April 2007

The sounds of chirping birds have pleasantly woken me up these past few days. On the way to work I see a few crocuses peeking out from the mat of dead leaves on the ground. There have even been days when I've sat outside on my porch in shorts and munched on some cheese. Spring is here. And it reminds me how many simple and subtle things help make life beautiful. All it takes is a warm breeze or that first good bike ride. This month at the deli, we are featuring a bunch of foods that work on that same principle—subtle and simple things adding up to wonderful experiences.

Take for example our Columbus Salame Saucisson Secs. These little picnic-sized salamis are part of Columbus's Farm-to-Table line, which means that they know which farms the pigs came from. A simple yet radical idea. The pigs are raised without antibiotics on land that is cared for sustainably. The meat is processed quickly and never, ever, frozen. Simple steps that make this salami really good. We've got three kinds—a classic sopressata, a black pepper encrusted, and a fiery red pepper and fennel. Packed ready to go. A must for your first picnic of the season.

Speaking of simple things of beauty, we're featuring our Sicilian Sesame Semolina bread all month. The bread to seize the imagination of sesame seed lovers everywhere—the entire loaf is rolled in unhulled sesame seeds. It has a lovely golden color and a taste so rich that will make you swear we added butter.

I'm learning that the difference between good food and great food almost always comes down to something simple. Take our Mount Vikos Feta. It comes to us from a small family run dairy in Central Greece. Its real Greek feta—made with the traditional mix of sheeps and goats milk and aged in large 55 gallon birch barrels for four long months. Unlike feta that is stored in vacuum-sealed bags, barrel aged feta like ours has long, balanced flavors and none of that overpowering salty taste of mass-market fetas, instead it tastes creamy and clean with a the crisp tangy freshness. Crumble it on a tossed salad, or mix it with some marash pepper for a great dip.

In sharp contrast to the crumbly tangy feta is the sweet and delicate sheep's milk Ricotta we are flying in from Sardinia. Here's a really simple product—ricotta is made from the whey left over from making cheese. The Bakehouse is using it to make the filling for their delectable new cannolis. If you're not up for making cannolis, that's okay, this ricotta can add a lot to your everyday cooking at home. Use it in any dessert instead of whipped cream. It's perfect atop crepes. Drizzle it with honey for a quick dessert. Or mix it into a pasta sauce.

Speaking of pasta sauces, there is probably no easier way to make macaroni and cheese than the Zingerman's Creamery's Fromage Franc. This is a cultured cheese, with a taste and consistency somewhere between yogurt and sour cream. We've been topping our Mary's Wild Oats granola with a big dollop for months. Sometimes called Fromage Frais in the cheese world, we've decided to name it after Frank Corrolo at the Bakehouse because he loves it so much. Last night I mixed up some Latini pasta and some Vermont Grafton two-year-old cheddar. A tub of Fromage Franc stirred in pulled the whole thing together and transformed the meal into a cohesive dish—that and a lot of Telicherry black pepper. But there are, of course, simpler ways to enjoy it. Spread it on a French baguette. Or top it with our Tea Rose Petal Jam from Harvest Song in Armenia. A classic breakfast dish from the eastern parts of Europe.

And then there is the simple goodness of olive oil and the subtle differences between the olive oils we carry. We invite you to come to the deli and taste our olive oils side by side against one another is probably the best way to understand how subtle differences in production methods and location can result in huge flavor differences. This month is the perfect time to experience these differences. We have a bunch of our olive oils on sale this month as we make room on our shelves for the arrival of the new harvests from Europe. It's mix and match time and you'll get twenty percent off selected oils when you buy two or more of them. They don't have to be the same. I would encourage you to think of olive oils as a condiment or a spice and always have two or three on your counter. We have quite the range of flavors for you to select from—from the light and buttery Roi oil to the green and peppery Zingerman's oil from the Colonna family to the bold and assertive San Vito and the quietly green Caricato. If that isn't enough to get your oil pumping, sign up for an olive oil tasting on April 18 with resident expert Solomon.

Thinking of subtle differences between foods, we've had butter on our minds. Last month someone was in the deli and wondered why we carry more than ten butters. "Are they really that different?" she asked. And the idea for a butter tasting was born. And we're doing one in style. We're very excited to be hosting Peter Foynes at this tasting. He is the Curator of the Cork Butter Museum in Cork Ireland. That's right. A butter museum. And yes, he's coming all the way from Ireland. You must experience this rare culinary adventure. See details below.

Our smoked trout underwent a not so subtle change—we found a new producer. Now we are getting it freshly smoked from Tracklement's Smokery, right down the street from us. This is a great hot-smoked fish that is buttery and fresh tasting. It's a good-sized fillet and is a nice new addition to our fish case. Look for more of Tracklement's products in the future.

So this month, take a minute to appreciate a small little thing that makes your life better. Maybe it's the fact that it stays light out a little later each night. Maybe it's the day when you wear a skirt all day without getting a chill. Stop and smell a daffodil. Or maybe stop by the deli and taste the rose-petal jam.

Thanks for reading,

Jess Piskor
Deli Scribe and cheesemongar