Favorite Sites for Food by Mail

[DTBarton]

Has anybody tried David Rosengarten's Fresh-Pressed Olive Oil Club? 

I just discovered this and his article is very convincing.  But, naturally, since he's selling his own product, it makes me suspicious. 

Has anyone tried this?  Are the oils worth signing up for?  Any input at all?

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We received a subscription as a gift. Got several small bottles of nice olive oils. Most were very fresh and mild, I like mine a little heartier. They all seemed similar to me, nice, but not much variety between the different ones, I guess Rosengarten likes light olive oil. Not sure what it costs, so can't comment on the value.

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Duh, just looked at the link you provided for cost. $72 for 3 small bottles, $24 each? For 250 ml? Less than a pint they are!

Not a good value in my opinion even if you buy the larger bottles, you can get equal quality for less money elsewhere. I get beautiful olive oil for $25 a GALLON in Philadelphia's Italian market.

[digigirl]

Thanks for the input, that helps a lot. The cost seemed high to me, but I was thinking - if they were really *that* fabulous, maybe they were worth the cost. But it sounds like they aren't all that much more fabulous than what I can get at the store.

Thanks!

Valerie

[Varmint]

I need a good source for duck prosciutto. Any advice?

[Gifted Gourmet]

I need a good source for duck prosciutto.  Any advice?

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Sure thing: Bunn Family Gourmet ... just scroll down .. top two items on the list ...

This duck proscuitto starts with duck breasts that are slowly cured with sea salt and spices and then thinly sliced. A perfect compliment for fruits like cantaloupe, mango, and pears. You can also use it on sandwiches with truffle butter or with canapes.

Looks divine .. I have a friend who makes this at home ...

FABRIQUE DELICE DUCK PROSCIUTTO, APPROX 12 OZ, PRICE PER UNIT

website Great Ciao.com

simple recipe to make your own at home

[007bond-jb]

Penzey's is my default source for spices now, not just things I can't find locally but all my standards.  In almost every case it's both better and cheaper, even with shipping factored in (I buy about $30 worth of spices at a time -- an order big enough that the cost of shipping isn't ridiculous relative to the cost of product, but far from huge).  Several of those spices -- the cinnamon, the marjoram, some of the curry blends -- are so good that I wind up cooking with them more often than I would their supermarket counterparts.

I also second the endorsement of Germandeli.com, which I've ordered from many times -- my best friend grew up on an Air Force base in Germany, so I often order ketchup and Haribo gummis and whatnot for her.  (And gummi cola bottles and orange soda for me.)

Oh, and Poche's, a Cajun meat market.  I recommend everything.  Especially the chaurice and the boudin ... and everything.  Two of everything.

 

Does anyone have a good source for harder to find cuts of meat?  Beef cheeks, pork snouts, lamb belly, things like that?  I know Niman Ranch carries some things, but I'm looking for something cheaper -- supermarket quality meat is just fine, since it's not that my local beef cheeks aren't good enough, it's that there are no local beef cheeks, you know?

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Poches has great stuff so dose http://www.belluescajuncuisine.com/index.html

The local wally world started carring beef cheek meat

[ludja]

Here is a thread on California artisanal foods available online: click

[mukki]

Has anybody tried David Rosengarten's Fresh-Pressed Olive Oil Club? 

I just discovered this and his article is very convincing.  But, naturally, since he's selling his own product, it makes me suspicious. 

Has anyone tried this?  Are the oils worth signing up for?  Any input at all?

←

We received a subscription as a gift. Got several small bottles of nice olive oils. Most were very fresh and mild, I like mine a little heartier. They all seemed similar to me, nice, but not much variety between the different ones, I guess Rosengarten likes light olive oil. Not sure what it costs, so can't comment on the value.

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I've gotten several shipments of these oils and I've finally decided to cancel (which I should have done a while ago). I was hoping for oils as amazing as the one we brought back from Tuscany a few years ago, but I've been disappointed. Overpriced and, like you said, very light. I'm looking for a more robust olive oil. They are very fresh, though, which is more than can be said for most of the oil I can find locally at Surfas and Williams-Sonoma. Often the harvest year isn't labelled and when it is I usually find it to be two years old.

I noticed that Zingerman's has a wide range of oils. Anyone tried these?

Edited October 18, 2006 by mukki (log)

[ronnie_suburban]

I noticed that Zingerman's has a wide range of oils. Anyone tried these?

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I have tried several and they are great. In fact, I think this is an area in which Zingerman's excels. When you're at their store in Ann Arbor, they will let you (hell, they encourage you) to taste any product on the shelves. If one isn't open, they will happily open one for you. I tried several oils, vinegars, pickles, preserves, etc. when I visited there this past August.

Now, I'm not sure if they'd let you return a product you ordered and subsequently didn't like. My guess is that if you call them, someone at their store would probably be happy to help identify a variety of oils that would be to your liking, based on discussing your preferences with you. From there, I'm sure it would be easy to mail order any desired items. I'd definitely get in contact with them, as customer service is also one of their strong suits.

=R=

[snowangel]

Another great option would be to order olive oil from Jim Dixon -- he imports and has a couple from Tuscany. Good stuff!

[Malawry]

I need to get in some kind of miniature sausages to make pigs in blankets with. I'd like something better than the supermarket mini-sausages. I don't need a huge quantity, but I will be ordering enough to make shipping costs worthwhile. I really don't want to cut down bigger sausages. I am hoping for something smoked and not too spicy. D'artagnan, Poche's, and the local Simply Sausage don't appear to carry what I need, so that exhausts my usual sausage resources. Any suggestions?

[DTBarton]

I need to get in some kind of miniature sausages to make pigs in blankets with. I'd like something better than the supermarket mini-sausages. I don't need a huge quantity, but I will be ordering enough to make shipping costs worthwhile. I really don't want to cut down bigger sausages. I am hoping for something smoked and not too spicy. D'artagnan, Poche's, and the local Simply Sausage don't appear to carry what I need, so that exhausts my usual sausage resources. Any suggestions?

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I'm not sure what kind of sausage you're looking for (like hot dogs or breakfast sausage) but I really like the bangers from Williams British style meats in North Carolina. It's definitely British style, i.e. there's a good shot of rusk (bread crumbs) in the mix, but they're really good if you like that style. They make a small banger they call chipolatas that have about 16 links to the pound. Cut them in half and they'd be about right, I think.

http://www.britishbacon.com/

click on bangers.

[Kris]

I became obsessed with finding Black Cake after reading the late Laurie Colwin's homage to Black Cake in her book, "Home Cooking." Colwin said: "[it] is to fruitcake what the Brahms piano quartets are to Muzak." She was right.

Because this Caribbean rum-soaked fruitcake is so time-consuming to make at home (the chopped fruit has to marinate in wine for several months prior to baking), I was delighted to find Caribbean Cake Conoisseurs, which makes an extraordinary Black Cake (called "Rum Cake" on the site). The cakes aren't cheap, but they're rich, and a little goes a long way. A two-pound cake ($39.99) serves 15-18 people, and smaller cakes are available. (The site offers these cakes in "black" or "brown." They're both delicious, but I recommend the black.)

I haven't bought a regular fruitcake since discovering Black Cake ten years ago. For me, there's no turning back.

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Yes, Caribbean Cake Conoisseurs is a great source for pre-made black cake. It's delicious, although not quite as "rummy" as I'd like.

I'd still have to say that mine is better though.

[Markian]

I discovered Chefshop.com some months ago and have enjoyed many fine products from them.  Their selection of olive oils and fig jams are great, as are many other specialty items from France and Italy.  They ship promptly, charge fair prices, give excellent customer service on the phone. Makes me wonder what other great places are out there I don't know about.  If this topic was covered already (which it undoubtedly was), just lead me to the thread.

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Does anybody know of any gourmet food shops online from Canada? Most of the places that will send me stuff from the US will probably get held up at the border for customs. I'm not interested in my Fourme D'Ambert or white truffle sitting out somewhere for a few days.

[Janie]

Perhaps you have all heard of this place.... Miette in Stow-on-the-Wold?

I am a total chocoholic and have made it a life mission to find my 'resting place' and there it was - I just stumbled upon it.

I have travelled the world over and have tried chocolates through from Puccini in Amsterdam, Christian Constant in Paris, Cacao Sampaka in Barcelona, Homemade Single Estate Chocolate in Venezuala and obviously Melt in Notting Hill and l'Artisan du Chocolat - the list is endless.

I walked past this place in the Cotswolds, of all places, and thought I'd buy a few chocs to nibble upon and was staggered by the quality - I immediately went back to buy more/find out more. They opened this year and this girl has real talent - she makes the chocolates on the spot, daily - apparently Daylesford want to swallow her up, am not sure if this a good thing or not. She is completely commited and talented and I want to support her but cannot eat enough to do so.

Can anyone who is in/visiting the area have a look and confirm my suspisions that she really might the best chocolatier in the world.

www.miette.co.uk

(though the website does not do it justice)

[GTO]

Some of the things in the confectionery section sound dangerously amazing, Janie.

4 of my favourite flavours all in one shop! Ginger, pistachio, liquorice & anise - Even Anise flavoured liquorice!

Anise flavoured liquorice - Surely that's like flavouring chocolate with cocoa?

[MGC]

Any mail-order suggestions for good New Mexican chile? The last I bought came from the little store next to Sanctuario de Chimayo, packed in ziplock bags with a sticker on them indicating the heat level. I loved that stuff, had both a bag of ground and crushed. Now I need more of both and some dried posole to go with them.

[psychobombshell]

Norm Thompson Is a great place for someone like me who grew up in the NW ... not to mention the cheesecake is amazing! (oh and my mom works there, so I am a little biased )

On another note, does anyone know any good sites for import food? Specifically Dutch? I am CRAVING Dutch candy and frit saus, but i have yet to find a place in Vegas with any Dutch imports.. just German.. I did manage to find a place with some Indonesean stuff, but drops are what I want!

[Pat W]

Any mail-order suggestions for good New Mexican chile?  The last I bought came from the little store next to Sanctuario de Chimayo, packed in ziplock bags with a sticker on them indicating the heat level.  I loved that stuff, had both a bag of ground and crushed.  Now I need more of both and some dried posole to go with them.

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I am very fond of both the "Chimayo" & "Dixon medium hot" chile powders. While I haven't found a mail order source for the Chimayo, I get my Dixon chile from thechileshop.com (http://www.thechileshop.com/)

I've had nothing but positive experiences with them. (And the Dixon med hot chile is really excellent.)

pat w.

[mkayahara]

Does anybody know of any gourmet food shops online from Canada?  Most of the places that will send me stuff from the US will probably get held up at the border for customs.  I'm not interested in my Fourme D'Ambert or white truffle sitting out somewhere for a few days.

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The only two I've ever encountered are Epicureal and Hypergourmet, but I've never purchased anything from either of them. I would be interested in hearing from anyone who has, and in finding out whether there are any other such sites in Canada.

[jtphjl]

There is the Downhomer that comes out of Newfoundland -- I love the magazine, I love the store, however I have never used their on-line service .http://www.shopdownhomer.com/

Jan

[Susanwusan]

Where can liquorice without aniseed by bought?