A chocolate and caramel tart created by Caputo’s Executive Chef Marshall Bryant, using one of the best local chocolates Caputo’s carries, this recipe serves a large group (or a smaller, voracious one). For a smaller batch, simply cut amounts in half.

CAPUTO’S SOLSTICE CHOCOLATE MINI TARTLETS
Makes 75 mini-tarts, or few, larger shells

COOKING TIME: 1 HOUR TOTAL

You’ll need:

• 12 oz. of Solstice Wasatch Chocolate
• 1 quart, plus 4 oz. of cream
• 1 lb., plus 2 oz. unsalted butter
• 1 lb. sugar
• Pre-made tart shells (we’re using the mini bite-size shells)

THE CHOCOLATE:

Melt the chocolate over low heat until all chunks disappear, then add 2 oz. of butter. Stir until the butter is completely incorporated into the chocolate, then add 4 oz. of cream, and stir until smooth.

THE CARAMEL:

Melt sugar until it is golden brown (approximately 315 degrees). Remove from heat. Stir in 1 lb. of butter, then slowly add in 1 quart of cream. Stir until smooth.

THE FINALE:

First, fill the tart shell about half of the way with caramel. Add chocolate mix until tart shell is filled to almost capacity. Finish off the tarts with a very light sprinkle of fleur de sel. Serve to guests. Accept compliments graciously. Save a large number for yourself.

Guys, IT SNOWED! Never mind that it lasted 15 minutes, and never mind that none of it stuck around. The important fact here is that frozen precipitation fell from the sky the first week of November. I began dreaming of all the hot drinks in my near future as I watched those big, fluffy flakes fall gracefully to the wet ground. Cider, hot toddies, tea, but most importantly, drinking chocolate. Not the powdered milk and cocoa with weird dried marshmallows, but real drinking chocolate.

The key to this recipe is high-quality chocolate. Any low quality bars won’t create the right consistency or flavor that you and your loved ones deserve. With so few ingredients, we rely heavily on the flavor of our chocolate to make this drink shine. I’ve always had a soft spot for the Solstice Bolivia bar. Notes of honey, cream, and very subtle warm baking spices are the perfect flavor I want when I’m craving drinking chocolate.

We made chocolate cake pops just a few weeks ago with a special focus on ganache. For cake pops, the ganache served as a binder to keep the cake crumb together and on the pop sticks. Here, we’re making what I like to call a “loosey-goosey ganache” that is the perfect consistency for drinking. This is the same process as making a thick ganache, we’re just using more cream than chocolate. The very nature of drinking chocolate is luxuriously
thick, so a little goes a long way here. I only need about 1/4 cup when I make this on special occasions with friends, so let’s not lose our marbles over the use of heavy cream. However, should you feel that your marbles are still in jeopardy of being lost, use whole milk or half and half.

This is a fun, easy, and quick recipe that comes together in less than 10 minutes. Make this with your kids, your friends, or your family. This is my favorite and most decadent way to welcome the cold weather. Blankets, thick socks, and a fire make it the perfect early winter evening.

SOLSTICE DRINKING CHOCOLATE
Serves 4

• 14 ounces heavy cream
• 5 ounces or two dark chocolate bars, 70% cacao or higher, preferably Solstice Bolivia
• Fleur de sel sea salt
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

In a medium bowl, whisk 4 ounces of heavy cream until whipped, but still loose. We don’t want stiff peaks, but enough volume to hold cream together when we top our chocolate with it. Set aside.

Simmer a small pot of water. Set a metal or glass bowl over it, making sure there is air between the bottom of the bowl and the simmering water. Pour 10 ounces of cream into bowl and heat until it’s warm enough to melt the chocolate. Add 5 ounces of chocolate and stir to melt. Once the chocolate is melted, use and immersion blender or whisk to combine. Whisk until your ganache is fully blended. Stir in vanilla, then add fleur de sel in small pinches, to taste.
Pour into small espresso cups, Mason jars, or other small glasses. Spoon whipped cream on top and serve immediately.

This is an easy recipe to add your own unique twist. Here are a few easy ways to make it your own:

• Steep the cream ahead of time with your favorite spices
• Add a cinnamon stir stick upon serving
• Add a dash of cayenne for a spicy kick
• Add booze. Any booze. I’m a personal fan of whiskey or Bailey’s
• Mix equal parts drinking chocolate with coffee
• Top with marshmallows or whipped cream
• Substitute your favorite bitters for half of the vanilla extract

As I write this, the first light snow is falling from the sky, and it really feels like sweater season. I often dread the beginning of this cold weather. I miss the farmer’s market, the madness of the holidays are looming over my head, and, I’m just plain cold. This year is different. The weather cooled very gently and after nine years of working at Caputo’s for the holidays, I’m feeling shockingly calm—almost zen, if you will.

So as the holidays approach and the snow starts to fall more frequently and in bigger doses, let’s enjoy it with our best friends and family over treats and nibbles. You’ll need a cocktail too, of course. Here’s how we’re enjoying the transition to winter:

CHEESE: Ossau Iraty Reserve

One of the most-celebrated and well-known Basque cheeses is made even more delicious in the hands of Caputo’s own affineuse, Antonia Horne, in the chilly comfort of our Cheese Cave. Ossau Iraty arrives in great condition to eat immediately. It tastes mildly grassy and sweet, and is a great choice for the table when you crave the comfort of a creamy, alpine-style cheese. But this is Caputo’s after all, so, of course, we couldn’t just let you settle for a good cheese. We want you to experience great cheese, and we want everyone to know first hand how our caves affect and improve even the most delicious wheels. Antonia gives the ultimate TLC to Ossau for six months. That sweet, grassy cheese transforms to have a deep, complex, brand new flavor. Ossau Reserve offers newly developed notes of caramel and browned butter with a still-perfect interior and more interesting and aromatic rind.

Enjoy this with your favorite cheese accouterments and wine alone, or get your cheese geek on and try the original Ossau and Ossau Reserve in a side-by-side tasting to see exactly what the differences are. You’ll want to hug Antonia afterwards. I always do.

CHOCOLATE: Solstice Chocolate

We give you one, fantastic chocolate almost every month, but this month is special. Here why:

1. We couldn’t agree on one Solstice bar. We didn’t have time to sell tickets to the WWE-style brawl it would take to select one, because of…
2. SOLSTICE CHOCOLATE FEST. That’s right. Our 4th annual Chocolate Fest features our first locally-made chocolate. Each bar will be featured in a dish made by a talented local chef in a sweet or savory application, plus all proceeds will be donated to the Heirloom Cacao Preservation Initiative (read more here).
3. Have you had Solstice? Could you pick one? Of course not, and neither could we.

Solstice is locally-made and has been blowing our minds. We’ve never seen the kind of support for a local chocolate like this. Solstice is on the menu of some of the best restaurants downtown, and it’s being used by Chocolatier Blue for its amazing chocolates. What’s more, Solstice is crafting chocolate with a no-waste and eco-friendly operation.

BAR: Beehive Spiced Orange Bitters

Bitters are the future, friends. Seriously. Local bitters are even more exciting. Imagine, little ol’ Utah making top-tier, high-quality bitters. Yeah, it’s happening.

Beehive Bitters is making a small selection of bitters that belong on the bar cart of any cocktail enthusiast. Not much for cocktails at home yet? You’ll find these bitters behind the best bars in the city, or you can add them to your personal pantry for cooking, baking, and marinading. The Beehive Spiced Orange Bitters is the perfect welcome to the cold weather. I’ll be using this in everything from plays on hot toddies to cranberry sauce. I’m even experimenting with turkey brine recipes that call this. The possibilities aren’t just endless, they’re exciting and, more often than not, quite rewarding.

So, did September actually happen? Between the warm weather and busy schedules we’ve kept here at Caputo’s, I’m quite positive we jumped right from August to October. I’m just starting to pull my sweaters and comfy socks out of storage and see cute posts of friends getting their hands on the the season’s first pumpkins. I’m ready for cozy dinner parties, hot drinks, comforting stews, and all the wonderful traditions of autumn. We’re keeping things fun and festive this month to help you welcome the cool weather in tasty fashion. Here’s what we’ll be noshing on this month.

PANTRY: Maestri Squid Ink Spaghetti

There is really nothing better in life than a plate of high quality pasta. If the quality is there, I could not care less about the sauce accompanying it or the vessel in which it is served. I would argue that bronze dye extruded shapes and artisan style pasta is a dying art form that is giving way to slippery, cheap teflon-cut noodles. Dear friends, they are not the same. The ideal pasta is roughly textured on a molecular level, creating a sponge-like surface that holds sauce to itself rather than floating in a puddle of it. There is a toothsome texture and flavor from the grains it was made from. To have the best pasta is to have life. Seriously, this is the stuff of gods. I say you’ve earned the right to a better pasta, don’t you?

Maestri is handmade and extruded by master pasta maker Giovanni Castiello in the most attentive, dedicated fashion. Castiello has traveled across all of Italy to learn and perfect over 80 shapes of pasta. Each shape receives the same TLC and attention to detail as the next. This black—dare I say spooky—spaghetti is colored with squid ink and is the perfect base for a seafood-laden dish. Keep it simple with garlic, oil, herbs, and your shellfish of choice, or let your creative juices flow with a combination of flavors. We’re loving an ‘nduja-spiked tomato sauce with scallops, shrimp, and clams. I dig it so much, I’ll likely have to share the recipe it with you.

BAR: Bittermen’s Hellfire Habanero Shrub

More from the master of all things specialty food, Matt Caputo: “As bitters makers go, Bittermens has mastered the technical skill needed to perfectly execute consistent, quality bitters. Despite all that precision, none of the artistry is lost. In fact, these are some of the most creative concoctions found anywhere, flavors that pay homage to pre-Prohibition era cocktail culture but have a wide arc all their own. Bittermens is for the barkeep who has mastered the classics and is ready to create.”

Bittermen’s spicy little shrub is a perfect way to add a spicy kick to cocktails and food alike. I find myself adding this to everything from sauces for tacos and enchiladas, tomato sauces for pasta, tequila cocktails, and spicy brownies. This shrub is the perfect balance of acid and spice.

The hardest part of getting your hands on this bottle is then deciding whether to store it in the bar or pantry once you’ve brought it home.

CHOCOLATE: Marou Heart of Darkness

Don’t you wish Matt Caputo could narrate your entire food journey for your entire life? This is as close as we can get, but it’s pretty fantastic, right?

“Marou evokes many thoughts and emotions. From exhilaration, lust, fear, and back to comfort. It is an incredibly complex and exotic chocolate. It manages to be ethereal and visceral at the same time. On the one hand, it is like an exotic and mysterious woman whispering in a language you can’t remotely comprehend. On the other, it is like a musical journey from slow Asian instrumentals to death metal.

Using 100-percent Vietnamese ingredients, including shade-grown cacao from five different provinces, Marou captures aromas and flavors never before experienced by our Western palates. While it will take us much more tasting to really get to know the soul of Marou’s chocolate, one thing is perfectly clear: The two French expatriates behind Marou who live in Vietnam make chocolate that is a cousin to French cuisine, but distinctively Vietnamese. Marou makes globalization look sexy.”

It can’t get much darker than 85% without beginning to lose its palatability. Marou has mastered the art of creating a super-dark chocolate that is still super delicious. Some chocolate with this percentage of cacao content are far too bitter, and I find myself wishing for just a touch more sugar. Not here. You’ll love its deep and dark complexity and its full flavor and nuance. Plus, the nod to the eerie novel from whence its name comes makes it an ideal bar for October.

It’s here: the last moments of summer. As we say goodbye to the sunshine-filled days of summer and welcome a new school year, we want to make sure to savor the flavors of the harvest season with the most delicious, new, and craveable treats from Caputo’s. Take a peek at our latest obsessions here:
CHEESE: Mesa Feta

Mesa Farm in Torrey, Utah, is home to a local artisan very near and dear to our hearts. Randy Ramsley is at the helm of Mesa, which is home to about 40 goats near the entrance to Capitol Reef National Park. Here, Randy raises his small herd along the banks of the Fremont River and creates a small collection of world-class cheeses. Our current favorite is his 100-percent local goat’s milk feta. Aged about four month to achieve optimal flavor, Mesa Feta is tangy, briny, and delicious. This cheese is the perfect pair for our local bounty of fruits and vegetables. Toss it into Greek-inspired salads, over seasoned watermelon or stone fruit, and top your grilled burgers, mushrooms, and other veggies with it. You’ll be glad you did, and we’ll be glad to have you in full support of this fantastic local product.

***In 2023, Randy of Mesa Farm entered his beautifully earned retirement. The farm and its singular cheeses will live on in our hearts and stories for years to come.***

SAVORY: Piquillo Peppers

There are many piquillo copycats out there, and for darn good reason. Piquillo peppers, which translate to ‘little beak’ in Spanish, are a cornerstone of Spanish cooking and tapas culture. Piquillo peppers—grown in Northern Spain, near Lodosa—offer a sweet flavor with no spiciness, and a sturdy, meaty texture. Piquillo peppers are roasted, seeded, and de-stemmed before canning. Your piquillos should be whole when they come out of the jar. Stuff them with high quality Spanish tuna, a mixture of cheese and herbs (cough, like the Mesa feta above, cough, cough), or chop and toss into frittatas, casseroles, stews, and more. Use these instead of other roasted peppers for amplified flavor, and they’ll make your dish even tastier.

BAR: Peychaud’s Bitters

We’ve got another traditional cornerstone for you here. This Craving is one part Creole magic and one part cocktail king. Created by New Orleans apothecary Antoine Amédée Peychaud in the 1830s, this bitters has withstood not just the test of time, but it was one of the only bitters to survive Prohibition. Light, sweet, and floral, this is an absolute must-have for home cocktail enthusiasts and professional mixologists alike. You can’t make a proper Sazerac without it, and you deserve a Sazerac after that first week of getting the kids through school.

CHOCOLATE: Pump Street Hacienda Limon 85%

Pump Street has stormed on to the American market after a publicized mention at the Oscars. It has long had a cult-like following for both its baked goods and chocolate alike. Hailing from the almost-too-cute and quaint town of Orford, Suffolk, Pump Street coaxes Heirloom Cacao Preservation cacao beans into some of the most decadent bars we’ve tasted. These bars are complex, perfectly textured, and truly craveable. Pump Street offers beans from Hacienda Limon in three different cacao percentages to explore the full spectrum of flavor from these heirloom beans. The Guantupi region of Ecuador is home to cacao beans used by many artisan chocolate makers across the country, but we just can’t get enough of Pump Street lately—especially the 85% bar. This is the ultimate gift to give the most important person in your life: yourself! Go on, indulge.

The Tuesday Farmer’s Market at Pioneer Park is a much anticipated event for many. It signals the beginning of a bountiful harvest and the last weeks of summer. Tuesdays are a smaller, quieter, and food-focused version of the Downtown SLC Farmers Market on Saturdays. I can stroll listlessly through the handful of stalls in the early evening rather than navigating a path, elbows first, through a sea of fellow food lovers in the early hours of Saturday. There’s more time to chat with farmers about different varieties of fruits and vegetables, more time to make a wise choice, and much less traffic or other elbows.

My first Tuesday purchases were huge, heavy heirloom tomatoes, a small basket of cherry tomatoes, a perfectly ripe watermelon, bread, and greens. Greens, bread, and heirloom tomatoes were bought for specific purposes. The cherry tomatoes and watermelon were for halloumi, but I wasn’t quite sure how they’d all come together, or if one would be chosen over the other. Bon Appetit’s recipe inspired me to create an easy, fresh way to incorporate both components with what Evan has dubbed “the cheese that grills.”

As previously mentioned this month, Halloumi has the uncanny ability to grill or brown, without ever melting. It always feels strange to lay pieces of cheese down on a fiery hot cast iron pan and see it sizzle and brown rather than melt into a cheesy, goopy mess. The salty, sheep’s milk cheese mingles perfectly with fresh, sweet watermelon and warm, charred tomatoes. A sprinkling of chopped mint and basil elevate the aroma and fresh factor, while a decent dousing of Viola EVOO is the perfect finish, because duhhhhh, Viola. Note: I finish everything with Viola, because it makes everything infinitely more delicious…and because I can.

This a lovely, plated salad for two to four people, but also a lovely addition to a large barbecue. Lay components in clean lines for a fancy-schmancy buffet-worthy dish. Either way, these ingredients are all in season, and you deserve a delicious salad in your life. Go on, enjoy.

Watermelon and Halloumi Salad 
Serves 2-4

• 1/2 pound rindless watermelon slices, cut into triangles
• 1 tablespoon olive oil, for cooking
• 8 slices  Halloumi Cheese
• 12-16 cherry tomatoes
• Chiffonade of 6 basil leaves
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh mint
• Viola olive oil, or another condiment grade olive oil for drizzling
• Kosher salt

Heat a small cast iron pan over medium heat. Lay watermelon slices on a plate in a whimsical pattern (or in a uniform one if you like that). Season with kosher salt. Add oil and tomatoes to the cast iron; roll tomatoes around the pan every two minutes or so until sides begin to brown and skins burst. Remove to a small bowl to cool slightly. While tomatoes are cooling, lay 4 slices of Halloumi Cheese on the cast iron pan, letting brown for about one minute before flipping. Remove halloumi, and lay over watermelon slices. Scatter cherry tomatoes across the plate, sprinkle with basil and mint. Add more salt if desired, and finish with a good drizzle of condiment oil. Serve immediately.

That point in the summer has arrived. IT’S TOO HOT. My legs stick to any surface I sit on, I’ve melted numerous lip balms and plastic cups left in my car, and I have to keep a close eye on my roommate’s air conditioning habits, that power isn’t gonna pay itself.

Oppressive heat calls for icy luxury. This week, that luxury comes to us by way of Luxardo cherries and you nearest freezer. You may recall a recent fennel pollen semifreddo and my argument for making this every day. But really, semifreddo is the ultimate easy dessert.

Whip cream, whisk eggs with additional ingredients, combine, and freeze. There, done. It’s almost too easy.

My pal and fellow class instructor, Evan, and I decided it was high time we rally the Caputo’s troops from all locations for a fun, food-oriented gathering. We love these monthly Cravings and wanted to share that with our fellow cheesemongers and deli co-workers, so we pulled a few cocktails and cheese samples together to learn about, discuss, and enjoy.

I wanted to make something special to add to the lineup. Luxardo semifreddo, duhhhhh.

I couldn’t stop there. I wanted to incorporate a fun play on neapolitan ice cream by adding a chocolate and mascarpone component as well. The Luxardo semifreddo was fantastic, but sandwiching it between two other semifreddi made it even more so.

We nibbled and snacked. We sipped and laughed. And then we ate semifreddo. LOTS of semifreddo.

You can make yours and keep them frozen for up to a week without compromising flavor. So I say make a giant batch to cool off and keep your heat-induced impatience in check. It’s worked for me all season. Enjoy!

Luxardo Cherry Semifreddo
Serves 10

• 1 egg
• 4 egg yolks
• 1/3 cup Luxardo Cherries, roughly chopped
• 3 tablespoons Luxardo cherry syrup, poured off from the whole Luxardo cherries
• 1 ½ cups cream

Line a medium loaf tin with plastic film. Beat the cherry syrup, egg, and egg yolks with the honey in a bowl until pale and thick. Whip the cream until it has thickened and doubled in volume. Fold in the egg and cherry juice mixture and pour into the loaf tin. Wrap in plastic and freeze for 3 hours. Remove the semifreddo and fold in the chopped cherries. Cover again and continue to freeze for an additional 2 hours or overnight.

When ready to serve, invert the semifreddo onto a serving platter and drizzle with extra Luxardo syrup or more cherries. Serve slices immediately.

(For chocolate or mascarpone semifreddo, substitute cherry components for melted dark chocolate or mascarpone. You’ll also want to add 1/4 cup sugar when mixing with the egg yolks.)

The heat is upon us. Such a heat wave calls something to get us out of that stinky, sweaty funk and into the world of poolside icy drinks, patriotic fireworks, and memorable meals with friends. And of course, treats. We need treats.

For our monthly Cravings, we’ve brought in some fantastic new products and somewhat of an old faithful that we’ve never been able to get enough of. We think these products will make your July a bit cooler. They’re downright perfect additions for any summer occasion, whether it’s the family barbecue, poolside shenanigans, or an air-conditioned escape from the outdoors.

CHEESE: Vegetale

The flavor of this goat’s milk cheese is sweet, mild, and approachable. I couldn’t figure out why I gravitated toward this cheese so quickly until I began reading about it. Vegetale is made an hour away from the town my maternal family is from in Basilicata, Italy. Basilicata is Calabria’s neighbor to east in Italy, when I describe the region to friends, I reference the arch of the boot that is Italy. Vegetale is made in Gorgoglione, almost the center of Basilicata. I grew up with this cheese and this flavor—my senses remembered it long before I was even consciously aware of what I had been eating. My Nonno ate cheese like this by the pool with either cold beer or white wine while I jumped off the diving board and paddled around like a loon with my cousins. We’d take a break from our summer tomfoolery to inhale the cheese, fruit from our family’s trees, and Capri Sun nestled into the cooler next to Nonno’s wine. I miss those kinds of summer day—I can’t say I miss the Capri Sun though. You don’t have to be from Italy to love this cheese. It’s simply the perfect poolside snack. Just ask my Nonno.

CHOCOLATE: OmNom Coffee+Milk

Yep, we definitely eat chocolate during summer, especially this one. Matt and Yelena let me tag along to a dinner with the owners and makers of OmNom a few months ago in Seattle. They gave us the smallest taste of this bar, and I’ve been awaiting its release ever since. We are putting this in as our chocolate pick; however, there’s not really any cocoa solids to speak of in this bar. Shocking! You see, this bar is made entirely from coffee beans. Nope, no cacao mass at all. There is some cocoa butter for texture’s sake, but this is truly a coffee bar. Given that, it’s the ultimate midday pick-me-up, the treat hidden in your desk, the snack you really should keep away from the kids, the heaven-on-earth kind of bar. You get the idea, right?

SWEET: Luxardo Maraschino Cherries

If you read “maraschino cherries” and immediately thought of the acid-red type of cherries often accompanying dance-club drinks, which taste of preservatives and sugar, I understand. But please, come join us in the world of Luxardo Maraschino Cherries. Sour Marasca cherries are candied in a syrup that let’s us taste both cherry and liqueur. Fantastic does not begin to describe them. They’re the perfect finishing touch to your cocktails and I’ve had many successful evenings combining them with pork as an entree. You’ll hear about these many times in the coming weeks, we can’t help ourselves.

Remember how I said I usually buy too much from the farmers markets on Saturdays? Yeah, I did it again. It all just looks too tasty, am I right?!

I arrived home this week with an overstuffed canvas bag…or two. This week’s bounty included lots of different greens, blueberries, raspberries, figs, garlic scapes, hummus, peas, lavender, fava beans, and ginger beer. After happy dancing all over my kitchen, I began creating menus for myself and my friends. When there are so many greens to choose from, I like to make the almighty market salad. I can throw just about everything in there, and it’s delicious everytime. The secret? Seasoned greens and sherry vinaigrette.

I think it’s the Italian matriarch hiding deep in my soul who feels the need to accompany any meal with some sort of starch. I don’t mind just a salad for myself any night, but I always feel the need to provide a bread of sorts to sit alongside a salad when I have company. There was a decent sized chunk of Red Leicester sitting pretty in the fridge, so I had no choice but to make cheesy popovers.

I love popovers for their texture and easy preparation. Light, airy, hollowed rolls rise straight up out of their individual tins in the oven and maintain their shape after cooling. Its simple batter lends itself to both sweet and savory options, and the additions are infinite. Don’t bother buying dedicated popover tins, especially if this is your first try. Muffin tins are perfectly fine.

This is a great recipe to keep in your back pocket as they come together quickly and sit well next to any sort of combination of foods. I love bringing these along to barebecues and potlucks.

Red Leicester Popovers
Makes 8-10

• 1 cup all purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1/2 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
• 1 cup whole milk
• 2 large eggs
• Olive oil
• 3/4 cups grated Red Leicester cheese

Preheat a 12-cup muffin pan in the oven at 350 degrees. Heat milk over medium heat until it reaches about 120 degrees.

Stir flour, salt, and thyme together in a medium bowl. Once milk is heated, whisk milk into the eggs in a small bowl. Stir milk mixture into the flour slowly, leaving small lumps at the end.

Working quickly, remove hot muffin pan and swipe each cup with a paper towel doused with olive oil. Add about 1/4 cup of batter to muffin cups and top each with a generous sprinkling of grated cheese. Bake until deep, golden brown, about 45 minutes. Remove from muffin tins while still warm.

June is always exciting—vacations, outdoor concerts, farmers markets, and summer festivals are one the horizon. And the small amount of gardening I attempt every year isn’t quite ruined yet. Plus, it’s national Accordion Awareness Month. So there’s that.

We’re gearing up for Father’s Day, and it shows in our Cravings this month. We may or may not have been hungry when we put the list together, and now I just can’t stay away from these fantastic little treats. Check out June’s selections for you and your friends, for Dad, and for another upcoming summer to remember.

CHEESE: Quicke’s Red Leicester

We’ve always been big fans of Quicke’s traditional cheeses from the United Kingdom. Their meticulous processes involve hand-making every wheel and milling the cheese curds twice before forming the clothbound wheels for this cheese. Quicke’s Red Leicester is made with vegetable rennet and annato seed, which gives it its wonderful dark orange hue. It’s aged at least four months before wheels are released.

Red Leicester is crumbly, dense, and has a lovely, well-balanced sweet and caramelized flavor. Serve on a cheese board and pair with full bodied white wines and seasonal summer beers. We’ll be testing recipes with this beauty soon, so stay tuned!

CHOCOLATE: Rozsavolgyi Chocolate with Olives and Bread 77%

To be perfectly honest, we were not prepared for this chocolate to be as good as it is. This brand is definitely some of the best in the world, and Caputo’s is thrilled and proud to include it in our portfolio. Single origin and inclusion bars alike are produced with the utmost care, no vanilla, and a balanced roast. This type of passionate production allows for a very deep exploration of terroir, while still having a distinctly European ‘chocolatey-ness’ (we insist this is a word).

Additionally, some of their inclusion bars, like this 77% bar with olives and bread, will amaze even the most jaded connoisseur! Roasted olives, toasted bread, and olive oil are blended with 77% dark chocolate for an entirely unique chocolate experience. The result is an unlikely, but incredibly satisfying, combination of sweet and savory.

Rozsavolgyi was given a Bronze award by the Academy of Chocolate for this bar in 2013 in the Seasoned Bar category. We’re proud to say we’re truly addicted to this award-winning bar.

CHARCUTERIE: Smoking Goose Delaware Fireball

It all started on Delaware Street in Indianapolis. Coarsely ground pork met its match in crushed chili, espelette peppers, and garlic and was wrapped in caul fat, dry aged, and finally cold smoked. Thus, the Delaware Fireball was born. Smoking Goose Meatery in Indiana makes a drool-worthy array of smoked and cured meats that we can’t seem to stop eating. Animals are sourced from independent farms across Indiana and these truly artisanal products speak to that in just the first bite. Hand-tied, nitrate-free, and utterly-delicious, with a perfectly pleasant spicy finish…what more could we ask for?!

SWEET / DRINK: Bittermilk New Orleans Style Old Fashioned Rouge

This is our second Bittermilk selection. Our cocktailing remains incredibly easy with Bittermilk in the proverbial arsenal. If you missed it last month, here’s a quick refresher on Bittermilk:

Fans are singing praises for Bittermilk across the country, and the full line of Bittermilk has already been highlighted in the Wall Street Journal! Joe and MariElena Raya are the owners of Gin Joint in Charleston, South Carolina, and the makers of our newest all-natural cocktail go-to. Simply mix your Bittermilk of choice with a spirit and ice. Voilà: a cocktail, and an impressive one, too. Add a garnish if you insist, but how easy does that sound? No more muddling, peeling, and hunting for a whole shipping cart full of grocery items to serve your friends a delicious libation. You just need this lovely bottle and a quick jaunt to the liquor store. With six fantastic concoctions, there’s an option for every spirit and every soul.

Whiskey fans? Meet your new secret ingredient for the easiest and most impressive home cocktails. Fans are singing praises for Bittermilk across the country, and the full line of Bittermilk has already been highlighted in the Wall Street Journal! Joe and MariElena Raya are the owners of Gin Joint in Charleston, South Carolina, and the makers of our newest all-natural cocktail go-to. Simply mix your Bittermilk of choice with a spirit and ice. Voilà: a cocktail, and an impressive one, too. Add a garnish if you insist, but how easy does that sound? No more muddling, peeling, and hunting for a whole shopping cart full of grocery items to serve your friends a delicious libation. You just need this lovely bottle and a quick jaunt to the liquor store. With six fantastic concoctions, there’s an option for every spirit and every soul. Whiskey fans? They’ve got a few for you. Clear liquor only? Fret not, this Charred Grapefruit Tonic works with gin, vodka, AND rum. Try them all—we have. We’re currently digging this in particular because of its multiple uses; plus, spring feels like the perfect time for a fun spin on a the classic gin & tonic. We’re big fans, and we hope you’ll join the club. Dad’s going to love this fresh take on an all time favorite drink.  Add 1 part Bittermilk with 4 parts rye, stir with ice, strain into a rocks glass and garnish with a lemon twist. Done. It couldn’t be an easier, or any more delicious for that matter.

We’re looking forward to another fantastic Salt Lake City summer, and we plan to welcome the season with these addicting nibbles. We hope you have the tastiest June possible!

I know, I know. It’s January. We’re dieting and eating healthy and it’s soooo much fun. If you’re like me, you’ve had kale seven different ways already this week and your monthly quinoa intake may be nearing your body weight. It’s great to feel good again after the heaviness of the holidays, but I’m getting back into the swing of hosting dinner parties with friends and it’s time to get real. It’s not a party if there’s no dessert. There, I said it.
Yelena has recently gotten me to jump on the turrón bandwagon, and I’m never looking back. This centuries-old combination of almonds, egg whites, and honey is heavenly. Light, pillowy, and my favorite version has an added ingredient of burnt sugar. The added complexity is welcome and inspired us to take it to the test kitchen.

My work family is just that, family. When we get excited about something, we get together to taste, cook, and talk food. We’ve had many great successes, and a few misses, but our time spent together is always educational and fun. Family dinner is an excuse to have a dinner party with people I love seeing everyday when I walk in to Caputo’s. I’m so grateful to spend my days with people that I adore and feel as passionately as I do about food. It’s only natural that I stuff them full of dessert, right? And of course, the turrón had to be the centerpiece. Meet my turrón blondie, lovingly named after my longtime best friend and fellow blondie, Claire. She’s my rock and I adore her, just like these treats. Make them for the people you love most and name them after your most beloved blondes.

The turrón has two places in these blondies. Half is beaten into the batter and the other half is roughly chopped and crumbled on top before baking. Brown butter helps give this simple treat a bit more depth and complexity. Top these with vanilla gelato, honey roasted fruit, or a dollop of whipped cream. You can make these two days in advance (or a few weeks if you don’t mind freezing them), so they’re a lovely, easy end to a meal with your best pals and family.

Turrón Blondies (aka Claires)
Serves 12

• 1 1/4 sticks unsalted butter, plus more for greasing
• 1 3/4 cup brown sugar
• 3 eggs
• 1 stick Turrón, or any soft, jijona style turrón, divided
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• pinch ground cinnamon
• 1 1/2 cups flour

In a medium saucepan (I prefer stainless steel so I can monitor the color easily), heat the butter over medium heat until it reaches a medium golden brown. Transfer to a bowl and set aside to cool slightly. Grease a 9-by-9 inch baking dish with butter and preheat over to 325 degrees.

Beat sugar, eggs, half the turrón, vanilla, salt, and cinnamon together. Whisk in brown butter until combined, then stir in flour. Pour batter into greased baking sheet and spread evenly. Coarsely chop the remaining turrón and sprinkle over the batter. Bake for about 35-40 minutes, or until a knife inserted in the center comes out with just a few crumbs.

Let cool slightly before cutting and serve with ice cream, fruit, or whipped cream.