You gotta love March. It’s on the cusp of spring and—depending on where you are in the country—this is a welcome moment for many of us who’ve been stuck in winter for the past few months. Or last week, actually. It was cold again.
But before the weather warms too much, I wanted to grab the last of the cool weather to include more perishable items like smoked salmon and a really cool cheese from our friends at Jasper Hill Farm.
I (we) found some of these products at the Winter Fancy Food Faire in San Diego back in January. Some we’ve had our eyes on for a long time and now they’re finally here. Let’s get started.
In this installment
Dan Dan Chili Sesame Sauce
Back in January, I had the chance to attend the Winter Fancy Food Show in San Diego, California. Usually it’s in San Francisco or—most recently—Las Vegas, but this time it was in San Diego. It’s nice there. Seems like it was 70º every day and sunny. Well, it was partly cloudy for twenty minutes one day but otherwise it’s a pretty beautiful place. I see why folks flock there!
These “Fancy Food Show” are a chance for product selectors like myself to meet, taste, and get the story of food makers from around the country and around the world. There are two big shows every year: Winter Faire in California (somewhere) in January and then the Summer Faire in New York City at the end of June—which means it’s ridiculously hot, you can’t get a reservation anywhere, it rains every day and then radiates heat from the concrete below you…oh! And this year the World Cup is in town so you’ll have soccer fans and revelers coming from all OVER the country. Hotel rooms started at $700 a night. Needless to say, we’ll be skipping the summer show.
The Winter Faire, however, showcases producers we don’t often get to see because they don’t come east and we rarely get to go west. This show was extra special because we got to meet a lot of producers from Hawaii and Japan and Korea that we’d normally never meet. A “buyers trip” to Hawaii and then Japan sounds pretty good to me so I was on a mission to find as many items from Japan and Hawaii as I could! (We found more than a few items that would work perfectly on our shelves so hope springs eternal.) But there were lots of delicious foods from this country, too, just from California producers that are hard for me to find.
Superlova—the folks behind this Dan Dan Chili Sesame Sauce—are one of those producers I would have missed if I hadn’t gone so the trip was worth it right there! This sauce is inspired by the flavorful (and spicy) cuisine of the Sichuan province of China. It’s spicy, sure, but not four-alarm fire spicy. Instead what I love about it is its rich texture, its intense and deep flavors, and the wonderful melange of spices inside. Truly a mix of flavors, textures, and sensations we don’t usually find in western cuisine.
Helen Li and her chef husband started out with food trucks, then moved to brick-and-mortar buildings before heading into the catering world. This sauce (along with their sweeter May May Sauce) are the two products they make, and they make them well. The sauce is easy to use and will turn any ol’ “boring” dish into a zingy affair. There’s an easy and tasty recipe below.
One last note: it turns out I’d actually tried this Dan Dan sauce a year or two prior to this and didn’t like it. You see, we’re sent products all the time for us to consider and we host a large “tasting team” meeting where the product selectors like myself all gather to try what’s been sent our way. Most of the products don’t make the cut, but I’ve always believed it’s important to give honest feedback to the producer and help them understand why we said ‘no’. Good foods might not be great fits for us, but since they took the time, energy, and expense to send us the samples in the first place, I wanna honor that effort with an equal response.
So when we turned down this Dan Dan Sauce in the past (Superlova was operating under a different name at the time), I was specific in why we chose not to bring on the sauce. I’ve been sourcing products for more than 20 years. I’ve learned what works for us and what doesn’t and I feel I should share the experience so the producer can decide what to do next in an informed way. It’s the least I can do.
Back to San Diego. I saw this Dan Dan sauce and gave it a taste. Fantastic. Made my mouth tingle (in a good way), the flavors were electric. I loved it and wanted to learn more so I engaged with the woman (Helen) behind the table. “I really like your Dan Dan Sauce,” I said. And before I could say anything else she looked up, looked at the name on my badge and said: “Oh my God…you’re Brad from Zingerman’s!” Then she turned to her partner behind the table, pointed at me, and said again: “This is Brad from Zingerman’s!”
“Oh wow,” he said. “It’s really nice to meet you.”
I’m not the type of person that gets noticed anywhere so I was a bit taken aback. “Yeah, that’s me.” I said.
Helen was beaming. “This is because of you!” She said, pointing at the Dan Dan Sauce. “We sent you our sauce more than a year ago, and you didn’t want it, but your feedback and thoughts and suggestions were spot on.” I started to blush as she continued. “You were right. The spices were a bit tired and the oil we were using wasn’t great and you pointed that out. Based on what you said we improved our recipe, used better ingredients, and rebranded to be Superlova.” She paused, smiled, and said again: “this is because of you!”
I’m still riding the high of Helen’s words. My buttons were bursting. It justified the way we do things and I was proud of the role I played. I would have selected this sauce anyway, but after meeting Helen there was no way I could let it pass us by. Enjoy the experience and remember to always get back to people…you never know where it might lead.
Not Your Average Broccoli
Ingredients
- Broccoli (1 head, cut into florets)
- Garlic (2 cloves, minced)
- Superlova! Dan Dan Sauce (2–3 tbsp, to taste)
Instructions
STEP 1. Prepare the Broccoli
- Cut 1 head of broccoli into bite-sized florets.
STEP 2. Blanch the Broccoli
- Bring a pot of water to a boil.
- Add a heaping teaspoon of salt to the water (this helps the broccoli stay vibrant green).
- Blanch the broccoli florets in the salted water until tender but still crisp, about 2–3 minutes.
STEP 3. Drain and Toss with Sauce
- Remove the blanched broccoli from the water and place it in a large mixing bowl.
- Add 2–3 tablespoons (or to taste) of Superlova! Dan Dan Sauce.
- Toss until the broccoli florets are evenly coated with the sauce.
STEP 4. Plate and Garnish
- Transfer the broccoli to a serving plate.
- Sprinkle with 2 cloves of minced garlic for an extra burst of flavor.
STEP 5. Serve and Enjoy
- Serve immediately as a side dish, or pair with rice or noodles for a complete meal.
Peach Mochi Gummies
After all that crazy spice and once we’ve dabbed away the light cheek perspiration that comes from Sichuan style cuisine, I figured it was time to cool things down a bit and head over to the delicate, ethereal side of the spectrum.
Mochi is made from rice flour, sugar, and a bit of water. By heating and beating, mixing and mashing, it becomes a stretchy dough that you can use to fold around fillings like red bean paste or even ice cream. In this case, they won’t wrap the mochi around anything; they just flavor it and cut it into tiny jewels of chewy delight.
Mochi gummies sit directly opposite Dan Dan sauce. They’re not too sweet. I think they’re wonderfully balanced and nuanced (the peach flavor is the perfect example of what I’m talking about: it’s a hard flavor to present without tasting too faint or even fake).
And they’re really, really easy to eat because of their pleasant, soft, pillow of a gummy. It’s not often you toss around the word “exquisite” when talking about gummies, but that’s the word that comes to mind. So just pop ’em and start chewing. They’re great anytime of day. Don’t share them with children…you know how they are when it comes to gummies.
Smoked Scottish Salmon
In the Jewish deli world, smoked fish—salmon in particular—is a staple. We’ve been hand slicing the ruby red sides for decades at Zingerman’s Deli—it’s a very special skill that takes weeeks of practice, but that doesn’t really work for us at Zingerman’s Mail Order where we ship things everywhere and certain food laws keep us from slicing it ourselves and repackaging it to send off to you. So we needed to find a pre-packaged, pre-sliced salmon we wanted to share. Turns out that was a bit of a challenge.
And then about ten years ago we found a delicious smoked salmon in Scotland that we liked. We were stoked. We even traveled to the smokehouse on the shores of the river Awe and spent a misty, magical weekend at the estate next to the smokehouse which I’m 99% sure is haunted.
But then the smokehouse burned down and it was going to take years to get it back up and running.
Back to the drawing board.
You see, the challenge is finding a sliced smoked salmon that’s rich, toothsome, with a flavor that hints of smoke but lets the flavor of the fish shine through. Strathgarry hits all the notes, especially the light flavor of smoke dancing in the background. You can serve this like we might at the deli: over a toasted bagel with cream cheese. It’s even better with fresh tomato, onion, and a few capers on top. Honestly, you can use the Knekkebrød Crisp Bread also included in this installment.
Lucy’s Original Granola from Maine
My friend and our former purchasing manager, Joe Capuano, vacations in Maine every summer. He’s one of those intrepid travelers that loves to drive cross-country and stops at all the local attractions. I’m pretty sure he’s seen every notable ball of twine west of the Mississippi and knows all the best places to camp in the Mid-Atlantic.
Back in 2012 he discovered Lucy and her delicious granola at a farmer’s market in Bar Harbor. They struck a friendship (“that’ll happen when you order a case every few months,” he says) and visiting Lucy at her kitchen became a yearly event. His wife can’t start her day without a bowl of Lucy’s granola. His kids—picky adults now—swear by the granola and they don’t really like granola they tell me.
Still, Joe’s not a pushy man, so he didn’t give me the hard sell. At first he just mentioned it in passing, like one of those vacation highlights you share around the water cooler. He started having the granola delivered to the office instead of his home. “Oh hey,” he’d say. “My shipment of Lucy’s granola is here. Man, she makes the best granola.” And then he’d cast a sideways glance in my direction to see if I was listening.
I was. When he finally gave me a bag of my own, I devoured it within the week. I was hooked, too. But that was nearly 15 years ago and even though we sold Lucy’s granola for a number of years, eventually we phased it out and turned our attention to other products…but I never forgot about Lucy.
Her granola is part of the new vanguard of granola makers, those inspired chefs who are proving there’s more to granola than just hippie good will: it can really taste good, too. Her original granola is nutty, not too sweet and generally rather light for a granola. Sweetened with honey and maple syrup from a local farm it’s one of the better-balanced granolas you’ll find on any store shelf. Powered by sunflower seeds, coconut, almonds, oats and more, it’s a great way to start the day in a bowl with milk or, like a true tree hugger, mixed with yogurt.
Lucy sources as many of the ingredients as she can from local farmers. “If only almonds and coconuts grew in Maine,” she says. Lucy creates her granolas in a converted farmhouse built in the mid-1800s. The window from her production kitchen looks out on Blue Hill Bay. Joe told me it was gorgeous. Back in August I got to find out for myself.
Coincidentally I had a friend celebrating his 50th birthday in Blue Hill, Maine where his fiancée lives and works. The celebration culminated with a clam and lobster bake down by the bay (apparently it’s a weekly event). I had visited Jasper Hill Farm in Vermont earlier in my trip so I brought a bunch of their cheese with me to the party and I was cutting it up at a table when I heard a familiar English accent (I forgot to mention that’s where she’s from). I looked up from my cheese, and saw a familiar face—though we’d never met face to face. “Lucy?” I said to the rather startled woman. “Yes….?” She said with hesitation.
“It’s me, Brad from Zingerman’s Mail Order!”
“Oh Brad!!!” She yelled, and then we hugged each other and spent the next half hour catching up and then she took me to her house at the top of the hill and Joe was right. It was fantastic.
It was such a special moment that it rekindled my love for her granola and I couldn’t wait to share it with you. Enjoy.
Maple Syrup Washed Willoughby Cheese
Okay, so the cheese you received doesn’t quite look like this illustration, but it’s a pretty god representative. There’s more going on with the cheese you’ve received than this illustration anyway.
I talk about Jasper Hill Farm in Greensboro, Vermont a lot (like in the granola piece above) but it’s only because I love the people working there, I love the cheeses they make, and they never stop innovating and finding new flavors to create and especially flavors that match the season.
Willoughby was originally created of Marisa Mauro’s Ploughgate Creamery. They collaborated with Jasper Hill—aging and finishing the cheese in the Cellars of the farm. Unfortunately there was a fire at Ploughgate Creamer in 2022 and they never brought it back. But the cheese was too good to disappear so with Marisa’s blessing, Jasper Hill resurrected this pudgy little washed-rind cheese and gave it some extra, signature flavor in their Cellars.
Inspiration struck again and the folks at Jasper Hill decided to make seasonal versions of the Willoughby that match what’s happening in Vermont. It’s maple syrup season now and Jasper Hill there’s lots of syrup in the areas around the farm, so it seemed like a no-brainer. Instead of washing the Willoughby in a wine or beer, they wash it with syrup. If you’re betting that makes the cheese sweeter, you’d be spot on…but not TOO sweet. It’s buttery, it’s sweet, sure, but it’s savory and hints of umami at the same time. These cheeses were JUST made so they’re on the slightly younger side, but really tasty. If you can restrain yourself, hold onto the wheels for a couple weeks and they’ll start to “break down” in a luscious way, getting even creamier than before. I love spring.
Classic Knekkebrød Norwegian Crispbread
Another product where the illustration above is a poor approximation. These crisp breads are far prettier and far more interesting than a regular ol’ cracker.
As a matter of fact it’s not really a cracker, but it’s not really a bread either. It’s a traditional Scandinavian crispbread loaded with whole grains and seeds that goes with anything you can spread, slather, sandwich, or stuff. The Willoughby above would love this crispbread (which is why I included it).
It can be a (crisp) replacement for bread because it’s durable and handles heavy toppings better than any crumble prone proxy in your pantry. It’s great for delicate dishes, too, so if you’re craving a vehicle for all that caviar in your fridge this is the one. It’s a little nutty and slightly sweet, but the flavor will never overwhelm its pairing. So grab cheese, a salami, and these Knekkebrød for an easy meal for two, or appetizers for more.
Note: we like these Knekkebrød so much we’re going to bring them to our shelves in the very near future…but you’re the first ones that get to enjoy it!
Birdy’s Coarse Wholegrain Mustard
This is one of the products we “found” at the food show out in San Diego a couple months back. I know mustard doesn’t seem like your typical artisan food, but this stuff has a long history in cuisine and beyond. And since we’re in the deli biz, we care about mustard more than most folks might.
So meeting Doug Partridge was a treat because he didn’t just have this mustard, but two other flavors, too! Yeah, that’s not a big deal I know, but what caught our attention and our tastebuds was the style of the mustards. His “smooth” mustard is a Dijon style with lots of heat, lots of bite, and lots of flavor.
This coarse wholegrain variety is a German style mustard, and those are more my bag…and probably other people’s pick, too. It has a richer texture and is easy to spread or mix into a vinaigrette. There’s spices in there and it’s definitely mustard so it’s got a soft kick, but as we head into the grilling season and the temps start to climb there’s gonna be some hot dogs or sausages in your future. And now you have a mustard that will make those treats extra special.
Freaky Falsa Fruit Bites
These are just fun and tasty, pure and simple. Falsa berries are pretty rare and come from South Asia. Some say they taste like blueberries (thus the image) but they have another nickname I love: sherbet berries. I love sherbet.
These sun-dried fruit bites are tangy, chewy, sweet and fun. I think that’s the main reason they caught our eye and why I wanted to share them with you. Sometimes you find a product that seems simple and tastes great. And when you realize you’ve been snacking on the box through the afternoon and there’s only half a box left…well in my world we call that “a winner.”
Snack on ’em of course, but if you should put together a charcuterie board with some of the items in this installment, I recommend featuring these bites, too! So good.