Here are three things we think you just might want to keep on hand in your pantry.
Bitters from Runamok Maple
If you’re a cocktail drinker, you probably have bitters in your liquor cabinet, but did you realize you should have them in your kitchen pantry, as well? We recently tried Runamok Maple’s bitters in the company’s recipe for lemon cake with a citrus glaze. Turns out, you can use bitters as a substitute for flavorings such as vanilla. The bitters added a bitter note to the cake, but in a good way, providing a counterpoint to the citrus and sugar. Their contribution to recipes is something we look forward to exploring further in marinades, vinaigrettes and the Runamok recipe for flourless chocolate cake. There are lots of bitters available, but, for these three they start with a base of Vermont-based maple syrup, which then is infused with herbs, spices and extracts, depending on the flavor (there are orange, floral and aromatic versions). So far, our favorite is the floral maple bitters, with its hints of cardamom, ginger, rose, citrus and clove.
$11.95 per 3.4-ounce bottle; $29.95 for a collection of three flavors. Available at runamokmaple.com.
Credit: Handout
Credit: Handout
Everything seasoning from Georgia Sourdough
With its mix of sesame seeds, poppy seeds, onion, garlic and salt, everything seasoning is everywhere these days. What started as a topping for bagels has become the thing you want on your avocado toast, stirred into your scrambled eggs or sprinkled on roasted vegetables. It’s also the flavor of one of Georgia Sourdough’s most popular crackers. When Tracy Gribbon heard from customers that they loved her crackers, but they also loved the bit of seasoning that was left in the bag when the crackers were gone, she realized she could make it easy for them to get their fix. She offers a small spice jar filled with the toasted seasoning that falls off the crackers as they are packaged. Occasionally, a tiny bit of cracker also makes it into the container — like a little lagniappe. We always snatch up those bits when we’re sprinkling this seasoning on our lunchtime tuna salad.
$3.50 per 2.5-ounce bottle; $2.25 per 1.5-ounce bottle. Available for pickup at Georgia Sourdough, 3781 Presidential Parkway, Atlanta. Also available for delivery or shipping. Order at georgiasourdoughco.com.
Credit: Handout
Credit: Handout
Pastificio Liguori pasta from Baffi Provisions
One of the things I’m loving about the way our world now works is the opportunity to purchase the same high-quality ingredients that our favorite restaurants use, and to get them directly from the restaurants themselves. Baffi, Jonathan Waxman’s newly opened, Italian-inspired casual restaurant in west Midtown, has created Baffi Provisions, an online shop where you can buy the Italian pastas, vinegars, olive oil, cured meats and dozens of other ingredients they use every day. Italian dried pasta is considered to be the best in the world, made with strict government standards from hard durum wheat flour. It cooks like a dream. Baffi imports Pastificio Liguori pasta from Italy (and the Italian package appears to be telling us the company has been around since 1795). Baffi offers three shapes: spaghetti, penne and rigatoni. We paired the penne with the restaurant’s house-made marinara (the simplest possible combination of tomatoes, onion, garlic and olive oil) for a very satisfying dinner. The pastas are shelf-stable, but Baffi also offers several sauces you’ll need to refrigerate.
Pastas are $3 to $4 per 16-ounce package; marinara and pork ragu are $10 to $14 per 16-ounce container. Order ahead for pickup at baffiatlanta.com/online-ordering/baffi-atlanta/menu or order in person. Baffi, 976 Brady Ave. NW, Atlanta. 404-724-9700.
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