By Wini Moranville
Wandering around Gateway Market with chef/partner George Formaro is a little like having a culinary compass pointing the way to epicurean lodestars at every turn. While it was hard to narrow down his many terrific recommendations during a recent visit, we refined the list to focus on products that make cooking and/or hosting better and easier, with a few delightful and unexpected twists here and there.
Below is a list of what Formaro calls “foods that go right to the soul.”
Fishwife Mackerel ($9.99): This boldly flavored, premium-quality tinned fish is perfect for snacking or salads. “It’s probably my favorite item in the store right now,” he said.
Banyuls Vinegar ($19.99): Sure, it’s great in salad dressings, but Formaro also loves this sweet, oak-aged French Mediterranean vinegar for deglazing or as a finish to roasted vegetables.
Sunday Night Premium Dark Chocolate Sauce ($10.49): Formaro loves the whole line of Sunday Night premium dessert sauces. “A younger me would have dragged these into the bedroom,” he said. These days, he enjoys them drizzled over ice cream or baked goods.
Blue Diamond Pecan Nut Thins ($5.79). Formaro enjoys using these as a dipping cracker for the Sunday Night sauce. The combo makes a great sweet-savory treat when you don’t need a big-dessert blowout.
Bob’s Red Mill Farro ($8.99): “When I eat this nutty, chewy ancient wheat grain, I feel like I’m doing something great for my body.” He uses it in soups, stews and pilafs. (My own tip: Try it in my French farro pilaf with dates and walnuts.)
Salsa Macha ($11.99): A Mexican chili oil with nuts and seeds. While drizzling it over tacos is a classic choice, Formaro also enjoys it on sandwiches and cheeses, particularly fresh mozzarella. He says we’ll be seeing this condiment a lot more in the future.
Better Than Bouillon Premium Roasted Beef Base ($7.49): A deeply savory and concentrated base that’s perfect for soups, gravies or stews. “It even works as a base for French onion soup.”
Carmelina San Marzano Tomatoes ($5.79): “It really blows my mind how tasty these are.” Cook these sweet Italian tomatoes with olive oil, garlic and onions for a great pizza or pasta sauce.
Jamie’s Hive-to-Table Raw Honeycomb ($13.99): This pure honey makes a lovely addition to a cheese and charcuterie board.
Rustichella d’Abruzzo Pasta ($8.99): “It tastes like something my Italian mother would have crafted by hand.” Learn more about this life-changing pasta.
HU Dark Chocolate Almond Crunch Chocolate Bar ($6.99): “This paleo-friendly dark chocolate has a slightly bitter edge — it’s perfect for ‘clean’ snacking.”
Longtime food journalist Wini Moranville also covers the Des Moines food and dining scene at winimoranville.substack.com.
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