Zingerman's Notes

Once, when my brother was buying a $60 piece of beef neither of us could afford, he told me that he prefers to treat money with the disrespect it deserves. That is the only thing I will offer in defense of a recent decision to mail-order a whole bunch of fancy food from Michigan, rather than saving the money or using it for a Memorial Day trip or buying a new mouthguard so I can stop grinding off all my enamel at night. What can I say. Fancy food from Michigan is hard to resist.

So one day, I sat down with some friends who have similarly skewed priorities, and we passed around a dog-eared copy of the Zingerman's catalog and made a list. A dream list of everything we wanted to try. But that dream was really big, so then we had to be very organized and lawyerly and have an anonymous ballot to narrow things down. And this is what we ate, and this is what I thought of it.

Breads

Paesano Bread

Zingerman’s says: “Spreading out like the cap of a wild mushroom, Paesano's thin, snowy-white crust surrounds a soft, savory crumb filled with lots of holes…The traditional bread of Puglia (the region in the heel of Italy’s boot).”

I say: This bread is wonderful. It’s perfect for dipping in olive oil, or with a good cheese. The crust is crunchy but not hard, and the inside is soft and fragrant.

Worth the money? It’s normally $7 for a loaf, and sometimes goes on sale. One loaf would be enough for a small dinner party, and it’s just as special as they say it is.

Worth the trouble of ordering all the way from Michigan? Yes, especially for a meal where the bread is important.

Cherry Chocolate Bread

Zingerman’s says: “The best Belgian and French chocolate, plus dozens of dried Michigan cherries, baked into a dense, delicious loaf.”

I say: This was very yummy, but for chocolate breads I prefer something more like a babka. However, I was definitely in the minority on this – the other three tasters raved and raved about it, and at least one person declared it her favorite product of the day.

Worth the money? It’s $14 for a relatively small loaf, but it’s a special occasion or gift item – the kind of thing you buy to wow people at a “thrown together weekend brunch” that you secretly micromanaged down to the tulip-shaped butter pats. Also, it’s rich and dense, so a little goes a long way.

Worth the trouble? If your local bakery doesn’t have anything like this and you love chocolate and/or cherries, yes.

French Mountain Bread

Zingerman’s says: “French Mountain Bread has a chestnut colored crust nearly a quarter-inch thick, a dense wheaty crumb inside, and a toasty, long-lasting flavor.

I say: Sadly, we ran out of time and belly room before we got to the French Mountain Bread. It’s still sitting in the freezer, waiting for a special occasion or a lazy morning to come along.

Spreads
Pasolivo Olive Oil

Zingerman’s says: “It's powerful, full and fruity. Everything I like in an oil, without any drawbacks. It still stands as one of America's best oils, on par with the great rustic oils of Tuscany. Strongly recommended.”

I say: Zingerman’s sells a large variety of attractive-sounding olive oils, but I lobbied for this one because I like a very fruity/grassy olive oil and thought this would fit the bill. By far the fruitiest olive oil I’ve ever had, and well worth my lobbying efforts. Delicious, great for dipping, and as I found at lunch today, great tossed with pasta and fresh chopped tomatoes for lunch.

Worth the money? At $35 for 500ml, this is the most expensive olive oil I’ve ever bought, and it’s definitely not something you need for everyday use. But if you’re looking for something bright and better than your usual oil, this is a great place to go.

Worth the trouble? See above!

Koeze Cream Nut Peanut Butter

Zingerman’s says: “Jeff Koeze sources good Virginia peanuts, brings them up north in 2,000 lb sacks, then blanches … roasts and grinds them in vintage coffee roasters, then adds a bit of salt. The result is not an air-whipped sugar-filled concoction, but a natural, intense, velvety, mouthwatering sensation that sells out regularly.”

I say: This was fine, but to me it didn’t taste any different than other natural peanut butters I’ve had like Smucker’s and Adams brands. I’m not a peanut butter connoisseur and it was definitely tasty, but no particular thrills were stirred by it.

Worth the money? At $7.50 a jar, it’s only a bit pricier than other natural peanut butters.
Worth the trouble? Not for me.

Venchi Gianduja Spread

Zingerman’s says: “This stuff is to Nutella what a dark chocolate Valrhona bar is to Hershey’s. Piemontese hazelnuts are ground fine then mixed into a smooth chocolate cream with a texture somewhere between mousse and fudge.”

I say: This was indeed delicious – especially spread on a piece of country toast and topped with finely chopped strawberries to make dessert bruschetta. Or just spread on whole strawberries. Or licked off my finger. Yum.

Worth the money? At $22 a jar . . . it’s not that different from Nutella.

Worth the trouble? Not for me.

Cheeses

Berkswell "Randolph's Pick"

Zingerman’s says: “A great aged sheep’s milk cheese . . . This is a full-flavored, complex cheese with deep character. Dominic Coyte, Neal’s Yard Dairy’s poet in residence once wrote, ‘If this cheese were a philosopher, it’d be Nietzsche.’ It’s got a certain sweetness you hope for from a nice sheep’s milk cheese, then about a hundred times the flavor you expect.”

I say: I can’t describe it better than they did. Very yummy, rich and deep.

Worth the money? $17 gets you half a pound. I wasn’t disappointed – it was delicious – but I probably wouldn’t choose to spend that much for it again.

Worth the trouble? If you’re a Berkswell lover, yes. If you’re a Berkswell virgin, maybe not.

Manchego Dehasa de Los Llanos

Zingerman’s says: “Manchega milk is very fatty which results in a rich, full flavored, fragrant cheese with a subtle, salty, tang on the finish.”

I say: Manchego is my favorite cheese right now, thanks in no small part to a local tapas restaurant that has me seriously hooked on two dishes: simple, thin pieces of bread toasted, spread with crushed ripe tomatoes and topped with slices of Manchego and drizzles of olive oil, and a Manchego and green apple salad. I had high expectations of this cheese going in, and it didn’t disappoint.

Worth the money? At $11.50 for a half pound, this isn’t bad. Manchego has a strong flavor so you could let a little go a long way, but it’s so delicious you really just want to eat it by the slice until the wedge is gone.

Worth the trouble? Manchego is getting popular these days, and it’s easy to find (they even stock it at our local Safeway). So, while this is a great product, it’s not something I would special order again.

Zingerman's 4 Year Aged Cheddar

Zingerman’s says: “The creamy, smooth intensity of these three [2, 4, and 5-year aged Cheddars] will be a revelation…Each has a big, nutty flavor that ratchets up the intensity – but not the bitterness – with age.”

I say: This is THE BEST FREAKING CHEDDAR CHEESE YOU HAVE EVER TASTED OR EVEN THOUGHT ABOUT IN A DREAM YOU CAN’T QUITE REMEMBER EXCEPT THAT YOU WOKE UP KIND OF DROOLING AND WISHING YOU HAD SOME CRACKERS.

Worth the money? Our huge 1-lb block was $25 and … hell yes.

Worth the trouble? See above.

Meats

Crespone Salami

Zingerman’s says: “A coarse-cut salami made in the style typical to Verona, Italy. Premium meats are hand-sorted into a very thick, natural pork casing which lets the meat age more slowly . . . offering up a salami that’s at the same time sweeter, more soft and succulent and more perfumed than any around.”

I say: OK, I have to kind of recuse myself from this discussion. I like salami but I don’t really have anything to judge this against except plastic-packaged grocery store salami, and obviously it was a lot better than that.

Worth the money? At $17 for 11 ounces…yeah, I have no idea. But the teeny sandwiches we made out of the Crespone, the Paesano bread and the 4-year Cheddar…oh, you don’t want to mess with that. Wow.

Worth the trouble? Um...if you love salami, my sources say yes.

Berkshire La Rossa

I can’t find a description for this – we special-ordered a half pound of it, and only knew about it because one of the tasters had eaten it once during a visit to the store. Conveniently, I have no idea how much we paid for it. But it’s a silky, delicious prosciutto. You should eat some, if you can find it.

Sweets

Sourcream Coffeecake

Zingerman’s says: “This is a Zingerman’s classic and perennially our most popular gift: rich, moist Sourcream Coffeecake loaded with Indonesian cinnamon and toasted walnuts, baked in a traditional bundt pan. It’s very impressive and extremely delicious.”

I say: At first, I wasn’t overwhelmed. But then you hit that vein of cinnamon and it’s all so warm and moist and good, and the other tasters loved it and thought I was nuts when I started in with the bit about not being overwhelmed.

Worth the money? At $30 for a small coffeecake that was easily devoured by four people in a single sitting, you’d have to be a serious coffeecake nut to go for this. It’s great, but it’s still coffeecake.
Worth the trouble? Not for me.

Vampire's Lunch Gummies

Zingerman’s says: “While most gummi manufacturers have pushed their product as far away from real food as possible, Seitenbacher has done the opposite. They use real fruit and all natural ingredients…Vampire’s Lunch — my personal favorite — are currant blood drops and skulls with a little black pepper kick.”

I say: I’ve actually had Vampire’s Lunch before, and I love watching other people try it. They’re expecting it to taste like any other “fruit snack” gelatinous candy, but then there’s that spicy kick, and then they can’t help but eat another one to check out the flavor again, and pretty soon the little skulls are disappearing by the mouthful.

Worth the money? At $5 for a shareable bag, definitely.

Worth the trouble? Yes indeed.

Mo's Bacon Chocolate Bar
Zingerman’s says: “Vosges excellent milk chocolate is studded with crispy pieces of Applewood Smoked Bacon from Wisconsin (the same bacon we’ve been serving at Zingerman’s Deli for almost 26 years) then spiked with a bit of smoked sea salt. It’s sweet, smoky, salty, crispy and velvety rich, all at once.”

I say: The chocolate is very high quality, but the bacon flavor is barely perceptible. A yummy bar, but not particularly exciting.

Worth the money? At $9 for an 85g bar…nah, not really.
Worth the trouble? Nah, not really.

Rabitos Chocolate Figs
Zingerman’s says: “These once unheard of figs have become so popular that our importer often has trouble keeping them in stock. They’re so good it makes me wonder why they didn’t become popular sooner. Tender, sweeter than usual parito figs are dried, filled with soft chocolate truffle cream and a hint of liqueur, then dipped in dark chocolate.”

I say: This was my favorite thing out of everything we ordered. The contrasting textures, the complex layers of flavors, the attractive little shape of each piece, the distinctive packaging...delicious and beautiful.

Worth the money? Yes! You get 9 figs for $16, or 16 figs for $20. They are individually wrapped in pretty gold foil, so you can open the box and savor them one at a time, pass them out as favors, or leave them in a candy dish. These would make a magnificent gift for someone who appreciates candy or chocolate.
Worth the trouble? Yes!

Finnish Black Licorice
Zingerman’s says: “Traditional licorice from Finland has a salty element that enriches the taste in a way the sweet stuff doesn't. Send a box to a licorice lover you trust. They'll thank you for it.”
I say: These are yummy, and they come in a very cute box. However, they’re quite chewy and shiny (oily?) and I prefer the softer RJ’s Natural Licorice, also sold by Zingerman’s.

Worth the money? At $7 for 200g, the price isn’t bad for an organic candy.
Worth the trouble? Not when you can get RJ’s instead.



Magic Brownie and Black Magic Brownie

Zingerman’s says: Almost a quarter pound each. Dense, cakey, fudgy, loaded with chocolate. Six different varieties. Lauded by magazines, newspapers, rating guides, Republicans, Democrats…if our brownies were running for office, they’d be the dream ticket. Magic Brownie: The original. Soft, chocolaty, chewy interior dotted with toasted walnuts and covered with a thin chocolate crust. USA Today raved about them. So will you. Black Magic Brownie: Same great brownie as the original – without nuts.

I say: These were a lovely treat when consumed with a glass of cold milk.

Worth the money? At $4.25-4.75 each, only for a serious brownie lover.

Worth the trouble? Not particularly, although when I visit the Zingerman’s store someday I definitely want to try the Orange Almond and Genuinely Ginger varieties. [Edit: Orange Almond and Genuinely Ginger are only available through mail order, according to a comment below -Good to know!]

Oaxacan Chocolate

Zingerman’s says: “This Oaxacan chocolate is to Mexico what Valrhona is to France—carefully produced, distinct, a standard against which you can judge all others in its class. The texture is coarse . . . with little sugar crystals exploding in your mouth and a dark, subtle, cinnamon and smoke flavor. Although it comes solid and you can eat it as is, I think it’s best enjoyed made into Mexican hot chocolate.”

I say: One of our tasters is a hot chocolate nut and especially fond of French and French-style hot chocolates, and we were all game to compare this one. However, time got away from us and the little bag of chocolate bars is currently sitting in the cabinet, patiently waiting for its time to shine.

Zingerman's Zzang Bar

Zingerman’s says: “Starting with a honey nougat made with natural peanut butter, Charlie rolls it up in a sensual caramel made from muscavado brown sugar. The biggest and best peanuts we can find come next, and the whole endeavor’s finished off with a hand dip into a rich bath of 64% dark Ecuadorian chocolate.”

I say: Unfortunately, we had to postpone delivery of our order twice (and I note that they were super friendly and accommodating about this!) and by the time our box was shipped, the Zzang bars were sold out. I fully expect fabulous, and I’ll let you know once it arrives in the mail.