Foodie Goodies #1
- The Artful Giver
- Nov 10, 2019
- 5 min read
Updated: Aug 11, 2023
We confess: we’re a bunch of foodies around here. When we’re invited to a friend’s house for dinner, we love to take fun, tasty—and sometimes uncommon—treats to share with the people the host or hostess has gathered for the evening.
And, make no mistake, we also keep the items listed below in our own pantries so they’re always on hand to break out for friends who drop by—or whenever we want to treat just ourselves.
So, whether you need a hostess gift, or are just looking for a few new and exciting staples for your own hungry self, keep reading!
1. Sanbitter
“Sanbitter” San Pellegrino Red Bitter Drink is an Italian essential, but not readily available in America. It is a non-alcoholic bitter aperitif that comes in charming little 3.4-ounce bottles, each one a perfect personal refresher whether served over ice with a splash of soda or straight out of the bottle at room temperature.
For those who like their bitter cut with something a little sweeter, it also makes the ideal replacement for Campari in any number of classic before-dinner cocktails.
We like to keep it simple: one third Sanbitter, one third fresh orange juice, one third soda; pour over ice, stir and start sipping—even the color is appetizing.
Bonus perk: wash out the empty adorable, little Sanbitter bottles, line them up on your kitchen window sill, and put a single flower in each one. We like these colorful, seasonal Fall flowers. Think how cute they'll look in Spring sprouting daisies!
Dad is gluten-intolerant, so having him over for the evening requires a bit more thought about the menu than you might give to just any other old dinner party. These tasty flatbread crackers are made with only three ingredients—organic brown rice flour, organic chestnut flour, and sea salt—and that makes them deliciously gluten-free.
They are ever-so-slightly sweet—thanks to the chestnuts—and the perfect platform to deliver all sorts of scrumptious toppings.
But, what topping do we like best on these lovely chestnut crackers?
Well, as I said, you can top them with nearly anything else you’d put on a crisp, ever-so-slightly sweet cracker, but we do have a favorite way to enjoy them and that’s as a delectable little appetizer that all begins with our love of figs.
Nonna grew up in a place where she was used to having a fig tree in her garden and, so, as a matter of course, access to fresh, juicy figs.
When she emigrated to the U.S., to a part of the country that wasn’t conducive to fig tree propagation, she missed her figs. It was an act of love that her husband and her sons not only planted a fig tree in her new-world garden, but dedicated so many hours over the years to tending it—and that included doing things like wrapping the tree in rolls of insulation each fall so it would survive winter in the harsh climate.
We come by our love of figs honestly.
Davina Fig Spread is crafted from Aegean figs, pure cane sugar, citric acid, fruit pectin, and nothing else. It is gluten-free, non-GMO, and absolutely delicious—fig-forward, with hints of honey and caramel. Take one of the chestnut crackers, spread some pungent goat cheese on it, and top it off with a dollop of this amazing fig jam. Served with a flute of chilled prosecco it is the perfect way to start a meal.
And, if you want more fig in your dinner, you can also use the spread to create or enhance the sauce for a roasted pork tenderloin or sautéed duck simply by mixing a heaping tablespoon of the jam per cup of rich stock.
If you’re like us, the treat of a Shirley Temple “cocktail” was part of the youthful restaurant experience—that fizzy mix of ginger ale and a splash of maraschino cherry juice, those tantalizing, neon cherries themselves waiting at the bottom of the glass for a final burst of candy flavor.
But, wait! We’re all grown-up now! Upping our maraschino cherry game is one of the treats of adulting. These so-red-they’re-almost-black Italian fruits in elegantly heavy syrup are made with Marasca cherries that grow in the sandy soil of Croatia by distilling not only the fruit but the fruit’s skin, pits, stems, and leaves. Indeed, it is those pits that lend the fruit’s liqueur the nutty background flavor that is the hallmark of a true Maraschino cherry.
Try them as a topping for vanilla ice cream, or as a garnish on a slice of dark chocolate cake, or—if you’re really into adulting—in the best Manhattan you’ll ever drink.
Speaking of Manhattans, we like ours bright, and citrus-forward, and to get that particular, vivacious flavor, the bitters we choose to use is Regan’s Orange Bitters No. 6.
These bitters were developed by the legendary bartender Gaz Regan whose 2003 book The Joy of Mixology should be not only every bartender’s bible, but is an invaluable resource for all of us who love to entertain.
The recipe for the ideal Manhattan—to our way of thinking—is two parts of a good bourbon to one part sweet vermouth, with three dashes of Regan’s Orange Bitters No. 6. Stir these three ingredients in your cocktail shaker over lots of ice—and stirring is important; shaking can cloud your spirits. Rub the rim of your cocktail glass with a twist of orange, strain your drink into the glass, and skewer two (or three…) Luxardo cherries to garnish.
For those who learn more efficiently with a visual component—like us—let us refer you to one of our favorite foodie YouTube channels, Preppy Kitchen. Usually this is our go-to channel to learn how to make wonderful baked goodies, but you can find some terrific videos for savory foods and solid, classic cocktails here too, like this one for a Manhattan we’d enjoy any time. It’s always five o’clock somewhere, right?
The question is not why do we love these generous 4” cocktail picks made from professional food-grade stainless steel.
We love them because they’re sturdy—much sturdier than toothpicks or plastic picks.
And because they’re more eco-friendly than toothpicks or plastic picks, which you throw away after each use; these will last a lifetime.
And because they’re dishwasher safe.
And because they’re versatile, and the point is sharp so you can cleanly pierce cherries and olives and limes and lemon wedges and shrimp and cheese and sandwiches and…
And because their design is just classic—check out the 8mm ball at the tip.
No, no. The question is not why do we love these cunning little cocktail picks. The question is why wouldn’t we love them?
Show up with these picks, a bottle of good bourbon, and one of Regan's Orange Bitters No. 6, and a jar of Luxardo maraschino cherries the next time you’re invited to a friend’s for dinner and be the life of the party.
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