Best Things our Staff Ate or Drank (from our shop) in 2012:

Tracy Kellner: Letherbee Gin: Clean, balanced and an all-around great gin for cocktails & G&Ts. Brent & Miriam hit the nail on the head with the flavor profile & especially the price!

Joe Patt: Bodegas Toro Alba 1985 Gran Reserva PX: I fell in love with the dessert Sherry known as Pedro Ximenez (PX) the first time I had it a number of years ago in my wino infancy. There are many great ones that we've carried at the shop over the years, but when I tasted the Toro Alba 1985 Gran Reserva a short time ago it restoked my passion. I'm renewing my vows! (Sorry Tracy.)
The Toro Albala family estate was founded in 1844 and they remain the world's only specialist in 100% single vintage dessert PX. This 1985 vintage is the color of black mahogany with mind-bendingly complex notes of tobacco, cacao, liquorice, coffee, vanilla, nuts and toffee. It's a super-rich and sweet wine with amazing length and surprising brightness from excellent acidity and orange peel notes. Perfect with ice cream, blue cheese and after-dinner conversation. Also works as an antidote for existential angst.

Mary Stover: Spark of the Heart soup mixes: They are easy to prepare and a really good value. Starting with organic beans and spices, you can change these up with meat or chicken additions for heartier fare. Just add a Red Hen baguette with Nordic butter and
you are all set!

Richard Sparks: Burrata: You know that all time favorite meal that goes with you to the desert island??? Well, mine would be a ball of fresh burrata cheese, served with perfectly ripened, off-the-vines heirloom tomatoes, some serious EVOO and salt and pepper. Don’t forget a Red Hen baguette!

Nicole Benjamin: Rush Creek Reserve: Tis the season for Uplands Dairy's to release this incredible cheese, so I suggest you snatch up a wheel while you can. This rich, meaty, raw cow's milk cheese makes my heart skip a beat...for real.

Jeff Tabels: Cattrall Sisters Pinot Noir: My apologies to anyone who has had to sit through the story of how I fell in love with this wine. After breaking a bottle in the basement at the shop I got a full snoot full of this wonderful wine. The taste is just as amazing. Well balanced bright juice with a great wet stone spiciness. Mmm, Mmm, delicious.

Anders Erickson: Pleasant House Bakery Royal Pies: What I love about the Royal Pies was the homemade quality to each of them. The crust is tender yet flaky, while the savory fillings (Stake & Ale, Mushroom & Kale, & Chicken Balti) are authentically British while being locally produced here in Chicago. It's no surprise why they sell so quickly.

Lauren Pett: Mess Hall & Co. Ghost Pepper Mustard: I am completely addicted to this
sweet and tangy mustard. I use it on everything- sandwiches, as a dip, even in a vinaigrette.

Rudi Birtler: Monnezza Odds & Ends Pasta: Late one Sunday as I simmered a recipe of white Bolognese from the Italian speaking region of Switzerland, I realized I only I had on open box of Barilla elbows that just wasn't going to seal the deal. I hopped on my bicycle and rolled to just as they were closing to buy a box of 100% durum wheat Italian pasta, the "odds and ends." The unusual shapes, crevices, cracks and holes caught the sauce in all the right places providing bite after magnificent bite. It enhanced a go to recipe I had been making for years and made it even better. I won't use another pasta for this recipe.

Nathan Sohnly: Neal’s Yard Dairy Colton Bassett Stilton: Ok so granted I've barely touched on the tip of the iceberg so far with everything I have to say that so far my favorite thing I've tried at the shop would be the Neal's Yard Dairy Colton Basset Stilton paired with that kick-ass cocoa honey featured at a recent wine & cheese pairing class. I'm going with the Stilton because as someone who still has very minimal exposure to blue cheese, I absolutely loved it! I was pleasantly surprised that I enjoyed it as much as I did only because I've shied away from blue's in the past...too intense at times for me but this particular cheese was the perfect balance of salt, smoothness, and that familiar "blueness" of flavor. That cheese with the honey paired awesome with the Chono Reserva we had (my favorite of the evening)

Meet Your Makers: Marie-Chantal Dalese of Chateau Chantal

The winery and vineyards of Chateau Chantal are located twelve miles north of Traverse City, Michigan on a ridge overlooking both the east and the west arms of Grand Traverse Bay. The Chateau has been designed to blend into the scenic environment and to offer high-quality lodging in keeping with the area's growing reputation for exceptional hospitality. Nearly every part of the property offers stunning views of Grand Traverse Bay, which is divided by the narrow, 20-mile long, Old Mission Peninsula. Chateau Chantal is able to grow vinifera wine grapes because of the influence of surrounding waters, convective air currents, good air drainage and protective snow depths during the winter. Because its geography and microclimate are sufficiently unique, the region has designated Old Mission Peninsula as an American Viticulture Area.

The Begin family, Robert, Nadine and daughter Marie-Chantal, opened the doors of friendly hospitality in 1993 upon the completion of a French style three room B&B, winery and vineyard estates. As of July 2003, the B&B’s circle of friends has grown considerably when a 15,000 square foot expansion increased the total units available to eleven. Located on a 65-acre estate on Old Mission Peninsula, in one of the most scenic areas of the Great Lakes, the B&B provides a unique destination that combines vineyards and winery, a bed & breakfast, winding roads, fresh air and kind company. Views of East and West Grand Traverse Bays, Power Island, and rolling vineyards abound from each window. Focusing on Michigan wines, we produce Riesling, Chardonnay, Pinot Grigio, Pinot Noir, Merlot, Cabernet Franc and other varietals.

Perhaps even more interesting than the magical story of winemaking is the history of the Chateau’s founding couple, Robert and Nadine. Their fascinating tale begins with two previous careers of service to others. As a Catholic diocesan priest for 12 years, Robert worked in his home area of Detroit until a decision was made in 1972 to begin again as a businessman heading a construction business. Nadine had taken a similar path by entering the Felician Sisters in 1950. After earning her Master’s Degree in Home Economics and teaching for 22 years, she too made a decision to seek a different life. Married in 1974, the couple followed Robert’s dream of building a European style winery chateau. Upon completion and opening of the operation, it was clearly evident that the years spent in service to others had molded the Begins into the perfect hosts. Their caring and enthusiastic spirit shines through to every visitor and employee of the Chateau, creating the most special and memorable of visits.

What do you hope to accomplish with your wines?
Michigan wines have some perception hurdles to cross. Not everyone is willing to take a look at the fantastic wines being produced in their backyard, often opting for the traditional Californian and European wines. We are part of the multitude of Michigan wineries creating quality products that are proving themselves in international competitions, with wine writers and sommeliers, and of course, with our customers.

Who is on your “team”?
Our vineyard manager is my husband, Paul Dalese. He is a diesel mechanic by trade from Adelaide, Australia who has learned the viniculture ropes from our winemakers Mark Johnson and Brian Hosmer. We farm all our vineyards on Old Mission Peninsula ourselves, and have an on-site manager in our vineyard in Argentina, Osvoldo Ortiz.

We have a full time staff of about 18-20 people, with a total of about 100 employees that help out at various times of the year, from harvest, to the tasting room, and the Bed & Breakfast.

Mark B. Johnson is Vice President of the Company and also serves in the position of Winemaker. His responsibilities include overseeing the Company's grape growing and wine production and distribution marketing. Mr. Johnson received his B.A. degree in social work from Michigan State University in 1974. In 1983, he received a degree in Viticulture and Enology at the Federal Research Station and Institute, Geisenheim, Germany. From 1983 to 1993, Mr. Johnson was employed as a winemaker at Chateau Grand Traverse, a local winery. His employment with the Company began in 1993.

Brian Hosmer was hired as a Winemaker at Chateau Chantal in 2007. Hosmer was born in Flint, and is a graduate of Michigan State University in Resource Development, he switched his area of study to winemaking and viticulture after several teaching-assistant positions in France, Spain and Belgium -- where he learned to appreciate wine. Brian went through the two-year wine/viticulture program at MSU, and has a Master's degree.

Marie-Chantal Dalese is a marketing and management specialist with unique graduate education in the wine business. She is the daughter of the founder and namesake for the Chateau growing up on the Chateau estate. Her current position is that of Director of Marketing with Chateau Chantal and Secretary for the company. She previously worked with Connoisseur Wines, Inc as an Office Manager/Sales Representative/Marketing Assistant. Prior to that, she worked with Binny’s Beverage Depot in Chicago as a Wine Consultant and Chateau Chantal in various functions. Marie Chantal has a Bachelor of Science in Marketing & Management from DePaul University, Chicago and a Graduate diploma in Wine Marketing from the University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA Australia. She also completed the Roseworthy Wine Tasting Program in Adelaide.

How often do you come out with new products? Are you working on anything new?
At this point, we need to put the reins on new products! We have about 35 different wines, ports, and spirits that we produce. Our latest is an oak-aged brandy called Cinq à Sept, French for happy hour. We are currently working on harvesting the 2012 crop of wine grapes to create our 35 different products.

Are your products sold anywhere besides Chicago?
We are only distributed in Michigan and Illinois.

Where do you find the inspiration for the products/flavors you select for your portfolio?
We find our inspiration for the style of wines that we make from the grapes themselves. Every vintage year is different and produces variations in the grape’s sugar levels, acid levels, and flavor. We work with what nature provides us, letting the grapes dictate the style.

How do you plan to grow your portfolio?
Our portfolio is complete – we offer a range of wines and spirits from sparkling, dry, semi-dry, sweet and dessert. We have been doing more private label wine for other customers as a way to grow our offerings.

Of all the millions of products you could have specialized in, why wine?
Wine is fruit of the vine – work of human hands! Nothing connects you so well to the land, yet offers such joy to the human palate, and can be enjoyed as a daily luxury.

What is your favorite part of this job?
Wine industry folks are creative, fun, and unique characters to work with – I enjoy every day working in this multi-faceted business.

What is your least favorite part?
Regulation! Running a business that deals in alcohol means you need to get your legal, financial, and regulation skills in order.

What is your favorite story/anecdote that occurred along the way in creating your product?
Our private driveway, which is about a ½ mile long, is named “Rue de Vin,” road of wine, and there’s a good reason for this! When we first moved into the Chateau in 1993, we were making product about a mile down the road in a different warehouse. When it came time to move the tanks and wine into the new facility, it was decided to simply load the 1500 gallon stainless steel tank full of Riesling onto a flatbed truck and bring it up the hill…a very steep hill…in February…in Michigan. What started as a time saving idea, ended up as a greatly dented tank and 1500 gallons of Riesling spilling it’s christening wine all down the road. Hence, it truly, honestly is a road of wine!

November Staff Selection: 10% off Palacios Chorizo

Our Nov 2012 Staff Selection is From Staffer Richard Sparks:


I love the smoky, spicy pimentón (paprika) flavor & gutsy texture just can't be beat. Whether I'm going for a traditional Spanish style dish, or am making a simple recipe with heat & smoke, these little sausages take center stage & rock out!

Start straight out of the package with these cured, fermented & smoked little darlings. Slice them paper thin & add to a plate of boquerones (white anchovies), hunks of Manchego & Drunken Goat cheeses, and a variety of Spanish olives. Don't forget a gutsy Spanish red to go along with the goodies. I like the really earthy ones with a bit of acidity to cut through all that rich, fatty food. There are some fabulous Spanish rosés, too, that would be perfect for a picante picnic!

One of our wine reps taught me a salad that is now a regular part of my table. Slice up thin coins of the Palacios. Sauté them in a pan with about 5 TBSP of rich, Spanish olive oil, perhaps a bit more. Once the oil is flavored & the sausage slices are crisped a bit, remove the chorizo from the pan, retaining the oil. Let the oil cool & create your favorite vinaigrette, perhaps with a bit of Dijon and a sweet, woody balsamic. Mix a salad of fresh spinach and/or other greens, red onion slices, dry-cured olives, some Marcona almonds & toss with the vinaigrette.Top with the chorizo coins and serve!

Here are some other recipe ideas:

**Replace pepperoni with Chorizo on your next pizza.
**Stuff acorn squash halves with ½ cup sausage (Italian, any pork of your choice) blended with ¼ cup chopped Chorizo. Bake at 350 for about 1 hour or until the squash is tender.
**Need a bacon break? Simply replace bacon with Chorizo in carbonara or other pasta dishes, meat loaves, or even collard greens.

Meet Your Makers: Chris Ferguson of Bee's Knees Food Co.

Bee’s Knees Food Co. is a gourmet beer snack company that takes pride in creating snacks that are enjoyed by everyone, but especially craft beer drinkers. We have three year-round spiced peanuts – Chipotle + Lime, Curry & Szechuan. We’ve roasted our products in the West Town area of Chicago since the summer of 2011. We think food & drink pairing is awesome and decided to put recommended beer pairings on our packaging for each flavor we create.

What do you hope to accomplish in your products?
We hope to make people happy. We know how cheesy that sounds, but it’s the truth. When I think back to some of the best moments with friends and family it’s surrounded by food & drink. We hope to play that supportive roll in helping people have fun with friends and family.

How often do you come out with new products? Are you working on anything new?
We are always working on new products, but want to make sure the recipe and flavors we have are just right. We won’t put out a new snack that we don’t love. We do limited release snacks for special occasions or collaborations with breweries. We usually announce our events or collaborations on our Facebook page (www.Facebook.com/BeesKneesFood)

How did you get into this “line of business”?
I was in commercial real estate for 10 years and needed a serious change of pace. I knew I wanted to start some sort of food business. I decided to take some time off and traveled throughout Australia in 2011 when two amazing nights inspired the idea of our company. One evening involved incredible pairings of Spanish tapas with a variety of wines. The second night involved one of the oldest pubs in Sydney, a number of beers & discovering the Ploughman’s Lunch. I thought, “Why can’t we have bar snacks that are high quality and go well with craft beers in America?” So that’s what we set out to do.

What did you do before this?
Commercial real estate for 10 years.

Are your products sold anywhere besides Chicago?
We are in Westmont & also in the process of reworking our website to sell online and ship across the US.

What did you want to do as a kid, "when you grew up"?
When I was very young I wanted to be a Baseball Player or Brain Surgeon. As a teenager I wanted to be an Architect. Looking back though, I know there was a vein of entrepreneurship running through me. I had the typical lemonade stands, but also did garage sales and sold candy to my fellow students at school. I also loaned money, kind of like a pawnshop, to my older brother and charged him interest .

What was the spark that led you to working with food?
I grew up cooking with my Dad and always loved it. He had a passion for it and it definitely worked its way into me. When I was leaving commercial real estate and looking for something that I was interested in, food seemed like a natural answer.

Where do you find the inspiration for the products/flavors you select for your portfolio?
I get my inspiration from other foods and drinks that intrigue me. Our Chipotle + Lime flavor was a recipe that grew out of my love for Micheladas. Our Szechuan flavor is a riff on my wife’s Szechuan Green Beans recipe that I’ve loved for years.

How do you plan to grow your offerings?
We really see ourselves as a beer snack company, not necessarily a “nut” company. We started out with our peanuts because it was a product we could wrap our hands around easily and thought it went so naturally with beer. We have other nut recipes that we are working on, but are constantly looking at other snack food options that we think would go well with a high quality beer.

What do you see as the biggest benefit you offer to your retailers and consumers?
We like to think that we help people have not only a good time by offering a high quality, highly spiced snack, but a great time by suggesting beers that accentuate our snacks flavor.

What is your favorite part of this job?
It’s hard to pick just one favorite. Pretty much everyone we’ve worked with or met through Bee’s Knees Food Co has been awesome. The creativity in crafting our food, our packaging/graphics and writing our blog has been a ton of fun. The flexibility and variety in my day is great too.

What is your least favorite part?
Telling people no

What is your favorite story/anecdote that occurred along the way in creating your product?
The first two doors we knocked on to see if they would purchase our product (The Map Room & Paddy Long’s Beer & Bacon Pub) both said yes to our product. Naively, I thought we’d have an easy time growing and getting into retailers and taverns. While we’ve had more yes’s than no’s, it always requires a lot of hard work and it’s never easy growing.

Meet Your Makers: Andy Hatch of Uplands Dairy

Andy Hatch is the Uplands Dairy cheesemaker and general manager. After studying Dairy Science at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and spending two years apprenticing to cheesemakers in different parts of Europe, Andy returned to Wisconsin and served apprenticeships under Master Cheesemakers Bruce Workman and Gary Grossen.
In 2007, Andy earned his Wisconsin Cheesemaker's License and joined Uplands as an assistant cheesemaker to Mike Gingrich and Joe Milinovich. In 2008, he took over responsibility for the production and aging of cheese and has come to manage all of the creamery's operations. When calling Uplands, you will most often speak to Andy or his wife, Caitlin, who packages and ships the cheeses.

How many people are on the Uplands team?
Between the dairy farm and the creamery, there are about a dozen of us working together. Most people are part-time but everyone is essential to what we do – there are no unskilled jobs here.

How often do you come out with new products?
We made only one cheese, Pleasant Ridge Reserve, for ten years, and in 2010 came out with our second cheese, Rush Creek Reserve. We’re always working on something new, but I expect Rush Creek will take years to perfect and we’re not anxious to do too much too fast, at the expense of quality.

How did you get into this “line of business”?
I wanted to milk cows and needed to add value to the raw milk. At this point, though, after having fallen in love with cheese making, the tail is definitely wagging the dog.

What did you do before working with Uplands?
I was a student in Dairy Science at the University of Wisconsin, and spent several years apprenticing to other cheese makers in Wisconsin and in Norway, Ireland, England and Italy.

Are your cheeses sold anywhere besides Chicago?
We sell cheese all over the US plus, in small amounts, in Europe, Australia and a few Asian countries.

What did you want to do as a kid, "when you grew up"?
Professional soccer player.

What was the spark that led you to working with food?
A love of working with land and animals, and a childhood love of wine, inherited from my father.

What is your favorite part of this job?
Diversity – my day is filled with all sorts of different tasks (making cheese, aging cheese, marketing and selling, managing employees, dealing with pastures and animals, etc.) and because we’re seasonal (we only milk our cows and make cheese spring through fall) there is a rhythm to our calendar that keeps life fresh.

Meet Your Makers: Huegah Meals

hue•gah is a small community-based business that creates artisan-crafted ready-to-heat meals. hue•gah has merged simplicity with great taste, using the best all-natural ingredients (locally grown and raised whenever possible). Because of how hue•gah’s meals are prepared, they appeal to customers who either have dietary concerns (vegetarian, gluten-free, etc.) or are community conscious, seeking products that reflect their values. Former coworkers Paul Hitalenko (chef and creative director) and Dirk Bowles (operator and aspiring business owner) started hue•gah with 3 main objectives: make it great, make it simple and make it in & for the community.


*Tell us about your product/company/service.
We prepare ready-to-heat meals made using the finest ingredients and sell them in small natural and gourmet grocery stores.

*What do you hope to accomplish through providing quality products?
To give customers a dining experience like no other in the ready-to-heat category while also doing good for the community.

*How often do you come out with new products? Are you working on anything new? We develop new menu items regularly based on what is in season and what is most popular. Paul is always developing new menu items. Although we typically have 4 items on the menu at one time, new entrees are always in the works.

*What did you want to do as a kid, "when you grew up"?
Paul wrote his first cookbook at age 5 (1976). We recently posted an excerpt from the cookbook on our Facebook page (facebook.com/huegah)

*What was the spark that led you to working with food?
Every time we would get together in our former place of work as coworkers, most conversations would eventually lead to either how we could do better and be better for those who worked with us if we had our own business. Paul’s love of food and culinary skills made a food-oriented business the obvious choice.

*Where do you find the inspiration for the products/flavors you select for your portfolio?
Fresh ingredients we find, travel, childhood memories, or simply what we love to eat. Paul likes to put creative spins on the traditional without too much pretense. Our belief is that simple cooking, starting with great ingredients leads to great food if treated right.

*How do you plan to grow?
We believe that if we do right by our customers, both those who eat our meals, as well as those customers who carry our items, the grocers, growth will happen. We are unwilling to compromise quality and service for the sake of growth.

*Other than financial, what risks did you take to get your product(s) to market? Both of us gave up careers that together, spanned four decades. Although there was a perceived security, giving it all up was worth it. There have been no regrets. The work is hard and the future uncertain, but if we do what we believe is right, the long-term rewards will be immeasurable.

*What is your favorite part of this job?
We love the tight knit community of grocers, chefs and foodies that are in Chicago. From our foodie friends on Facebook, to the great vendors that work with us in Kitchen Chicago, to the great group of grocers that carry our product, everyone is incredibly supportive in working toward the success of all of us.

Meet Your Makers: Marianne & Hans of Mess Hall & Co.

Mess Hall was created out of a love for food and the inspiration found from the people who grow amazing fruits and vegetables. Marianne & Hans Sundquist make every jar of mustard and cocktail cherries by hand. Floored by the flavor and heat of ghost peppers grown by Nichols Farm, they wanted to use them in a sweet and spicy mustard. Their love of bourbon is what sparked an interest in making cocktail cherries & they knew they could create an amazing cocktail cherry that used local and organic fruit. Why buy cherries from across the world, when Seedling Orchard grows the most flavorful and beautiful tart cherries ever tasted?

What do you hope to accomplish in your products?
We hope to create products that bring people together, make them happy and use ingredients we are proud of supporting.

Do you personally know the farmers that produce your products?
Our biggest inspiration comes from the farmers who produce products with responsibility and TLC:)

What did you do before this?
I (Marianne) have been cooking professionally for ten years and wanted to take a break from the nightlife and focus on some new projects.

What did you want to do as a kid, "when you grew up"?
I read a lot growing up and was particularly attached to anything involving detectives, stolen jewels or cat burglars. I wanted to be a detective or FBI agent

What was the spark that led you to working with food?
I recognized at a young age the magic that food can provide to the most ordinary of circumstances. I have fond memories or my Italian aunts in New York cooking for days in preparation for Christmas Dinner. As a kid, i would sneak around, snagging olives out of bowls to put on my fingers (of course), hiding under the kitchen table to watch them talk and work. In the beginning I was most intrigued by the way a table food of food is powerful--drawing people to talk and relax and stop running around.

What do you see as the biggest benefit to your retailers and consumers?
Quality and Flavor. We strive to make a mustard that you crave and cocktail cherries that become a necessity for your favorite classic cocktail preparations. And we are committed to using the highest quality ingredients from inside the jar to the jar and packaging itself.


Describe your a-ha moment that made you say, "I'm going to do this!"
Well it all started with preparing for a trip to Paris. Hans and I had just bought airline tickets and then realized we needed to make some money for the actual trip! We made three hundred jars of mustard in our kitchen and started selling them to our friends and family. I would carry some around with me at parties or shows, letting people know I had mustard for sale. Before we knew it, we had sold out and people were asking for more. We knew at this point we had something special going on:))

October Staff Selection: 10% San Giacomo Balsamela Apple Balsamic

From PFW owner Tracy Kellner

Fall brings a new round of cool-weather crops to the markets, one of them being apples. I love their crunch in salads and alongside aged cheddars, but I also love the flavor the San Giacomo Apple Balsamic brings to my fall cooking.

Acetaia San Giacomo, located in the Reggio Emilia region of Italy, is where Andrea Bezzecchi oversees the production of aged balsamic vinegar. His vinegars are made with great respect for the tradition and strict adherence to the true methods of production, with no artificial flavors or caramel color added.

Substitute Trentino apples for Trebbiano grapes, reduce & acidify and you have apple vinegar. A drizzle over roasted meats, blue cheese or desserts = luxury in a bottle!

Here are some creative ways to use this little-known condiment on our shelves:

**Drizzle over radicchio, spiced pecan & blue cheese salad
**Splash atop roasted pork loin and baked apples
**Use 50/50 with white wine vinegar in a fruit shrub
**Reduce slightly and serve with vanilla ice cream
**Make an apple-balsamic whipped cream and spoon over apple bread pudding

Meet Your Makers: Miriam & Brent from Letherbee Gin

Letherbee Gin is a handcrafted spirit made with pride in Chicago, Illinois. Boasting high-spice content, substantial body and a balanced palate, Letherbee blends seamlessly into cocktails while maintaining its true character. Uniquely, Letherbee is unfiltered and will louche (become cloudy due to botanicals falling out of suspension) when mixed with ice or water. At 96 Proof, Letherbee Gin appeals to drinkers who appreciate its full flavor and versatility.

Who are the people that make up your “team”?
Letherbee Distillers is a very small operation--two people plus one graphic designer.

Could you tell me about your product and the story behind its conception?
Piecing together a copper still from common plumbing parts, Brenton Engel began his distilling efforts in 2007 with an old moonshine recipe. He stayed busy honing the craft of distilling when he wasn’t in the woods building earthen cabins or playing in punk bands. Engel's bootlegged 'shine circulated around bar industry and musician circles when he began handing out jars of it at his band's shows. Those curious enough to taste some "Illinois Joy" quickly started asking for more.

I (Miriam Matasar) have over a decade of experience in the Food & Beverage industry. I cut my teeth as a short order cook, diner waitress, and bartender during my college years and after graduating with a BA in Psychology from University of Iowa.
Daunted by the typical post-graduate existential questions and my looming "future," I did what any self-respecting Iowan does when they don't know what else to do-- move to Chicago. I used my years in restaurants as a springboard to gain management positions at Bin 36 and Bin Wine Cafe, and eventually landed at Lula Cafe where I managed for almost 5 years.

It was at Lula where I developed a true love of boutique wine and craft spirits. Fate brought Brenton Engel seeking a bartending position and I knew any guy who made his own booze would be perfect for the job. We became a couple and I laid out the case for Brent to follow his dream of legitimizing his distilling operations and helped actualize the idea into a legitimate small business.

Together we successfully navigated the labyrinthine process of starting a small distillery and released our first product. Letherbee Gin was born in the Summer of 2012.


Of all the millions of products you could have specialized in, why gin?
As a bartender, Brent has fallen in love with gin and its possibilities. He wanted to make a gin that other bartenders would want to use, not only for its flavor profile, but also for its versatility and friendly packaging.

What do you hope to accomplish through providing quality products?
With Letherbee Gin, we offer a premium, handcrafted spirit with an accessible price tag. We hope to prove that high quality handcrafted products do not have to be overly expensive by offering folks a chance to actually use a craft spirit, rather than purchase a trophy for the back bar.

Other than financial, what risks did you take to get your product to market?
We changed our lives to make Letherbee happen. I left a job as the GM of Lula Café and Brent is unable to work behind the bar as much as he would like.

When distilling your gin, how many different botanicals are used, and what are the prominent flavors you aim to accentuate?
We use 11 botanicals. Letherbee boasts a classic, juniper-forward profile with notes of anise, citrus, and cardamom.

What new products should we expect from Letherbee?
Keep your eyes peeled for seasonal, limited release gins, a barrel-aged absinthe, and possibly some amaro-style liqueurs.

How big of a distribution radius do you hope to grow over the coming months/years?
We hope to be the go-to gin for Chicago’s premiere cocktail bars and restaurants. That said, we also hope to expand to out-of-state distribution within a year, but only to a few boutique markets around the country.

What is your favorite part of the job?
Brent: My favorite part of the job is whenever people come into the bar when I’m working, order Letherbee, and say how much they like it without knowing I’m the guy who makes it.
Miriam: When we turn someone on to Letherbee who previously only drank commodity spirits or who claimed they don’t like gin.

What is your least favorite part of the job?
Brent: Staying up all night labeling bottles. After awhile your eyes get pretty tired.
Miriam: Lifting cases. I’m pretty short and it’s hard to get a case of Liters up to the top of the stack!

What did you want to do as a kid, “when you grew up”?
Brent: I wanted to be a hobo.
Miriam: I thought I was going to be a ballerina.

Describe your a-ha moment that made you say, “I’m going to do this!”
A few months into dating, we were having a conversation about “what we want to be when we grow up.” Brent said, “The only thing I want to do is make booze.” So I said, “ok then.”

September Staff Selection: Nordic Creamery Butters

Nordic Creamery Butters: 10% off in September

Wisconsin's reputation for cheesemaking is world renowned, so it stands to reason that a region that makes great cheese would also make great butter. As Al Bekkum of Nordic Creamery says, "I truly believe that great cheese and butter begins with great milk, and my products always start with the highest quality milk from small Wisconsin dairy farms that are certified rBGHfree."

The Bekkums are currently raising their own heifers on the 120 acre parcel of land that's been in the family of Al's wife since 1917. Over time, the Bekkum herd will consist entirely of Norwegian Red stock, which will help keep the Norwegian heritage of the area (SW Wisconsin's "Driftless" Coulee region) & their family business alive. The unglaciated land in this area is recognized for its fertile soil & exceptional grazing land which gives the cheese & butter its uniquely delicious taste.

The Nordic farmstead butters use farm-fresh sweet cream to make "Summer Butter" from April to October when cows are on pasture, creating rich herby flavors & a golden color. Given the hot weather this year, Summer Butter likely won't be available too much longer. "Harvest Butter" is crafted with sweet cream from the same dairy herd, nourished from fall to spring by harvested grasses & grains, to create a lovely, intense, creamy flavor & color. The flavored butters that we carry are the garlic/basil & the maple syrup. The maple syrup butter is perfect for the coming cool months on pancakes & for baking those fall pies. The newest addition to our shelves is their European-styled Cultured Butter with sea salt. It's a tangy, sweet & nutty butter with an 85% butterfat content, which translates into lower moisture for better melting & sauteing as well as enhancing sauces & desserts. Use cultured butters at high temperatures for a great pan sear, or in a pie crust or cookies for excellent flakiness. The sea salt adds a nice crunch to the super-creamy butter.

Here are some recipe suggestions:

Sardine Butter:
http://tinyurl.com/sardinebutter

Radishes with Salted Butter:
http://tinyurl.com/radisheswithsaltedbutter

Roasted Chicken with Lemon Butter:
http://tinyurl.com/roastedchixlemonbutter

Meet Your Makers: Bridget & Ginna of Salted Caramel

It was fate that brought Bridget (a public accountant with an entrepreneur’s heart) to Ginna (a very talented chef with a darn great idea). Salted Caramel was created in the Fall of 2009 with determination and one product: Bacon Bourbon Caramel Corn. Provenance now stocks that, and several other of their sweet & savory confections!

Tell us about your product/company/service.

... artisans, producing “Sweet Meets Savory” treats. Each is a twist on a classic and presented in vintage circus branding, honoring the fun that friends Ginna & Bridget, co-owners, are having with their young company. Salted Caramel launched in the Fall of 2009 with one product: Bacon Bourbon Caramel Corn and determination. With two anniversaries under their belts, the team is proud of their commitment to natural ingredients, highlighting products of other local artisanal producers, and to their growing line of treats which now seems to offer “something for everyone.”


What do you hope to accomplish with your business?

We hope to bring people a little bit of fun and deliciousness!


How did you get into this “line of business”?

Bacon Bourbon Caramel Corn. Ginna created the recipe when nominated by food-industry-friends when designing a naughty Superbowl menu that naturally required bacon in caramel corn. The bacon caramel corn was a tremendous hit and was requested by family and friends for years. After awhile Ginna realized she was onto something with wide appeal!


What did you do before this?

Ginna worked professionally as a chef for many years, on both the sweet and savory sides of the kitchen, as well as teaching recreational cooking classes. Bridget worked in Big Four public accounting providing audit services to private companies.


Are your products sold anywhere besides Chicago?

We have a website and ship all over the country (www.saltedcaramel.net), but we are also in a handful of shops around the country. We have been working with a store in Los Angeles about two months longer than Provenance. Otherwise, Provenance was our first real wholesale customer.


How often do you come out with new products? Are you working on anything new?

We release products a couple times per year with a focus to round out product offerings for various seasons. Last fall we released a toffee and a cocoa, both very wintery/gifty products. In the summer we try to create a handful of produce inspired popsicles... Pickled Peach was a huge hit. We are in the process of launching a new marshmallow, Salted Bourbon Caramel Marshmallow and a new cookie, Pecan Smokies. Next up, at least for the near future and at our farmers markets, we will be offering our Salted Bourbon Caramel as an apple dip.


Of all the millions of food products you could have specialized in, why these?

Combining sweet with savory is challenging, and rewarding. It isn't about coming up with strange pairings, but understanding complimentary flavors which maybe haven't been done previously. Plus, candy is fun, and it brings joy to people's lives.


What is your favorite part of this job?

Meeting customers who want to talk about food. We have developed some really tremendous customer relationships, all centered around passion for food... we love that.


What are some other Chicago products that you love (they don't have to be candy)?
We go crazy for Defloured's gluten free baked goods, and neither of us is gluten free. We share a tent with Defloured at the Andersonville Farmers Market, and we just can't get enough. We're also huge fans of Las Manas Tamales. Amber is a very close friend of Ginna's, but we'd be superfans even if that weren't the case; her tamales are superb.

August Staff Selection: Powerkraut Sauer Kraut

10% off Powerkraut, August 2012
From Staffer Jeff Tabels

Powerkraut from Wisconsin is an organic, small-batch, lacto-fermented food, and they are rocking some great sauerkraut. Lacto-fermentation is a fascinating & ancient food preservation technique. This process involves creating an environment that encourages good bacteria to break down the awesome goodness of raw vegetables, ultimately creating a naturally preserved food. In addition, it has amazing health benefits.

The following health benefits of lacto-fermented foods are listed on their website:

*Help balance stomach acids
*Assist in digestion & the breaking down of proteins
*Promote sleep & calm behavior
*Vitalize the health of intestinal flora
*Create anti-oxidants to scavenge free radicals (cancer reducing)
*Create phyto-chemicals that offer an immune boost
*Can deter the growth of harmful bacteria within the intestine

Sounds pretty great, eh? At Provenance, we carry 3 types: Classic, Purple, and Ocean.

*Classic is exactly what you hope for in a sauerkraut. Instead of opening that can with the green label for your grilled bratwurst or kielbasa, grab a jar of this. It has the perfect acidity to complement that grilled, encased meat.

*Purple has the color of the cabbage it's made from. Tossing that with a little olive oil & celery seed makes a fantastic topper for a pulled pork sandwich.

*Ocean includes kelp & arame. These are ocean vegetation that have been dried & cut, and included in the regular recipe.

All 3 options make great condiments or side dishes to liven up any meal.


Here are some recipes try at home:

Kimchijeon

*use Ocean Powerkraut in lieu of Kimchi for pancakes

2-4 servings


1 cup Ocean Powerkraut + 3 TBSP of juice

2 TBSP chopped onion

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp sugar

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

1/4 cup water

2 TBSP grapeseed oil

In a bowl, add Ocean Powerkraut, Ocean Powerkraut juice, chopped onion, salt, sugar, flour & water, and mix well with a spoon.
Heat a 12 inch non-stick pan over medium high heat & drizzle in the grape seed oil. Pour pancake batter into pan & spread thinly & evenly with a spoon. Cook for 1-1 ½ minutes until the bottom gets golden brown & crispy. Turn over with a spatula or flip it.

Lower the heat to medium & cook for another 1½ minutes.

Turn over one more time & cook for 30 seconds before transferring it to a serving plate.
*Serve right out of the pan or let cool & cut into pieces to serve.

Meet Your Makers: Spark of the Heart

Spark of the Heart is a small, family-run, socially-responsible Chicago company that produces mostly organic, all-natural soups and more. Their motto is “Tastes good, good for you, and helps the greater good.” SOH does this by offering delicious food mixes that are complete - they even include the spices and veggies. Products are nutritionally dense, and naturally vegan and gluten-free. The soups are packaged by the developmentally-challenged at "Gateway to Learning" in Lincoln Square and at "Little City Foundation" in Palatine.


What do you hope to accomplish through providing quality products?
We believe that there are many people who want to eat healthy but don’t necessarily have the time or the expertise to prepare high quality, tasty food. We provide options because our products, in addition to being naturally vegan, gluten-free and nutritious, are extremely easy to prepare and are complete. We get “thank-you’s” from busy parents and vegans who don’t know how to cook all the time!

What did you do before this?
Cynthia has been a professor, author, a massage therapist, and a Reiki Master Teacher. Thomas has had a long career in corporate sales, and is also a Reiki Master Teacher.

What was the "spark" that led you to working with food? Of all the millions of food products you could have specialized in, why these?
Both Cynthia and Thomas enjoy cooking. Because beans are nutritionally dense, economical, and versatile, Cynthia has always enjoyed creating bean dishes, and her friends and family have loved them. Providing healthy and delicious meals to her family has always been a priority.

Where do you find the inspiration for the products/flavors you select for your portfolio?All of our products are Cynthia’s recipes. The Three Bean Veggie Chili is our oldest daughter, Jasmine’s favorite, Thomas loves the Potato Spinach Lentil, and our youngest, Nadia, favors the Two Pea Soup with Carrots.


What do you see as the biggest benefit (s) you offer to your retailers and consumers?
When you buy a Spark of the Heart product, not only are you buying a healthy and delicious food, but you are also contributing to the greater good. We pay the developmentally challenged at Gateway to Learning and Little City Foundation to package our foods. They do such a great job that our products look like gifts! For every case of product we sell, we donate product to a shelter that helps feed those in need.

What is your favorite part of this job?
Thomas loves it when he goes to visit our packagers and they tell him that they love packaging our products because it’s fun and they like to earn money. He also likes the relationships he has built with our retailers. Cynthia is thrilled to see her recipes in production and on store shelves – she still pinches herself to believe it is true!

Describe your a-ha moment that made you say, "I'm going to do this!"
A friend of Cynthia’s has a store where she imported clay bean pots from Chile. Once when Cynthia was in her store, the friend asked Cynthia if she made beans. Cynthia said “of course!” Cynthia worked to put her recipes in dried form to sell with the pots. However, her friend ultimately decided not to go forward with her pots and food line.

Thomas suggested we sell the soups ourselves. We served them to our church for their café, and we sold out of all our stock. We realized then that we had a good idea and a good product and decided to move forward.

What is the inspiration for Spark of the Heart?
Cynthia’s massage and Reiki practice is called Spark of the Heart. When we decided to branch out with our food products, Thomas suggested that we keep the name Spark of the Heart for our foods as well, because every part of our life and our business is done with love and care and the desire to help others. Our name reflects the love and care we put into our high quality products, as well as the love and care we have for our customers, our packagers, and the not-for-profits we donate to.

Tell us about your recent Kickstarter Campaign
We found out about Kickstarter when we were looking for ways to fund our new products. Our soups were selling really well, and we wanted to introduce some new products so we could make our business successful year round. Cynthia had recipes – we were just short on capital –like many small business, we operate on a shoestring budget.

We decided to launch five new products -- 2 bean salads, 2 beans and rice, and a white bean soup. Each new product costs around $1,000 to launch, which included the raw ingredients, packaging, labels, other materials, and paying our wonderful packagers. We decided to raise five thousand dollars, and thankfully, with support of clients, customers, family and friends, we made our goal!

Meet Your Makers: Mina Kolahi of Grace & I

Grace&I was established by Mina & her business partner, true foodies at heart devoted to sharing extraordinary gourmet products handcrafted to perfection in small batches. They love to create new exciting, enticing, and delightful products for other fellow foodies.

Tell us about your product/company/service.
True culinary Artisans devoted to small batch originals. Our distinct touch is infused in creating extraordinary collections of Fruit+Nut Press boards, Turshi Condiments, and Seasonal Preserves; all of which are made with predominately locally-sourced ingredients and our promise to sharing naturally-healthy gourmet foods. We are committed to maintaining our mark of sophistication and exclusivity. Similarly, we have incorporated high standards as a business with Green Certification and dedicated supporters of Local Farms+Markets and those raising awareness about living well & eating organic.

I am most proud of our dedication to create, our excitement to share, and our genuine promise to excellence, both in product and in service. I love the mixing of historical tradition+innovative passion together to create outside-the-box unique products. The best part is sharing them with others, followed by a smile and "Ooh WoW, Ooh that was Awesome! You got to try this." And again shared with others.


What do you hope to accomplish through providing quality products?
A lasting memory. A connection.


Do you personally know the farmers that produce your products?
We know most of the local farmers and/or farms where we select our produce from, some of which we hand select the fruit ourselves! One of the growers we work with from the Santa Monica Farmer's Market is Scott Farms from Tulare, CA (Organic varieties of plums for our Plum+Barberry Turshi, Organic Plum Preserve, and we dehydrate slices of the plums for the Fruit+Nut Press). Another is Peacock Farms -Peppers and Mixed Baby Eggplants for our Roasted Eggplant Turshi and products that have peppers. We also use organic carrots, celery, cauliflower, and herbs from local growers at Jaime Farms of Ontario, CA. Organic apples from Fair Hills Farm of Santa Ynez. Organic figs based on what we can find from Garcia Organic Farm in Fallbrook, CA. Several fruits are not native to the United States and are not grown locally yet, we always do our best to source the best and freshest selection.


Is there anyone else on your “team”?
The golden touch of my mother, the meticulous detail of our devoted Artisan, the innovative hands of our Le Cordon Bleu chef, and growing team of highly skilled crew.


How often do you come out with new products? Are you working on anything new?
Creating new products comes through inspiration, through an experience that sparks a dedication. We are excitedly working on a new Fruit+Nut Press Collection which we can't wait to debut in 2013.....it's totally awesome!


How did you get into this “line of business”?
Food has always been, is, and always will be a central part of our family.

What did you do before this
Designing men's clothing.


What was the spark that led you to working with food?
It was in a single moment. A moment when I felt the incredible potential of creativity, the underlying presence of tradition, and the sweetness of sharing it with others, all at the same time.

Where do you find the inspiration for the products/flavors you select for your portfolio?
My mother. She has a golden touch like none other. She has taught me every taste I have known since birth. There are certain moments, certain aromatic foods and particular flavors that bring memories of home, of laughter, of love, of grace.

What do you see as the biggest benefit (s) you offer to your retailers and consumers?
Truth. The beauty and uniqueness of what you see is truly what you experience when eaten or shared with others.

Of all the millions of food products you could have specialized in, why these?
Because each is truly a work of art. Handcrafted to perfection. Each uniquely memorable when shared and unforgettable when experienced.

Meet Your Makers: Quince & Apple Preserves

Quince and Apple makes small-batch artisan preserves and have recently released a new line of craft cocktail syrups. The preserves are meant to pair with cheese and other foods, so they’re not too sweet and usually have a savory element. The tart cherry grenadine syrup is delicious in cocktails and drinks. They balance tart and sweet and are a great companion to all sorts of quality spirits.



Who is on your “team”?


Until about 9 months ago, Quince and Apple had just been Clare, my wife and business partner, and me (Matt). We did everything from mopping the floors to balancing the books. But now we have 3 awesome employees, two in the kitchen and one in the warehouse. It’s been a transition, but it’s fun to have other people on the team.



How often do you come out with new products? Are you working on anything new?


New products come out as they’re ready. We are very careful only to release preserves that we feel are perfect. This means we spend a lot of time tweaking and adjusting our recipes before we’re totally happy with them, but the results are worth it! We just launched a new line of craft cocktails syrups with the debut of our first flavor, Tart Cherry Grenadine. Look for more syrup flavors in the coming months!



What did you want to do as a kid, "when you grew up"?


I wanted to be a chemist, actually. That was until I discovered in school that it involved a lot more math and chemistry knowledge than I wanted to learn. But, looking back, I think being a chef was really the right fit for me, I just didn’t know I could mess around with food instead of lab experiments! Clare wanted to be an entrepreneur. She was always starting businesses with her childhood best friend, like a summer camp for neighborhood kids. We’re the perfect match!



Of all the millions of food products you could have specialized in, why these?


I grew up making preserves. I was born in Evanston, actually, and the house we lived in had currant bushes in the back yard. Every summer we would pick the currants and make currant jam. And then, in college I studied abroad in London for a semester and discovered that they serve preserves with all sorts of savory dishes, as well as with the traditional toast and pastries. I was hooked and that’s why we make preserves that are both excellent with breakfast and a cheese tray. Making syrups was a natural extension, because they’re very similar to preserves. Plus, people are doing very cool things with craft cocktails these days, so it’s fun to be a part of that creative scene.



What is your favorite part of this job?


I love working with my hands everyday. It gives me a real sense of accomplishment at the end of the day. I also really enjoy coming up with new combinations of flavors to work into preserves. The experimentation, trial and error and constant tinkering I get to do when working on new products is so much fun. Most importantly, Clare and I love working together. It’s so satisfying for us both to contribute our different skills and build something cool that really represents who we are!

Meet Your Makers: Cosimo Maria Masini

If you haven't tried Cosimo's wine & oil, you should! They are made my none other than Cosimo Maria Masini in Tuscany! Give these products a try and taste some of the best of Italy!

Tell us about your product/company/service.
Cosimo Maria Masini is a small vineyard and olive grove nestled in the Tuscany countryside, right between Pisa and Florence. We are focusing on biodynamic agriculture and natural wine making techniques – not only because we believe that it is better for the environment, but because we want to capture the unique characteristics of our farm, its soil and microclimate in our products. We are also trying to preserve biodiversity and that’s why we also have small productions of fruit, vegetables, honey and wheat. You might think all Extra Virgin Olive Oil from Tuscany is the same, because we share the same basic varieties, but that is not the case. Our 1,000 olive trees are nestled around the hilltop – the oils from the eastwards facing slopes are very different from those facing west. Our wines are Annick, Nicole, Nicolo’, Cosimo and Daphne – all named after family members. And then we make Sincero, a Happy Tuscan Wine we developed with our friends at Candid Wines. Sincero is only available in Chicago.

How often do you come out with new products? Are you working on anything new?
We are constantly experimenting with new things because we are very curious and dynamic and because we need to evolve. So every year we try something different, usually in small scale and if we like the results, then we work towards real production.
Both vines and olive trees take a long time to grow before they give you the first fruit, even longer until they are strong enough to give you the quality that makes great oil and wine. You can approximate 15 years for a vine to get to the point where it produces the quality grapes we like, and a good 30 years before an olive tree carries enough fruit to fill one single 16 oz bottle of oil. That being said, we have been working on isolating a very curious indigenous grape variety we found in our vineyards and hope that we can eventually add a new wine label. I love stuff like that – bringing old and forgotten varieties back. We also have identified another rare grape variety, Buonamico, and the almost extinct Mignola olive. With both we make very, very limited products.

Are your products sold anywhere besides Chicago?
Our Extra Virgin Olive Oil is a true rarity – we only have 1,000 trees, so that equals 1,000 bottles in a good year, none in a bad one. Lee at The Scrumptious Pantry is buying our whole production and most of it stays in Chicago. When you have so little, it is difficult to build large markets, especially as the yield can be drastically reduced in bad years. And we do not want to get into the business of buying other peoples oil and passing it off as our own. We believe in terroir, that food and wine have a sense of place.

What was the spark that led you to working with food?
This is actually a funny story. I had to leave Italy and move to London, of all places! You know when you are so used to something, you do not even fully recognize it’s beauty? I was born in Tuscany, food and wine were always a center piece of my life. When I moved to London to study Environmental Engineering, I suddenly found myself exposed to this circle of wine geeks. Sommelier classes. Tasting events. It was my awakening. “I want to make people happy like this with great wine”. When I got back to Tuscany after my studies I convinced my parents to move to the countryside – we found the perfect place and went to work. And work it was! The previous owners did not care and had been focused on growing quantity grapes. The soil was depleted, the historic cellars falling apart. The olives were in slightly better shape. They are very sturdy plants. There was no doubt in my mind that biodynamic agriculture was the one way to get life back into the estate. That was twelve years ago - and it has only been a few years now that we actually started selling our wines.

What do you see as the biggest benefit you offer to your retailers and consumers?
I think Americans really want to connect with their food again. When I visited Chicago last September I was blown away. You have access to so many great ingredients grown nearby, very creative chefs, so much curiosity on the consumers’ side about who grows the food. We are taking this whole concept a step further with biodynamic production – not only it is important who grows your food, but also all the other factors that make a difference: the soil, the microclimate, the so called “terroir”. This is why we love being part of The Scrumptious Pantry. They are really focused on capturing the terroir in their food products.

What is your favorite part of this job?
I am a very curious person. I really love staying immersed in the silence of nature as much as interacting with people. It is inspiring to be only surrounded by plants and animals, however I learn so much from direct interaction with our customers, too. Explaining our method of production, our wines and hearing their feedback is very important to me.

What is your least favorite part?
Bureaucracy!

What is your favorite story/anecdote that occurred along the way in creating your product?
I always tell people that I made some mistakes at the beginning of my adventure, but that I also realized that mistakes are necessary. They are the best way to learn and understand the real path you want to follow. So I realized that I did not need fancy consultants or useless expenses, but a lot of observation and sensibility, and this is the real essence of biodynamics. There have been times in which I was very discouraged and thought of closing the activity, but then some kind of spark or energy always made me change idea and continue with my path and I don’t regret that at all!

If you could have supper with 3 people (living or deceased), who would they be and why?
*Rudolf Steiner, the founder of biodynamic agriculture, our main light on the path we are following
*President Obama, to make him taste my wines!
*The Dalai Lama, to be enveloped by his spirituality

April Staff Selection: 10% off Yakami Orchard Yuzu Juice

From Staffer Jen Rosenthal

Recently, while putting out our daily deliveries, I opened a box with a weird new product. The label read "Yakami Orchard Yuzu Juice." I was instantly intrigued! Yuzu is a small citrus fruit from Japan that tastes like a lemon, orange & tangerine all rolled into one. It's tart and tangy, but surprisingly soft all at once. The perfect citrus substitute for all your cooking, cocktail, or sauce-y needs. And now that Spring has officially sprung, what could be better than a yuzu infused porch sipper, breezy spring salad, or a seafood supper.


Here are a few recipes to inspire "yuzu":

Jamaica Tea (Hibiscus Flower Water)
2 c. (2 oz) jamaica flowers (dried hibiscus flowers available at Mexican grocery stores)
¾ c. sugar
6 c. water
Splash of Yuzu Juice

Bring water to a boil; add flowers & sugar, stirring constantly until mixture boils for a minute. Set aside & let steep for at least 2 hours. Strain mixture through a fine meshed sieve, pressing flowers to extract as much liquid as possible.
Refrigerate until cold.
Pour tea over ice, adding a splash of yuzu juice to taste.


Mushroom Salad with Yuzu Dressing

http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Mushroom-Salad-with-Yuzu-Dressing-365165



Yuzu Cocktail
http://whiteonricecouple.com/recipes/fruit-recipes-2/yuzu-cocktail-recipe/

Rice River Farms Products 10% Off in March

A blog post by PFW Staffer Jeff Tabels. All Rice River Farms products are 10% in March.

Recently, I've had an increased interest in grains & legumes. They're a great way to get excellently-nutritious food into your diet as well as tasting delicious.

It started a few years ago when I discovered quinoa. The "super grain" has a wonderful nutty brown flavor. My friend Melissa Yen, of Jo Snow Syrups, even uses it in breakfast porridge. Soon, couscous, regular & Israeli, came into the picture. As the joke goes, food so nice they named it twice. Then just recently, beans. I really wanted to challenge myself to work with beans in dry form. I have always believed that cooking low & slow infuses the flavors in a dish, and that's exactly what dry beans need.

Provenance carries a wonderful line that covers all this and more: Rice River Farms, based in Aitkin, MN. They have an extensive line of rice, grains, beans, pastas & much more. The items I've used from these guys have been fantastic in flavor as well as inspiration.

Scarlett Runner Beans practically quadruple in size; Christmas Limas are silky smooth when cooked with some butter & garlic; Steuben Yellow Eyes work wonderfully in any bean dip; Snow Cap Beans & Cannellini Beans are an easy staple for stews & soups.

These guys also have an amazing lineup of rice. I've been toying around with their Bamboo Rice, whic has a subtle sweetness & wonderful green color. It's just sticky enough after cooking that I think this rice would be good in maki rolls. Himalayan Red Rice in a pilaf with dried fruit? YES!

I know I've left out a bunch of other Rice River Farms items, and I'm sorry. Looks like you'll have to come over & take a look for yourself!


Here are a few recipes to try out. Enjoy!

Breakfast Quinoa
from Melissa Yen, Jo Snow Syrups

1 cup cooked quinoa (Rice River Farms)
3/4 - 1 cup almond milk
Handful of sunflower seeds (raw, hulled & unsalted)
1/4 tsp vanilla
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1 TBSP maple syrup or honey or agave nectar
Handful of dried cherries

Put first 6 ingredients in a pot. Bring to boil, lower heat to simmer & cook until liquid is absorbed, about 7-8 minutes (depending on how thick you like it).
I add the dried cherries to plump up when it's almost done.
Transfer to a bowl (as all proper recipes would say) & sprinkle with more cinnamon.


White Bean Soup
from Mark Bittman's How to Cook Everything

1 ½ cups Rice River Farms Cannellini Beans, rinsed & picked over
6 cups chicken, beef, or vegetable stock, or water, plus more if necessary
1 medium onion, quartered
2 TBSP butter or extra-virgin olive oil (optional) Salt & freshly ground black pepper to taste
Minced fresh parsley leaves for garnish

Place the beans, stock or water, and onion in a large deep saucepan or casserole; turn the heat to medium-high. When it boils, turn the heat down to medium-low & cover partially. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the beans are very soft, at least an hour.

Put the mixture through a food mill or strainer, or puree it in a blender. (You may prepare the soup in advance up to this point. Cover, refrigerate for up to 2 days & reheat before proceeding.) Reheat, adding more stock or water if necessary to achieve the consistency you like. Stir in the butter or oil, season with salt & pepper, garnish & serve.

Meet Your Makers: Few Spirits

Few Spirits is located just to the north of Chicago in Evanston, and is one of several great small-batch distillers to be featured on the shelves at our shops. Learn more about Few Spirits on their website: http://fewspirits.com/.

Join us for an instore tasting at our Lincoln Square location, 2312 W Leland on March 8th from 6p-8p.

Now read more about this young local distillery:

Tell us about your product/company/service.
Few Spirits is a craft distillery focused on producing the finest small-batch spirits, grain-to-glass.

What do you hope to accomplish through providing quality products?
Few hopes to become a great company – a great place to work, a strong member of the community.

Do you personally know the farmers that produce your products?
Some. We use hops in our gin, and we grow the hops ourselves.

Is there anyone else on your “team”?
There are three of us that work together, and we work with our distributor closely to get the product around.

How did you get into this “line of business”?
Passion for the products and the opportunity to build something special.

Are your products sold anywhere besides Chicago?
We are distributed in Chicago, as well as Japan, and elsewhere hopefully.

What did you want to do as a kid, "when you grew up"?
Rock star!

What was the spark that led you to this?
Passion for the product and desire to do something relatively unique. I have a family history in the alcohol business via my grandfather, and after his death, I wanted to get back in touch with that history.

Where do you find the inspiration for the products/flavors you select for your portfolio?
I get inspired by flavors and tastes that I like, and that I don’t see, or by techniques that are under-utilized by others.

What do you see as the biggest benefit you offer to your retailers and consumers?
Unique. Our products are different than the large producers, and by controlling every aspect of the process, we can really create something different.

What is your favorite story/anecdote that occurred along the way in creating your product?
Explaining to the liquor inspector that I was quite sure that my 80 proof gin and whiskey was not going to freeze, no matter how cold it got in the distillery. I don’t think he believes me to this day.

Describe your a-ha moment that made you say, "I'm going to do this!"
I was sitting at my desk, picturing myself sitting at the same desk in 20 years.

If you could have supper with anyone, who would it be and why?
My grandparents.