Bellegarde Bakery

At the beginning of the pandemic it felt like everyone and their dog was baking sourdough from scratch and it was so hard to find flour. Well, I found a solution. I ordered flour directly from bakeries! One bakery to be exact: Bellegarde in New Orleans.

I heard about Bellegarde Bakery years ago while binge reading magazines at an airport gift shop (a favorite pastime) when a gorgeous loaf of bread caught my eye. It glistened upon the cover like a tasty carbalious jewel and I later learned it was made in New Orleans! Exactly where I was headed. Upon touchdown I set off in search of this magical bread and accidentally went to their warehouse (they didn’t have a physical shop then but they do now). Luckily an employee sold me four bags of flour, which I prompted carted all the way back to Washington State… in my dog’s plastic kennel… this is not even close to being the weirdest thing I’ve taken on a plane lol.

I’ve been a fan ever since. Bellegarde Bakery flours add incredible flavor to whatever you’re baking. Bellegarde mills heirloom grains grown in the South and the proof is in the pudding. The grains are full-bodied and flavorful, organic and fresh. Some varieties seem creamy, perhaps because they have more fat than typical all purpose flour. In my mind, Bellegarde Bakery flour is to all purpose flour the way a beautiful painting is to cardboard.

The rye flour is particularly lovely. I made rye shortbread cookies that were great with tea. And banana rye muffins which were better than every other banana bread I baked during quarantine. Raise your hand if you, like me, were also guilty of jumping on the banana bread bandwagon of 2020. To be completely honest I never learned how to make sourdough during lockdown. Once my sourdough starter began to smell of stinky feet I threw it out and never looked back (ah, the pains of being a perfectionist lol). But I can safely say that Bellegarde Bakery flours have made all my baked goods this year taste so much better.

My Bellegarde Bakery picks:

Rye Flour
Carolina Ground 85 Pastry Flour
Bread Flour. They have two types: one made from red wheat, the other from white wheat.
If you’re looking for something especially Southern, try the grits or cornmeal made from Bayou Cora corn; no one else grows this particular variety of heirloom corn.

Jasper Hill Farm

The Harbison cheese from Jasper Hill Farm is amazing. The creamy, melt in your mouth brie-style cheese is bound with tree bark, which lends an extra earthy aroma to the cheese nearest the rind. Rather than cut the cheese into wedges like a brie, you slice off the top and scoop out the insides with a spoon. Love it.

I first heard about Harbison cheese when Eden Grinshpan, the blogger and Food Network Canada host, called it her favorite as she scooped up a giant spoonful and ate it straight. I was sold! I was like, “where can I get some of that?!” Well, when I traveled to Austin for a friend’s birthday weekend, I found Harbison cheese at a local grocery store - along with a few other stinky cheeses, naturally - and I flew back to Washington State with tons of cheese in my carryon. The guy next to me was flabbergasted at my cheesy carryon and you know what? I did not give him any cheese. Naturally.

Jasper Hill Farm - Clothbound Cheddar.jpg

This year I kept thinking about that perfectly smooth, delectably ripe and creamy cheese and so I finally caved (get it? Cheese is aged in caves? lolol) and I ordered it online. Actually, I ordered the “Ripe and Ready” box on Black Friday and oh my god what a great decision. I also got the Clothbound Cheddar and a seasonal ale-washed cheese but Harbison was the star of the show. In January my best friend from high school visited our hometown and we had a socially distant picnic outside complete with Soma Chocolate, French natural wine, crackers, and (you guessed it) Harbison. Shamina loved the cheese so much she ordered a box immediately. And she raved about the cheese so often that her husband gifted her a Jasper Hill Farm subscription for her birthday. Cheese is the perfect gift, in my opinion. Well done, Taylor. Oh and Shamina even sent a giant box of cheese to her sister’s house to celebrate the birth of her little nephew. Now her entire family can eat tasty cheese plates together and not worry about cooking. Honestly, I think that’s the best endorsement of all. This is a cheese worthy of celebrations and a cheese worth celebrating!

My Jasper Hill Farm picks:

Harbison cheese
Cabot Clothbound Cheddar
Jasper Hill Farm also sells food like jam to compliment their cheese. I was totally fascinated by the maple sugar cube Shamina ordered. It’s described as a “pure Vermont maple cube, perfect for grating over buttered toast and adding to cheesy pastries.” Square maple sugar? Intriguing!

Olive Oil Lovers

My family goes through buckets of olive oil. Literal buckets! I did the math once, and we apparently eat three liters of olive oil per month. Per month! I used to buy olive oil from the grocery store but now I buy it online because (a) it’s cheaper (b) there’s a greater selection of brands and (c) I don’t have to lug giant bottles home. They’re delivered right to my doorstep. Ah, I love delivery. Anyways, I found Olive Oil Lovers through a quick Google search and I am so glad I did. I use this oil everyday or everything. It’s flavorful enough for salad dressing and simple enough for frying eggs.

Olive Oil Lovers also sells more high-end oils. Last summer I tried an award-winning South African olive oil that was bright and fruity without being grassy and harsh (like some oils I’ve experienced). I drizzled it on gazpacho and salads and bread. Highly, highly recommend.

My Olive Oil Lovers picks:

AMORIS Every Day Tin, 3 liters
Morgenster Estate olive oil, 500 milliliters
If you’re indecisive, you could try a tasting kit that helps you discover your new favorite oil. Or you could try a “Pick Six" Build Your Own Sampler box.