Wednesday, December 19, 2007
Eat Yourself a Merry Little Christmas
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We like to think that we’re the thoughtful types here, and of course you’ve been on our minds. So our little gift to you is to jettison that pre-holiday panic. We’ve hand-picked a half-dozen tasty local tidbits that are practically guaranteed to make your food-obsessed loved one swoon with joy and delight. That’s right, we did the work for you. So kick back while we show you the goods.
1. Nothing curbs the frigid weather better than a mug of sumptuous steamy chocolate. And no, we’re not talking about packages of chalky chocolate powder with shriveled up marshmallows either. We’re hot over Taza Chocolate’s Chocolate Mexicano discs, made only with roasted cocoa beans, cane sugar and cinnamon stick that have been ground in antique Mexican stone mills called molinos. This is the real stuff. Grate as much as you like into hot milk or water and whisk until frothy for authentic chocolate mexicano. At only $3.95 a disc, you can be ultra generous.
2. Wellesley-based Root Cellar Preserves’ mission is a complete cosmic circle of its own. Owners Lorne and Susan Jones partner with local family farms throughout New England, packaging a variety of pickles and relishes under their house label. A portion of the profits are then used to preserve historic homes. So buying a jar of some vinegary-goodness means you’re helping to preserve at-risk local architecture, and you’re supporting New England farmers at the same time. Our pick for puckering-up? The Apple Cinnamon Pickles ($6.29). Yum.
3. We know you’ve been tempted to pick up one of those discounted bottles of Italian olive oil at a too-good-to-be true price. But fraud is rife in the olive-oil industry, and you could get something far less pure than the extra-virgin stuff you’re after. Instead, head to Panzano’s Market, in Southboro, where they keep a large drum of Calabrian olive oil. Nab an apothecary jar and fill it with some of this rich, unfiltered goodness. Because it’s from southern Italy, the olives ripen on the tree longer, which means this olive oil has grassy notes and a rich buttery flavor. Even better, the lucky recipient of your generosity can head right back to Panzano’s for a refill. First fill is $14.99; refills are $12.99.
4. Chocolatier Jade Huber may have spent a pretty penny creating a custom-made candy mold from a genuine Wellfleet oyster shell, but we’re so glad she did. Her hand-made bivalves have dual flavors of a crispy chocolate shell matched with a flavorful filling. We recommend the eggnog oyster—a white chocolate shell filled with eggnog ganache spiked with Jim Beam; or the dark chocolate version filled with dark chocolate ganache embedded with minty candy cane chips. Each piece costs $7 plus shipping, and can be ordered straight from Huber’s website, www.wellfleetcandycompany.com.
5. Head beekeeper Andy Reseska boasts his Boston Honey Company’s sweet stuff is the some of the best in the country, and we agree. He keeps up to 900 colonies on farm properties, town and state conservation lands where the bee-forage is varied and abundant. Unlike bees that pollinate fields of only clover or alfalfa, Reseska’s bees benefit from the area’s biodiversity. The result? A honey that’s beautifully floral. Jars come in a variety of sizes and shapes from $3 - $12 and can be found at area farm stands, Deborah’s Natural Gourmet in Concord and Russo’s in Watertown.
6. Peter O’Donovan and Marco Protano are the pair behind Nantucket Wild Gourmet and Smokehouse. We love the fact that they smoke local fish like blue fish and haddock, and employ sustainable methods to catch the fish in the first place. Using kosher organic sea salt, they cold smoke the fish and then hot smoke it, which gives it a full, moist flavor. You can find it at Lionette’s Market in the South End, Formaggio Kitchen in Cambridge and Boston or Wilson Farm in Lexington.
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