A few weeks ago, samples of a new line of gourmet goodies landed at my door. The “Gary” and “Kit” are Gary Erickson and Kit Crawford, owners of Clif Bar & Company, as well as Clif Family Winery, and the first products from Gary & Kit’s Gourmet are four varieties of Mountain Mix. These packaged [...]

Here are some springtime white wine and cheese pairings — all seasonally fresh, light and vibrant. Enjoy! Fresh Chevre Okay, not exactly a revelation, I admit. Fresh goat cheese and Sauvignon Blanc is a classic combination, of course. But each time I go back to it, I love it just a little bit more. The tangy, creamy cheese [...]

If you’re still buying the plastic cans of chalky, tasteless powder that are labeled “Parmesan,” I hope this article will persuade you to move to the real thing! Real Parmigiano-Reggiano (the complete Italian name for Parmesan) is unlike anything else – particularly that stale, fake stuff in the plastic can. It is a hard, granular [...]

I love mustard, so when a jar of this new concoction from New Orlean’s Cochon restaurant and chefs Donald Link and Stephen Stryjewski showed up one day, I was eager to give it a test drive. And now I am obsessed with the mellow but flavorful character of this unique mustard — not to mention the tapioca-pearl-like crunch of the [...]

If you’re talking about prosciutto, that most famous of Italy’s many hams, you really need to start with Prosciutto di Parma. Since Roman times, the unique conditions of the Parma region have facilitated the highest quality hams that have been valued for centuries for their extraordinary flavor. Genuine Parma ham is cured with air and [...]

Quick, name three Spanish cheeses… Manchego, right? Maybe you came up with Cabrales, too – Spain’s most popular blue cheese… What else? Drawing a blank? Frankly, so did we. So we set out to educate ourselves – and you, in the process – by exploring the wide world of Spanish cheeses. It should come as [...]

These childhood favorites are even better now with the additions of coarse salt and rosemary. Recipe: Nibble: Roasted Pumpkin Seeds Makes 2 cups 2 cups pumpkin seeds, rinsed well and patted dry 2 tablespoons canola or vegetable oil 1 teaspoon butter, melted 1 teaspoon coarse salt, or to taste 2 teaspoons finely minced fresh rosemary, [...]