RI Chefs: Must-Have Foods for Last-Minute Guests
Tuesday, December 21, 2010
Tis the season to stock up on the extras – lest you be caught short-handed when company pops in! We went to the experts for their shopping lists and got some perfect suggestions for what to keep on hand at this most wonderful time of the year. Bookmark this on your handheld for your next errand run.
Wine, cheese & chocolate: Edie Banky, Executive Chef, The Canfield House, Newport
For me, it’s all about wine, cheese and chocolate at the holidays, because they are three of everyone's favorite things to eat. I always have some cheeses from Narragansett Creamery (left) on hand. My favorites are Divine Providence (Gouda-like with a creamy texture) and Atwells Gold (a nutty Italian aged). I often serve them with fresh rustic breads from Provencal Bakery (below) – baguettes, sourdough, cranberry pecan, seven grain, pain de campagne, jalapeno corn cheddar, olive – their variety is amazing. Newport Chocolates is around the corner from Canfield House, and I love Laurent Vals’ chocolates. The Odile, Matt and Citron are my favorites – they are so unique and delicious. And I always like to have some St. Germain Elderflower Liqueur on hand, too. It makes a really refreshing cocktail!
Where to buy it all: Narragansett Creamery cheeses are available at many specialty markets, including A Market Natural Foods, 181 Bellevue Ave, Newport, 846-8137 and Eastside Marketplace, 165 Pitman St, Providence, 831-7771. Provencal Bakery 796 Aquidneck Ave, Middletown, 845-9313. Newport Chocolate, 82 William St, Newport, 841-8975. Vickers Liquors, 274 Bellevue Ave, Newport, 847-0123.
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Appetizer items: Mark Garofalo, Chef/Owner, Fire Works Catering, Providence
I always like to have on hand all the ingredients to make a quick but great appetizer platter. Start with cheese, of course. Choose a mild one, like Port Salut, a blue – I like Great Hill Blue from Massachusetts, and one really decadent smelly cheese such as Taleggio. These cheeses will all keep for several weeks when wrapped tightly. You can't keep fresh fruit long, so stock up on dried fruits like apricots, cherries, and cranberries.
I have a few varieties of nuts around like walnuts and pecans, too. Olives round out the platter. If I really want to embellish the platter I would add some smoked fish. All these ingredients will last through the holidays and will make guests so happy. To drink with the platter I suggest having a few red wines and a nice beer selection. The Sam Adams winter selection included a Chocolate Bock that is fantastic.
Where to buy it all: For cheeses and olives, Tony's Colonial, 311 Atwells Ave, Providence, 621-8675 or Farmstead, 186 Wayland Ave, Providence, 274-7177. For dried fruits and nuts as well as cheese, try The Cheese Plate, 54 State St, Warren, 245-3932. Fox Smoked Fish mail order, 24 Walt Way, Narragansett, 783-4646. Bottles Fine Wine and Craft Beers, 141 Pitman St, Providence, 372-2030.
Sweets, Scotch & spreads: Eric Haugen, Chef de Cuisine, Ocean House, Watch Hill
During the holidays, I usually keep a few items around the house that I crave. The first is definitely sweets. Cookies and chocolate are always in my pantry because I have a serious sweet tooth and need the fix almost every day. The second item is wine or liquor that is very warming such as brandy or scotch. I also really enjoy drinking wines during the colder months that have a bit of spice to them, like Syrah or Zinfandel. Zinfandel is the staple holiday wine and for good reason: full body, notes of spice, and loaded with fruit. Finally, I usually have a small assortment of spreads in the fridge. Foods like hummus, tapenades, and salsa are always a great snack when people drop in at the last minute.
Where to buy it all: For sweets and cookies, Scrumptions, 5600 Post Rd, East Greenwich, 884-0844. For wine, brandy and scotch, Town Wine and Spirits,179 Newport Ave, East Providence, 434-4563. For spreads, McQuade’s Marketplace, 106 Main St, Westerly, 596-2054.
Ciril Hitz, Department Chair, International Baking and Pastry Institute, Johnson and Wales University, Providence
I always have some apple cider at hand around the holidays. My favorite way to serve it is heated with some mulling spices and a splash of rum, but kids love it cold right from the fridge! Grab a gallon from your local orchard or market
like Jaswell's Farm. We love mulling spices with cider or red wine – it puts us in the holiday spirit instantly! We sometimes even simmer them in water on top of our woodstove just for aroma. You can make your own by combining spices and flavors such as cinnamon, cloves, all spice, and orange peel.
Speaking of fruit, nothing is quicker or easier to enjoy than a sweet, easy-to-peel clementine! Put them in a festive bowl on the table along with some mixed whole nuts for an inviting centerpiece and watch them disappear. Finally, one of my holiday must-haves are boxes of Lebkuchen from Trader Joe's (left).These traditional German cookies are the perfect combination of sugar and spice, they store well and are easy to put on a plate at a moment's notice. I personally prefer the sugar-glazed version, but they also come coated in chocolate.
Where to buy it all: Jaswell's Farm, 50 Swan Rd, Smithfield, 231-9043. For mulling spices or the ingredients to make them, Not Just Spices, 863 Hope St, Providence, 351-6555. Trader Joe’s, 1000 Bald Hill Rd,Warwick, 821-5368.
Italian classics & cupcakes: Jeff St. Germain and Matt Donnelly, Owners, Little Falls Bakery Café of Pawtuxet Village, Cranston
We love the variety of ravioli at Venda on Federal Hill. We’ll stock up on three or four kinds and freeze them – they can be ready at a moment’s notice if need be, and sometimes all you need is a little butter, sea salt and cracked black
pepper to make them delicious. We have always been fans of the dry cured sausages at Fortuna’s, which has been around since we were kids. Their Soupy variety is a delicious soppresata that goes well with hard Italian cheeses, and their Abbruze is mellow and sweet. We like the Cacciatorini variety too as it’s really old fashioned – it even comes wrapped in cotton twine – mild but delicious.
We are up at the crack of dawn every day making bakery treats for the shop, and we always scurry away a few scones for the house, especially at this time of the year, for drop-ins. But ironically enough, we don’t have a lot of sweets in the house. Our go-to for cupcakes is The Cupcakerie, right down the street in Edgewood. Kristin does a great job both with traditional flavors and those that are a little more modern and creative. Plus, they also carry Jack’s Snacks – gourmet doggie treats. We keep a handful around for when our favorite Goldendoodle Gilbert drops in for a visit! Dogs need Christmas treats, too!
Where to buy it all: Venda Ravioli, 265 Atwells Ave, Providence, 421-9105. Fortuna's Sausage, 800-427-6879. The Cupcakerie and Jack’s Snacks, 1860 Broad St, Cranston, 401-467-2601.
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