The Pantry
“And among the good things of the earth,
I set apart
Olive oil,
Your ever-flowing peace, your green essence
Your heaped-up treasure which descends
In streams from the olive tree.”
—from “Ode to Olive Oil” by Pablo Neruda
Olive oil is one of the oldest foods made by human beings. Though it’s uncertain where the first olive tree sprouted, we know that by 6000 BCE they were being cultivated in the eastern Mediterranean region. Used for cooking, rituals, lighting lamps, medicines, perfumes – its value was enormous. Eight thousand years later, olive oil is still one of the yummiest foods around! Drizzle it on feta, splash it on fresh tomatoes, toss your pasta in it, slurp it up on good bread – there’s no end to its uses. At Foster & Dobbs we have selected oils from around the world that range in flavor from bold and peppery to soft and buttery.
What’s olive oil’s most famous dance partner? Vinegar, of course. Most of us grew up thinking vinegar came in three flavors: white, red and cider. Remember what a revelation Balsamic vinegar was? A vinegar that has layers of flavor with sweet, fruity, woody notes was big news. Well, brace yourself: the world of vinegar is as wide and rich as the world of wine. We have luscious fig, blueberry, and chestnut honey vinegars made by Josef Reiterer & Robert Bauer – great for marinades, on fruit, or for bringing out the best flavors in cream soups. Also Cava and Pedro Jimenez sherry vinegars from Spain, the deliciously versatile Vinaigre Banyuls from France, and American artisanal vinegars like B.R.Cohn’s Pear Chardonnay and Champagne vinegars. Come in and taste them. They’ll set your mind reeling with ideas for ways to use them – because really great vinegar knows how to dance with lots of food.
Salts with herbs and spices can perfectly finish any dish from Paella to popcorn.
Then there’s salt: So many wonderful salts have emerged in the last few years! Fleur de Sel – those moist, delicate snowflake-shaped crystals harvested from the very thin top layer of the Normandy salt marshes. Maldon salt flakes – big square flakes that offer a crispy texture and a clean flavor. Spanish Smoked Salt, salt with herbs or peppers, salt with truffles, with fennel, with Bottarga. Woo Hoo! Let the good times roll!
We also have a little collection of other pantry items that we think are special: dried porcinis, palm sugars from Bali, chilis from Peru, capers, saffron, truly sundried tomatoes, and many more delicious little things that make a meal exceptional.