecuador premium chocolate bars are handcrafted from cacao grown by Camino Verde Estate, a farm located near the southern coastline of Ecuador. This plantation uses unique fermentation methods to produce sweet decadent cacao. Tasting Notes: This aromatic sweet cacao results in a unique chocolate with delicious notes of brown sugar, caramel, banana, and cream.

Solstice Madagascar premium chocolate bars are handcrafted from Sambirano cacao beans. Sambirano beans are cultivated from a distinct tropical climate along the Sambirano River in Madagascar often referred to as “the green gold of Madagascar.” Taste Notes: This unique tangy chocolate has hints of citrus and berries believed to be a result of former fruit plantations enriching the soil during French Colonial times.

Solstice Uganda premium chocolate bars are handcrafted from fine cacao grown in Bundibugyo. This area is part of the flourishing growth of cacao farming in Uganda. Taste Notes: This dark chocolate has a subtle bitterness of cocoa powder with fresh, earthy hints of berries and tree fruit.

Solstice Wasatch Blend chocolate bars takes its name from the Wasatch Mountains of Utah, the home of Solstice Chocolate. This is an original combination of cacao beans created to showcase Solstice’s love of chocolate. Taste Notes: This unique blend of cacao creates a chocolate which is both mild and exciting, with an essence of cream and subtle sweet spice.

All images provided by Solstice Chocolate

More from Chocolate Week:

A Primer on Solstice Chocolate

Solstice Drinking Chocolate Recipe

Caputo’s Solstice Chocolate Mini-Tartlets

A Retrospect of Past Chocolate Festivals

Recipe: Adri’s Festive Wasatch Tart

The Menu for Chocolate Fest Featuring Solstice Chocolate

Ask Matt Caputo: What is the Best Process to Taste Fine Chocolate?

As I write this, the first light snow is falling from the sky, and it really feels like sweater season. I often dread the beginning of this cold weather. I miss the farmer’s market, the madness of the holidays are looming over my head, and, I’m just plain cold. This year is different. The weather cooled very gently and after nine years of working at Caputo’s for the holidays, I’m feeling shockingly calm—almost zen, if you will.

So as the holidays approach and the snow starts to fall more frequently and in bigger doses, let’s enjoy it with our best friends and family over treats and nibbles. You’ll need a cocktail too, of course. Here’s how we’re enjoying the transition to winter:

CHEESE: Ossau Iraty Reserve

One of the most-celebrated and well-known Basque cheeses is made even more delicious in the hands of Caputo’s own affineuse, Antonia Horne, in the chilly comfort of our Cheese Cave. Ossau Iraty arrives in great condition to eat immediately. It tastes mildly grassy and sweet, and is a great choice for the table when you crave the comfort of a creamy, alpine-style cheese. But this is Caputo’s after all, so, of course, we couldn’t just let you settle for a good cheese. We want you to experience great cheese, and we want everyone to know first hand how our caves affect and improve even the most delicious wheels. Antonia gives the ultimate TLC to Ossau for six months. That sweet, grassy cheese transforms to have a deep, complex, brand new flavor. Ossau Reserve offers newly developed notes of caramel and browned butter with a still-perfect interior and more interesting and aromatic rind.

Enjoy this with your favorite cheese accouterments and wine alone, or get your cheese geek on and try the original Ossau and Ossau Reserve in a side-by-side tasting to see exactly what the differences are. You’ll want to hug Antonia afterwards. I always do.

CHOCOLATE: Solstice Chocolate

We give you one, fantastic chocolate almost every month, but this month is special. Here why:

1. We couldn’t agree on one Solstice bar. We didn’t have time to sell tickets to the WWE-style brawl it would take to select one, because of…
2. SOLSTICE CHOCOLATE FEST. That’s right. Our 4th annual Chocolate Fest features our first locally-made chocolate. Each bar will be featured in a dish made by a talented local chef in a sweet or savory application, plus all proceeds will be donated to the Heirloom Cacao Preservation Initiative (read more here).
3. Have you had Solstice? Could you pick one? Of course not, and neither could we.

Solstice is locally-made and has been blowing our minds. We’ve never seen the kind of support for a local chocolate like this. Solstice is on the menu of some of the best restaurants downtown, and it’s being used by Chocolatier Blue for its amazing chocolates. What’s more, Solstice is crafting chocolate with a no-waste and eco-friendly operation.

BAR: Beehive Spiced Orange Bitters

Bitters are the future, friends. Seriously. Local bitters are even more exciting. Imagine, little ol’ Utah making top-tier, high-quality bitters. Yeah, it’s happening.

Beehive Bitters is making a small selection of bitters that belong on the bar cart of any cocktail enthusiast. Not much for cocktails at home yet? You’ll find these bitters behind the best bars in the city, or you can add them to your personal pantry for cooking, baking, and marinading. The Beehive Spiced Orange Bitters is the perfect welcome to the cold weather. I’ll be using this in everything from plays on hot toddies to cranberry sauce. I’m even experimenting with turkey brine recipes that call this. The possibilities aren’t just endless, they’re exciting and, more often than not, quite rewarding.

“Ask Matt Caputo” is a new, ongoing feature where Matt answers commonly asked questions from the market. This week, he discusses how the shape of pastas will affect taste and texture

Q: Do various pasta shapes taste differently, or is it just about texture?

A: Different shapes of pasta, even though they might be made by the same brand with the same ingredients, will actually taste differently. Differences in texture will affect how we experience both the taste of the sauce and the pasta. 

Take two examples from the extremes: Capellini (tiny hair-like threads) and Calamaretti (thick squid-like ringlets). Both are made from two ingredients: durum semolina and water. The Capellini threads are cut into shorter and shorter threads by the tooth, but are rarely actually smashed and ground by the tooth before swallowing. The Calamaretti, however, are thick and will have a richer texture as the tooth smashes through and releases creamy textured starches, which are also rich in grain flavor. 

The heavier Calamaretti will lend a creamy, almost porridge-like flavor to the pasta dish. The ringlets are also great at catching large chunks of coarsely hand-ground tomatoes or other large particles, such as vegetable slices, cubes of pancetta, and so on. If you’ve never had it, Maestri Pastai’s Calamaretti will show you that dried pasta can be far better than most fresh pasta. 

Disclaimer: While Matt Caputo is a Certified Cheese Professional and specialty food fanatic, he is not a medical professional, doctor, or certified nutritionist. Please consult with your doctor or other qualified health care professional before making any healthcare decisions, diagnostics or treatment decisions based on Matt’s answers.