Resources

Food and Other Resources...

Bariani Olive Oil

It is not a common occurrence for an American olive oil to perform better than European oils in a blind tasting. In fact, many oils from California are mediocre at best, and are exceptional only in the prices charged for them in specialty markets.

A noted exception is Bariani Olive Oil. This olive oil took first place in an informal blind tasting of 12 olive oils from the United States, Italy, Greece and Spain. In addition to being a locally processed, 100% cold pressed, extra virgin unrefined olive oil, it is fairly reasonably priced. The oil sells for around $8.00 for 500 milliliters, and $13 for a liter. Compared to the $65 price tag we have seen on some California oil, this is a steal!

It is available at Corti Brothers in Sacramento, Ca., Dean and DeLuca in St. Helena Ca., the Berkeley Natural Foods Coop and local farmers' markets. Bariani ships to individuals and any mail order business in the United States. They can be reached by phone or fax at (916) 689-9059 or by email at Bariani@aol.com

The Artisan web site does not receive any remuneration for providing this resource. If you should shop there please let us know if you are satisfied. We try to list resources that offer quality products and good customer satisfaction. The Artisan makes no warranties relative to the use of, or products bought at, Bariani Olive Oil. For details, please see this site Disclaimer.

Hobbs Applewood Smoked Meats

The personnel at Hobbs Applewood Smoked Meats (Hobbs) were very helpful. The goods were delivered in a timely manner, and we received what we ordered. Hobbs can be found at http://www.fbworld.com/HobbsSmkMeats.htm.   Their entire list of meats is on this site.   The products at Hobbs are traditional Italian products most of which are known to almost anyone who enjoys Italian food. Their portions are larger than other purveyors. Consequently it may be best to order with a friend or two, and then share the goods. We ordered and then carefully froze the meats. We are not recommending that the meats be frozen, and suggest this only as a way to preserve larger amounts of meats that would otherwise spoil.

We have ordered Rustica Prosciutto (10-12 lbs.), Rustica Pancetta (6-7 lbs.), Prosciuttini Speck (2-3 lbs.) and Prosciutto Salami (5-6 lbs). All were excellent, and as indicated previously, were perfectly packed, and arrived on time and in good shape. The Prosciutto was as good or better than any we have had in Italy, as was the Speck. In fact the Speck was probably better. The Pancetta was also excellent and was not as fatty as other makes. The Prosciutto Salami is a dry salami, and is best eaten with a bit of olive oil and lemon juice. We have made very good panini with this salami, and a bit of good cheese. While good cut a bit thicker then diced for a pasta sauce, we enjoy this most when it is sliced very thinly. As with the other purveyor described here, we do not hesitate to suggest purchasing any of Hobbs' products.

The Artisan web site does not receive any remuneration for providing this resource. If you should shop there please let us know if you are satisfied. We try to list resources that offer quality products and good customer satisfaction. The Artisan makes no warranties relative to the use of, or products bought at, Bariani Olive Oil. For details, please see this site Disclaimer.

Morton & Bassett Spices (M & B)

We found Morton and Bassett Spices while trying to find black mustard seeds for a tapenade we wanted to make. It is the tapenade served at an Italian restaurant in Los Angeles, C'a Brea. No spice company had exactly what we wanted, but M & B tried the hardest to match our needs. They succeeded admirably. The contact person there is Teresa Takech, and she suggested that anyone trying to find M & B spices should call her. She will research your needs, and try to find a retail outlet where you might be able to find what you need. The telephone number is 1- 415-883-8530 and the Fax number is 1- 415- 883 - 0813. Their mailing address is 32 Pamaron Way, Novato, CA. 94949.

The Artisan does not receive any remuneration for providing this resource. If you should purchase products from Morton and Bassett Spices, please let us know if you are satisfied. We try to list resources that offer quality products and good customer satisfaction. The Artisan makes no warranties relative to the use of, or products sold at Morton and Bassett Spices. For details, please see the site Disclaimer.

Napa Valley Olive Oil Company

This Italian delicatessen has been a fixture in St Helena, California (The Napa Valley) for the 18 years that we have been going there and much longer before that. No trip to the Napa Valley is complete with out bringing at least a case of Extra Virgin Olive oil home. In our opinion, it is the best California olive oil. Friends from Italy who have had it, compare it favorably with Tuscan oil. Besides oil, there is a wide variety of cheeses, meats, beans, dried herbs, pastas, sauces, and vinegars. If you like Italian food, miss the old Italian Delis of old and want great food sold by a really nice family......the Napa Valley Olive Oil Company is the place to go. The address is 835 Charter Oak Street, St. Helena, California. The phone number is (707)-963-4173.

The Artisan does not receive any remuneration for providing this resource. If you should shop there please let us know if you are satisfied. We try to list resources that offer quality products and good customer satisfaction. The Artisan makes no warranties relative to the use of, or products bought at, The Napa Valley Olive Oil Company. For details, please see the site Disclaimer.

Rogers International Limited

Rogers International was founded in 1990 by Richard (Dick) Rogers. Dick began Rogers International to investigate artisan food products with particular attention paid to a passion for olive oil. The Company’s first supplier was the Nuñez de Prado family which had produced artisan olive oil on the same Andalucian land for over 200 years but had never bottled under its own name. This was soon followed by representations of Olio Trevi from Umbria and Castello di Ama from Tuscany.

Initially recognized as a source for the best olive oils, Rogers has become a significant supplier of artisan cheeses from Italy and Spain, traditional balsamic vinegars and sherry vinegars, condiments, and Italy’s finest prosciutto di Parma (Pio Tosini). The Rogers International web site may be reached from this page.

The Artisan web site does not receive any remuneration for providing this resource. If you should shop there please let us know if you are satisfied. We try to list resources that offer quality products and good customer satisfaction. The Artisan makes no warranties relative to the use of, or products bought at Rogers International Limited . For details, please see this site Disclaimer.

A.G. Ferrari (Formerly Ultra Lucca Delicatessen)

Ultra Lucca Delicatessen has changed the name of the company to the above listed name.

This Italian Delicatessen which offers unique and very high quality products. For example, while reading Burton Anderson's "Treasures of the Italian Table" we were intrigued by a very glowing review of Latini Pasta. We had never seen it anywhere outside of Italy, but Ultra Lucca has it.

We are in contact with a baker from Verona who has sent us a number of recipes which specifically call for Vialone Nano rice by Ferron. He also told us we could find it at A.G. Ferrari. We did .   This market has stores in Oakland, Berkeley and Corte Madera, California. If you would like to know more about them, or wish to inquire about the products they carry, you can call or e-mail them. Press the E-Mail button to send them a message.

The phone number for A.G. Ferrari is 1-510-346-2107, and their Internet URL is http://www.agferrari.com.

The Artisan does not receive any remuneration for providing this resource. If you should shop there please let us know if you are satisfied. We try to list resources that offer quality products and good customer satisfaction. The Artisan makes no warranties relative to the use of, or products bought at, A.G. Ferrari. For details, please see the site Disclaimer.

Salumi Artisan Cured Meats

Some Italian cured meats are difficult to find. Fortunately some can be found at Salumi Artisan Cured Meats

We purchased Lardo, Guanciale and Tuscan Finocchiona from Salumi. Each of these meats was perfectly packed and labeled, and most importantly delicious! These particular meats are hard to find outside of a large urban area that boasts fine foods stores. The availability via the Internet is a boon to those who enjoy Italian foods, that are not the norm, and that cannot be found at the local supermarket.

Ordering from Salumi was as easy as making a phone call or sending an email ([orders@salumicuredmeats.com]) . Their products are listed in their web site, and we ordered from there. http://www.salumicuredmeats.com/. The telephone number is 1-206-223-0817.

We do not hesitate to suggest ordering meats form Salumi Artisan Cured Meats.

The Artisan does not receive any remuneration for providing this resource. If you should shop there please let us know if you are satisfied. We try to list resources that offer quality products and good customer satisfaction. The Artisan makes no warranties relative to the use of, or products bought at, A.G. Ferrari. For details, please see the site Disclaimer.

Vino e Olio

The Vino e Olio site has been developed by Alessandro Cecconi of La Compagnia Dell' Olio Italiano Llc. After tasting a number of Vino e Olio's products offered on the site, we feel that they should be added to The Resource Page. We were impressed not only by the quality of the oils, vinegars and sauces we tasted, but by the careful packaging and reasonable prices. Additionally, Mr. Cecconi has agreed to consider a discount for visitors to The Artisan who place orders. The Artisan will receive no remuneration for including Vino e Olio on the site, or for any orders placed therefrom.

We include Italian foodstuff sources because we are aware of the innumerable web sites that offer "authentic" products from Italy, and how difficult it is to differentiate between them. We have not made an effort to cull through all of these sites, although we do try to visit the major ones. Our approach has been to test products, and then include those resources which agree to maintain the highest quality and offer these products at reasonable prices. We feel that Vino e Olio offers authentic products from Italy. To visit the Vino e Olio site, simply click on the link provided here.

The Artisan does not receive any remuneration for providing this resource. If you should shop there please let us know if you are satisfied. We try to list resources that offer quality products and good customer satisfaction. The Artisan makes no warranties relative to the use of, or products bought at, Vino e Olio. For details, please see the site Disclaimer.

Forno Bravo

This manufacturer of wood fired ovens is located in Italy - San Gimignano - and in Healdsburg, California. They manufacture a variety of wood fired ovens, that are either preassembled or can be assembled upon delivery. Of interest is their free offer of complete plans for their Pompeii Oven. James, President of the company has stated that "Using the plans, anyone can build a true wood fire bread and pizza oven using standard materials found at a local building supply store. The plans are patterned after the original ancient Roman ovens uncovered in Pompeii". These plans can be found on the Forno Bravo web site, http://www.fornobravo.com

Usually we do not recommend products that we have not sampled. In this case that is a bit difficult given the size and cost of these ovens! Thus, we have made an exception to this policy, and have done so only after numerous emails to the company President. At our suggestion, Forno Bravo has offered a 5% discount on any oven that is purchased through The Artisan.

The Artisan does not receive any remuneration for providing this resource. If you should shop there please let us know if you are satisfied ort not. We try to list resources that offer quality products and good customer   satisfaction. The Artisan makes no warranties relative to the use of, or products bought at, or through Forno Bravo. For details, please see the site Disclaimer.

Last updated on: 06/21/05 07:05:42 PM