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?

Guys, IT SNOWED! Never mind that it lasted 15 minutes, and never mind that none of it stuck around. The important fact here is that frozen precipitation fell from the sky the first week of November. I began dreaming of all the hot drinks in my near future as I watched those big, fluffy flakes fall gracefully to the wet ground. Cider, hot toddies, tea, but most importantly, drinking chocolate. Not the powdered milk and cocoa with weird dried marshmallows, but real drinking chocolate.

The key to this recipe is high-quality chocolate. Any low quality bars won’t create the right consistency or flavor that you and your loved ones deserve. With so few ingredients, we rely heavily on the flavor of our chocolate to make this drink shine. I’ve always had a soft spot for the Solstice Bolivia bar. Notes of honey, cream, and very subtle warm baking spices are the perfect flavor I want when I’m craving drinking chocolate.

We made chocolate cake pops just a few weeks ago with a special focus on ganache. For cake pops, the ganache served as a binder to keep the cake crumb together and on the pop sticks. Here, we’re making what I like to call a “loosey-goosey ganache” that is the perfect consistency for drinking. This is the same process as making a thick ganache, we’re just using more cream than chocolate. The very nature of drinking chocolate is luxuriously
thick, so a little goes a long way here. I only need about 1/4 cup when I make this on special occasions with friends, so let’s not lose our marbles over the use of heavy cream. However, should you feel that your marbles are still in jeopardy of being lost, use whole milk or half and half.

This is a fun, easy, and quick recipe that comes together in less than 10 minutes. Make this with your kids, your friends, or your family. This is my favorite and most decadent way to welcome the cold weather. Blankets, thick socks, and a fire make it the perfect early winter evening.

SOLSTICE DRINKING CHOCOLATE
Serves 4

• 14 ounces heavy cream
• 5 ounces or two dark chocolate bars, 70% cacao or higher, preferably Solstice Bolivia
• Fleur de sel sea salt
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

In a medium bowl, whisk 4 ounces of heavy cream until whipped, but still loose. We don’t want stiff peaks, but enough volume to hold cream together when we top our chocolate with it. Set aside.

Simmer a small pot of water. Set a metal or glass bowl over it, making sure there is air between the bottom of the bowl and the simmering water. Pour 10 ounces of cream into bowl and heat until it’s warm enough to melt the chocolate. Add 5 ounces of chocolate and stir to melt. Once the chocolate is melted, use and immersion blender or whisk to combine. Whisk until your ganache is fully blended. Stir in vanilla, then add fleur de sel in small pinches, to taste.
Pour into small espresso cups, Mason jars, or other small glasses. Spoon whipped cream on top and serve immediately.

This is an easy recipe to add your own unique twist. Here are a few easy ways to make it your own:

• Steep the cream ahead of time with your favorite spices
• Add a cinnamon stir stick upon serving
• Add a dash of cayenne for a spicy kick
• Add booze. Any booze. I’m a personal fan of whiskey or Bailey’s
• Mix equal parts drinking chocolate with coffee
• Top with marshmallows or whipped cream
• Substitute your favorite bitters for half of the vanilla extract

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.

I don’t consider myself a serious baker, but I enjoy baking. I also don’t consider myself a festive person, but I do enjoy getting in the spirit of things with the right people. And the right people are often kids. I will not go crazy decorating with friends, but I will with my little sister or with my friends’ children,  a number rapidly growing with each passing year. I love crafting with kids, and Matt and Yelena were gracious enough to let me steal their two darling littles for some fun Halloween-themed cake decorating.

I love cake pops. Say what you will about them, but small portions of delicious cake that don’t require utensils are always a yes in my book. Plus, it got us in the mood for the upcoming holiday. Marou’s Heart of Darkness bar is an incredible option for chocolate cake pops.

In making cake pops, the actual cake matters, but the binder matters even more. Most cake pops use icing to keep the crumb together. Here, we’re using an easy ganache that’s a real knockout. As a refresher, ganache is the magical combination of chocolate and cream. Different ratios serve different purposes—from glazes and icings to truffle fillings and beyond. The high percentage of cacao in the Heart of Darkness bar make it rich and complex, while those intriguing tasting notes shine through any kind of decorating you succumb to. Sprinkles and icing are no match for the intense flavor of this bar. You’ll have no trouble sneaking these while the kids are out trick or treating or while fast asleep after their sugar high come down.

SPOOKY MAROU CAKE POPS
Makes about 20 cake pops

• 20-25 lollipop sticks, available at any craft store
• One 8-inch chocolate cake (I love using this recipe)
• 3 Marou Heart of Darkness bars, or about 9 ounces of your favorite dark chocolate, chopped or broken into small pieces
• 3 ounces heavy cream
• 6 ounces white chocolate for icing, optional
• Immersion blender, optional, but so handy

In a large mixing bowl, crumble the cake between your fingers into fine crumbs. Set aside.

Simmer a small pot of water. Set a metal or glass bowl over it, making sure there is air between the bottom of the bowl and the simmering water. Pour cream into bowl and heat until it’s warm enough to melt the chocolate. Add 3 ounces of chocolate and stir to melt. Once the chocolate is melted, immerse your blender fully, making sure there is no air stuck in the top of your blender. Blend until your ganache is fully mixed and shimmering. If you don’t have a blender, continue stirring until the ganache comes together. Set aside to cool.

Once ganache has cooled, add small amounts to your cake crumb and mix with your hands. Continue adding ganache until the crumb holds together, but isn’t totally dense and weighed down. Scoop out portions for your cake balls. Roll each into a ball on a small baking sheet lined with parchment paper, and freeze 5-10 minutes.

While your cake balls are chilling, begin melting the remaining chocolate over simmering water to coat your cake balls. Poke a lollipop stick into each cake ball, spoon melted chocolate over each ball until fully coated. Coat all in dark chocolate or use another bowl to melt the white chocolate and use the same process to coat. You can set these on a plate to set and have a flat bottom, or stick the bottom of each stick into styrofoam to set in a more circular ball. Allow 30 minutes to set, then decorate to your heart’s desire. Or you can just eat them—that works too!

It’s one of the original matches made in food heaven, and it’s a part of mornings all over the world. Coffee is the jumpstart to the day, a delicious welcome to the day ahead. Milk softens the blow of pure black coffee for some, and adds texture or flavor for others. Either way, we all sure do love it.

OmNom took a necessary part of my daily beverage intake and turned it into something innovative, exciting, and entirely delicious, the Coffee + Milk Bar. These chocolate makers took lightly-roasted coffee and processed it in the exact same way they do with cacao beans to make a bar of chocolate. Sugar, milk powder, and cacao butter are added for sweetness and texture. The result is a creamy, delicious bar that tastes exactly like we’d expect, milk and coffee.

I’ve kept a sneaky stash of this in my office since we received our first shipment. I’ve been trying to cut down on my caffeine intake lately. Somehow, I’ve justified the C+M bar as a chocolate-like treat rather than a coffee break. It’s working out splendidly. It’s working out so well, in fact, that this has become my new go-to gift for little “thank you”s and birthday treats.

Stash this bar away for yourself, give it as a fun gift, or use it as a groovy substitute for milk chocolate in your favorite recipes. The coffee flavor will come through in a fun and tasty way.

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.)

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.

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.

See ya, January! It doesn’t feel like a whole month has gone by, January was a whirlwind for me. So we move from January to… April? The weather has been absolutely whacky. If February wants to crossdress as a Spring, I don’t mind following suit. Sure, I love the warm weather and ability to wear a dress to work instead of layers and layers of clothing. I must say though, that I feel cheated. Winter is not holding up its end of the deal, and it’s throwing my seasonal cooking for a loop. All I want to make are stews, soups, and braised entrees, but the weather is dictating a warmer weather type of cooking. I’m reaching deep into the depths of a recipe box I’ve kept for years, searching for new things to help me find new inspiration to mesh the month and the truly absurd weather.

I’ve received inspiration from food magazine clippings, recipes picked up from past travel, and our newest cravings. These goodies will do the trick. I’ll be able to satisfy my cold weather food needs with ease. Check these out:

CHEESE: Raclette

Nothing says winter eats like melted cheese, and nothing melts nearly as well, or as famously, as Raclette. This Swiss gem is government protected to ensure the creamy, melty, and entirely decadent experience that comes along with this cheese. Melt this over boiled potatoes, roasted meats, or even apples and pickles. Everything is better with a gooey layer of melted cheese on it, right? Have yourself a raclette party with your favorite cheese geek friends and see what other treats can be layered with cheese. Heck, make a big pot of fondue and dip to your heart’s desire.

Hurry and get your melt on before February becomes June. I know I’d hate to miss melty cheese season aka the end of winter.

CHOCOLATE: Amedei Toscano Red
Amedei is top notch, but you knew that. What you may not know is the masterful and unexpected inclusion bars are nothing short of addicting. Here, deep, dark chocolate meet freeze dried raspberries, cherries, and strawberries pieces for a pleasantly tart crunch. This bar is actually perfect for this month. You get transcendent dark chocolate, which is exactly what I crave after a long, cold day or big meal, with pieces of fruit that really taste just like the middle of summer. My two favorite seasons meet in this lovely little package.

SWEET: Amour Spreads Blood Orange Rosemary Marmalade

Ok, let’s talk about addiction. My name is Adri and I am a blood orange addict. You name it, I’ve got it. Juice, candied peel, frozen pulp, and, of course, marmalade. I love Amour, their entire line of hand-crafted, local preserves are a treasure and Salt Lake City is so lucky to claim them as our own. I grew up with a love for the combination of rosemary and citrus, but this marmalade has made that love even stronger. Stay tuned for a recipe later this month. Layers of marmalade will be the spotlight of one of my favorite desserts.

SAVORY: Cornichons

We couldn’t talk about Raclette without talking about my favorite little pickles! Cornichons are small, tart pickles made from tiny cucumbers known as gherkins. These Maille cornichons are pickled in a mix of vinegar and aromatics including tarragon, cloves, baby onions, and mustard seeds, and are produced according to a rigorous French production process. My melty cheese needs a crunchy, tart little pop. This is it.

I’m excited to see what February has up its sleeve this year. Maybe some snow? Maybe some more crazy, warm days? Either way, it’s going to be delicious and I can’t wait to show you all what we come up with. Happy eating, friends!

If 2015 is going to be anything like 2014, I’m going to be excited about a lot of things going on at Caputo’s. Our chocolate selection drastically increased, our cheese cases abounded with new pastes and rinds, we found some amazing new meat and charcuterie choices, and, most importantly, CHEESE CAVE NUMBER TWO! See how excitable I can become?

We’ve been trying to corral our excitement for all these delicious things that have graced our palates, but we just can’t. Please join us on a monthly food voyage where we discover food in a new light with a special emphasis on individual products, origins and tastes. Become more familiarized and get to know your food better.

In the months ahead, look for a consistent dose of credible food knowledge with our monthly cravings. We’ll introduce you, or reintroduce in some cases, to the cheese, chocolate, sweet, and savory ingredients that we just can’t get enough of.

What’s more, we’ll include recipes, drink pairings, serving suggestions, and those little tidbits of information for you to share with your friends that will lead them to believe you are the almighty foodie friend. Each selection will get its very own time to shine whether it’s a new blog post, Facebook blast, or artistically styled Instagram photo. With food this good, we can’t help but share.

So, without further ado, meet our very first cravings of 2015:

CHEESE: Harbison

It’s love in cheese form, and this little guy already has his first love note from Evan!

This is the perfect blend of centuries-old French cheese making and American artisan passion. Like Evan says, don’t over-think this one. It’s perfect as is. Spread on baguette or scoop with spoon from a wheel to your mouth. We’re not kidding here about how fantastic this is on its own.

Really, this is an American gem. What’s more, it is perfect right now. Be sure to get your fill before someone else does!

CHOCOLATE: Mulate Tahini

From the makers of Chocolate Naïve comes Mulate,

the funky fresh younger brother to the sophisticated Naïve line. Bold, breathtaking chocolate meets salty Tahini for a combination meant only for the most wonderful people in the world, you! Think classic peanut butter and chocolate, but instead with really, really good dark milk chocolate and elevated by the flavor of classic sesame paste.

Once you open a bar and have a few nibbles, it’s pretty impossible to stop nibbling until it’s gone or your spouse rips it from your clenched fists. I’m hoping someday to get past this so I can start to experiment with a few baking and ice cream applications. Until then, it might be best to enjoy alone or with people who love you enough to see pass your chocolate obsession.

SWEET: Turron

If there was ever a treat made for royalty, it was turron. This delicate combination of almonds, honey, and egg whites is the stuff dreams are made of. Traditionally eaten around Christmas, this treat has transcended the holiday lineup to a year-round treat for us. It’s dreamy, I tell you. So dreamy in fact, I’m dreaming of financiers made with torrone beneath sticky honey roasted fruit. What could make that even better? More torrone, this time, in blondie form!

SAVORY: Bariani Early Harvest EVOO

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 and veggies, tossing with pasta and a few other choice additions (read: cheese), or as the ulitmate condiment to be drizzled over every single thing that touches your table. See? Easy.

That’s it, friends, our latest and greatest stuff of the month. January has been so good to us already, these four treats are only going to make it better and more delicious. Stay tuned for more blog posts, recipes, pictures, and musings. We can’t wait to share!

Just like the title reads, I’ve learned my lesson. No more last minute gifting for me! If I have to spend one more holiday eve crammed in line with all the other procrastinators, I’ll surely perish.

I get to ease back into gifting this year with what I believe is the easiest holiday for gifts, Valentine’s Day. It sneaks up quickly and silently, like I used to sneak home after curfew. If you’re not prepared or haven’t chosen your 2015 Valentine, you’ll be in those lines with sorry cardboard boxes of awful to mediocre chocolates that often aren’t even eaten.

Don’t be a sad cardboard box chocolate gifter. Be the ultimate Valentine with the ultimate chocolates. The most decadent, unique, and crave-able chocolates are here at Caputo’s. Whether you’ve been here once or one hundred times, you know what I’m going to say — dearest friends, Caputo’s Chocolates by Chris Blue.

If you somehow haven’t heard of these — or heaven forbid, haven’t tasted them — let me tell you: this is the chocolate box to end all chocolate boxes. Each filled chocolate is made with the utmost precision and care by Chris Blue, former pastry chef at Michelin-starred Charlie Trotter’s in Chicago.

Salt Lake City’s very own Solstice Chocolate is the chocolate of choice for Chocolatier Blue’s paper-thin chocolate shells and the base for its chocolate ganache. The ingredients vary from the country’s most expensive cream to the very best handpicked fruits, nuts, and liqueurs. Each chocolate is a masterpiece. They’re beautiful, decadent, creamy, and begin with the most delicate snap from their ultra-thin shells.

Pick from a variety of box sizes ranging from five pieces to 20. The five-piece boxes are perfect for friends and family, or for that date you cancelled on last week. The 20-piece is basically a declaration of your undying love and dedication. Who needs diamonds when there are chocolates?

We just heard about the newest flavors that will be released in time for V-day. And I can’t wait. Here’s the list of flavors Chocolatier Blue has lined up for Valentine’s 2015: