Find fresh inspiration with four gourmet food brands that have earned a culinary seal of approval.
Fabbri
The candied Amarena cherries produced by Italy’s Fabbri have long commanded a cult following among cocktail connoisseurs and sundae enthusiasts alike. Now, the Italian company—which was established in 1905 as a family-run distillery in Portomaggiore—has introduced another sublime concoction. Its all-natural take on stem ginger syrup adds a hint of turmeric to slow-cooked ginger roots. Besides lending a warm, spicy note to a Moscow mule or a bowl of ice cream, the resulting preserve can also be added to a variety of baking recipes—think ginger scones, custard tarts, and pudding—while also bringing a rich sweetness to rib and pork marinades.
Logan Petit Lot
Those who believe that peanut butter and jelly are an indivisible duo will certainly want to indulge in the rich flavour combinations that define Logan Petit Lot’s artisanal spreads. Started by Montreal-based partners Vanessa Ishmael and Rémi Payette, the small-batch butter-maker focuses on thoughtfully sourced ingredients and gets it name from the Logan Square neighbourhood in the pair’s erstwhile city of Chicago. Its delectable maple flavour is provided by organic maple sugar from Érablière Caséal in the Eastern Townships, and is paired with sea salt from the Newfoundland Salt Company. Another exquisite option is a fiery chipotle peanut butter that will complement barbecued corn cobs in unexpected ways.
Minnow
If you’re craving a salty snack or searching for a briny secret ingredient to add to sandwiches and salads, look no further than artisanal tinned fish company Minnow. The brand launched earlier this year as the latest endeavour from Nialls Fallon, Nick Perkins, and Leah Campbell, the team behind beloved New York restaurants Hart’s, Cervo’s, and The Fly. Leveraging the same expertise that they used while developing their restaurants’ seafood-forward menus, the trio is now filling stylish cans with fish from some of the world’s finest bodies of water. Minnow’s addictively delicious sardines are hand-packed with olive oil and sea salt in Bizkaia, Spain.
Sfoglini
When it comes to most pasta dishes, the secret to a satisfying meal is noodles that have enough ridges to trap the delectable sauce. Underwhelmed by existing solutions, Dan Pashman—host of the James Beard Award–winning food podcast The Sporkful—partnered with New York pasta company Sfoglini to develop an entirely new shape, documenting the process over a special six-episode series. Inspired by a waterfall, the form Pashman settled on is a ridged candy-cane shape that features a central “sauce trough” for holding marinara or pesto in place. For the ultimate taste test, sample the new Cascatelli pasta with Sfoglini’s companion recipe for savoury double pork ragù.
