Throughout the year, Good Eating features various artisanal products, those foods or beverages that are handcrafted in small batches. This year for the winter holidays, we have gathered together some favorite artisanal foods to help with your holiday shopping. We have kept the focus on Midwest products, because there’s a lot of good food hereabouts.
Whether you want to send a taste of the Great Lakes to someone far away or you just like to eat more locally, here and on the centerspread are some of the Midwest’s unique, handcrafted foods.
Get smoked from Sheboygan
Schwarz Fish Co. in Sheboygan, Wis., makes a delicious hot-smoked salmon using a recipe dating to 1912. The fish is firm, moist and aromatic after being smoked over oak, maple and hickory for three hours. $22 per pound at Dirk’s Fish & Gourmet Shop, 2070 N. Clybourn Ave., 773-404-3475; dirksfish.com. For mail-order, 920-457-4486 or schwarzfish.com.
The cake that comforts
Each ComfortCake Co. poundcake comes with an inspirational message described as “words of comfort.” The 2-pound almond or lemon cake ($20) is based on a family recipe. The Chicago-based company also offers lemon poundcake made without added sugar ($25). Packaged slices ($1.29 each) are sold at Jewel, Walgreens and Dominick’s; whole cakes available by mail-order only: 866-264-2253 or comfortcake.com.
Celebrate with chocolate
Michael Canady makes his truffles, ganaches, barks and more in a small kitchen in the back of Canady Le Chocolatier, his petite South Loop shop. The candies are tiny treasures unto themselves, packed in shiny gold boxes. There are dozens to choose from, including gold-dusted Cognac-dark chocolate truffles; ganache au trois (white, milk and dark chocolate); and dulce de leche (praline base topped with buttercream and dark chocolate). $33 per pound. 824 S. Wabash Ave., 312-212-1270, canadylechocolatierchicago.com.
Popping pizazz
White Cat Corn’s proprietary brand of yellow popcorn, grown on farms in southern Illinois and other Midwestern locales, pops up fluffy and delicious. (The name honors the original owner’s cat, who was partial to playing in the cornfields.) Sold in a 27-ounce Mason jar, it costs $6-$8 at Sur La Table and Williams-Sonoma stores and Web sites; by mail, 800-970-2676 or whitecatpopcorn.com.
Nibble time
For the nut lover on your list, Nutorious Nuts’ Door County Cherry Vanilla (“decadently made in Wisconsin”) is a not-too-sweet mix of nuts and fruit coated in a light vanilla-butter glaze. The line, from Green Bay, Wis., includes four other flavors, but we like the addition of the dried tart cherries in this one. Whole almonds, pecans and walnut halves form the base. A 4-ounce bag is $6 at Fox & Obel, Foodstuffs in Evanston, and other specialty markets; for more locations or an order form, go to nutoriousnuts.com, 877-688-6746.
A real stocking stuffer
Bobak Sausage Co. offers a variety of smoked sausages ready to eat, from skinny links called kabanos ($1.69 per pound) to the standard-size smoked Polish sausage, kielbasa zwyczajna ($1.69 per pound) to the big salami-like Krakow sausages, kielbasa krakowska podsuszana ($2.69 per pound) at the shop, 5275 S. Archer Ave., 773-735-5334, and many supermarkets throughout the area. Information, bobak.com.
Sweet and kicky
The preserves from Raspberry Island, a small company in Bayfield, Wis., are prepared in small batches using the ripe fruit of the Midwest. We particularly like the Orchard Fire Jelly, raspberries kicked up a notch with jalapeno chilies and a touch of lemon. Use as a spread over cream cheese or mild goat cheese on crackers for a great topping during the holidays. $9 for a 9-ounce jar at Fox & Obel, or by mail, 847-295-3494 or raspberryisland.net.
Make room for ‘shrooms
River Valley Kitchens of Burlington, Wis., preserves the fresh flavor of its sustainably grown mushrooms in salsas, dips, sauces and bruschetta toppings. From $5 (for 10 ounces) to $7.50 (16 ounces) at Green City Market, in the Notebaert Nature Museum, Cannon Drive and Fullerton Parkway on Wednesdays and Saturdays through Dec. 22, or online at rivervalleykitchens.com.
Big cheese
Hook’s Blue is just one of the intriguing artisanal cheeses coming out of Wisconsin these days. We love Tony and Julia Hook’s super-creamy veined cheese for snacking and in cooking. We bought a pound ($18) at Provenance, 2528 N. California Ave., and have seen it in other specialty markets. Or order it from Hook’s: 608-987-3259.
Spreading good cheer
Justin Rashid started American Spoon, based in Petosky, Mich., selling foraged wild morsels like morels and fiddlehead ferns. Today, the company offers a range of Midwestern foods from spoonable fruits to the new Cranberry Mustard ($6.95 for a 9-ounce jar). It’s totally tangy but not too hot, and it makes a ham or turkey sandwich sing seasonal songs. Available at Treasure Island or by mail-order, 800-222-5886 or spoon.com.
Top-of-the-line spread
Peanut butter connoisseurs of all ages make up the cult that loves Cream-Nut Natural Peanut Butter, produced by the family-owned Koeze Co. in Grand Rapids, Mich. Ground from roasted Virginia peanuts on vintage equipment, this peanut butter not only offers your best bet for great sandwiches, it’s delicious spooned out of the jar. A 17-ounce jar costs $5-$8 at Fox & Obel, Treasure Island, The Chopping Block and Great Harvest Bread stores. For mail-order, koezedirect.com, 800-555-3909.
Not convinced about fruitcake?
Chef Peter Yuen of La Patisserie P offers Filipino rolls and bread based on a dough introduced to the islands more than 150 years ago by the Spanish. The light texture reminds us of Hawaiian bread. The rolls are available plain or filled with flecks of candied fruit or raisins on request for $2.50 per half-dozen, and a large loaf costs $3-$4 depending on filling, at the bakery, 1050-52 W. Argyle St., 773-878-3226.
Caramel swoon
Das Caramelini, Katie Das’ Highwood, Ill.-based company, makes by hand luscious, buttery Fleur de Sel caramels — creamy treats made with hand-harvested French sea salt. They almost melt in your mouth but fortunately, they don’t disappear that fast. Flavors include chocolate-walnut and ginger-pistachio. A 4-ounce box has 15 to 17 pieces and costs $6-$7 at dasfoods.com; the site lists many stores that sell them, including Foodstuffs in Evanston, Glencoe, Glenview and Lake Forest, Moveable Feast in Geneva and Whole Foods Market.
Spirited sips
No extracts or drops from chemical vials here. North Shore Distillery infuses hand-selected vanilla beans from Tahiti (from local purveyors Nielsen-Massey) to produce its Tahitian Vanilla Vodka in small batches. $30-$34 per 750-milliliter bottle at Binny’s Beverage Depot, Sam’s Wines & Spirits and Lush Wine and Spirits, 1306 S. Halsted St. and 2232 W. Roscoe Ave.; northshoredistillery.com.
Sparkling sensation
Michigan winemaker Lawrence Mawby makes a killer bubbly with all the elan you’d expect from pricier French Champagnes. Prices for his L. Mawby line range from $18 to $50, depending on variety, at Sam’s Wines & Spirits, Wine Discount Center, The Wine Cellar in Palatine; lmawby.com.
Get your roe groove on
“Madras” and “Margarita” are the newest flavored caviars from Collins Caviar Co. based in Michigan City, Ind. “Madras” is salmon roe spiced with curry, coriander and grilled onion. “Margarita” is Lake Michigan whitefish roe seasoned with tequila, Cointreau and lime. Prices start at $18 (for 1 ounce) at House of Glunz, Binny’s Beverage Depot stores in Chicago, Fox & Obel, Schaefer’s in Skokie; for mail-order, 800-715-4034.
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The season is fleeting. Survive it. Savor it! The Holidaily shows you how, with 50 days of timesaving strategies, tips and tales throughout the Chicago Tribune and at chicagotribune.com/holidaily.
