Holiday Goodies For You (Or Others), Part II
Ancient Olive Trees Perfect Pair
Marin County’s Ancient Olive Trees company knows a thing or two about olive trees.
After all, it’s been tree farming full-time since 2007. Its lush olive trees have been planted on the grounds of the Frank Gehry-designed Tin House in Los Angeles, The Broad Museum in Los Angeles, and many wineries in Napa and Sonoma counties.
So, it only makes sense that in 2015, it started crafting its own extra virgin olive oil, as well as balsamic vinegar.
Any cook or enthusiastic eater is sure to appreciate its Perfect Pair ($69) snazzy gift set that features a 375ml bottle of each.
I tried a sample recently, and found the cold-pressed, blended olive oil exquisitely buttery on the palate. Made from Arbequina and Arbosana olives picked while still green, it is a very rich tasting oil, with a tomato leaf fragrance, and a very mild peppery finish. Use it as a finishing oil on grilled fish, crusty bread, roasted vegetables, pastas, salads, and just about anything else.
The balsamic from Modena is aged for up to 18 years. It is syrupy in body, fruity with the taste of figs, and balanced with a nice tanginess. Drizzle it on salads, fresh strawberries, and roasted figs or give it a starring role on a charcuterie/cheese board.
Burlap & Barrel Spices
You can never go wrong with any single-origin spice or blend from New York’s Burlap & Barrel.
It is a public benefit corporation, a for-profit company that aims to operate sustainably and create public benefits by working directly with small farms around the world. It also produces spices that are always vibrant and robust in flavor.
Individual jars start at $7.99, depending on the spice. Burlap & Barrel sells handy curated sets or allows you to assemble your own gift sets with 3, 6, 9 or 12 bottled spices of your choosing.
I had a chance to try some fall-winter samples. Its Pumpkin Spice 2.0 ($11.99 for a 2.1-ounce jar) will put even more oomph into holiday baking. Designed in collaboration with food scientist Arielle Johnson, it is heady with cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg and ginger, plus cardamom and grains of paradise. The result is pumpkin spice with far more depth and interest.
If you’ve never tried Black Lime ($9.99 for a 2.8-ounce jar), you’ve been missing out. Limes from Guatemala are dried in the sun, then ground into powder. The taste is smoky, savory, and tart with its acidic edge rounded off a tad. I love using it in this fabulous chicken soup recipe, which calls for whole dried limes, which require cracking and crushing before using. Having the powdered form saves me those steps.
Black Urfa Chili ($8.99 for a 1.8-ounce jar) from Turkey is fabulous in vegetable dishes to add a jolt of umami along with a raisin-like flavor and smoky notes. It’s a little like black garlic in taste, and just as addictive once you start using it.
“Soy Sauce!”
Is there a condiment more ubiquitous in Asian cuisines than soy sauce?
In fact, growing up in West Virginia, Laura G. Lee’s mom would use it not only in her Korean dishes, but sneak it into her spaghetti Bolognese to play up the umami, and pour it over scrambled eggs to make them even tastier.
Now Lee, a Korean American children’s book author and illustrator based in Northern California, pays tribute to that indispensable staple made from fermented soybeans in her delightful new children’s picture book, “Soy Sauce!” (Little, Brown and Company), of which I received a review copy.
It celebrates the sauce, showcasing how it’s made, and how its deliciousness brings everyone together at the table.
What’s more, Lee created her charming illustrations using real soy sauce as paint. How cool is that?
While the book won’t be out in time to make it a Christmas gift, pre-orders are available for its debut on Jan. 7, 2025.
