Masthead: Nicole Aloni
Photo: Fruit display at an outdoor market

I have to tell you that you have been a life saver. I opened a meal assembly kitchen and the next thing I knew I was being asked to cater. I found your books so helpful in understanding the business and what is needed and expected.

—Amy Reavis
Altamonte Springs, FL

Specialty Food Products

The companies and products listed below can form the backbone of your kitchen support group. While especially comforting for the novice, the finished dishes or ingredients included here will help anyone round out a menu. Not only are these products delicious, they are from “somewhere else”, and by definition exotic and interesting.

This is one of the best aspects of our new global shopping access. You can browse the wide array of ethnic, artisan and specialty products online, place them in your checkout cart and have them shipped to your home. How exciting to get next day delivery of Maine lobsters, Cinderella slippers in white chocolate, or crisp bing cherries from California?

These reputable companies generally operate on a “satisfaction guaranteed” basis. As someone who made and shipped tens of thousands of refrigerated products, I can assure you that the satisfaction level on quality food shipping is extremely high. My company averaged less than one question in 1000 orders placed.

Adriana's Caravan

www.adrianascaravan.com

800-316-0820
New York, NY

1500 international gourmet products, exotic spices and condiments.

Aidells Sausage Company

www.aidells.com

800-546-5795
Kensington, CA

Stunning array of flavors and spices in the guise of sausages: andouille, chicken, duck, and other Gourmet sausages, plus lots of recipes.

American Mussel Harvesters

www.americanmussel.com

401-294-8999
North Kingston, RI

Cold water shellfish (oysters, clams, mussels) harvested to order and shipped in ice packs.

American Spoon Foods

www.spoon.com

888-735-6700
Petoskey, MI

Spoon fruits, sour cherry jam, cherry-peach salsa, jams, jellies, sauces, wide product selection and lots of recipes.

Annapolis Seafood Market

www.annapolisseafoodmarket.com

410-263-7787
Annapolis, MD

Maryland blue crab, whole and cleaned meat, oysters, soft shell crabs, lobster. Overnight shipping, includes recipes.

Aux Delices Des Bois

www.auxdelices.com

212-334-1230
New York, NY

Translates, loosely, as “wonderful things from the forest”. Fresh & dried exotic and wild mushrooms, a variety of sea salts, Atlantic smoked salmon, fiddlehead ferns, ramps, & more.

Big Bob Gibson's Bar-B-Q

www.bigbobgibsonbbq.com

877-350-0404
Decatur, AL

Go to the General Store to check out award winning Southern Bar-B-Q sauces: Championship Red Sauce and the secret-recipe White Sauce, available by the bottle or by the case. Also find gift baskets, apparel and grilling tools.

Boudin Bakery

www.boudinbakery.com

800-992-1849
San Francisco, CA

Tangy crispy-crusted sourdough bread in a variety of shapes, from the famous bakery near Fisherman's Wharf in San Francisco.

Chef Shop

www.chefshop.com

800-596-0885
Seattle, WA

Over 1000 artisan produced, sustainable foods and ingredients available online; based in Seattle. If in town, stop by to see their storefront.

D'Artagnan

www.dartagnan.com

800-327-8246
Newark, NJ

Provides foie gras and specialty meats to top chefs around the country; also fresh duck, pheasant, quail, partridge, and squab; farm raised game: venison, rabbit, buffalo, and boar.

Dean & Deluca

www.deandeluca.com

800-221-7714
New York, New York

This epicurean institution in SOHO since 1977, a dream realized by Joel Dean and Giorgio DeLuca, is now yours to browse online. Dean & Deluca introduced us to balsamic vinegar, sun-dried tomatoes and dried mushrooms. Take inspiration from their seasonal specialties, and all manner of fine foods: petit fours, miniature chocolates, mandarin chocolate cake. Maple honey glazed ham, Jambon Cru du Beaujolais. Wine. Kitchenware. Don't miss the “gift” collections for all occasions.

Delightful Biteful

www.delightfulbiteful.com

Got a big sweet tooth? This is the site for you! A family owned business, this is the place for quality sweets — desserts, gourmet cakes, pastry, French tarts, cookies, brownies and helpful tips for serving.

Demi-Glace Gold

www.morethangourmet.com

800-860-9385
Akron, OH

Proud to be the ONLY company today making classic French sauces in the old world tradition as defined by the renowned Chef Master Auguste Escoffier. You'll taste the difference when using these quality sauce basics: beef, veal, duck and chicken, that contain no chemicals, MSG, fillers or preservatives. Recipes ideas offered for each of the sauces. Try the “store locator” by zip code to find a retailer near you, as an option to ordering and shipping.

Ethnic Grocer (partnered with the James Beard Foundation)

www.ethnicgrocer.com

630-860-1733
Bensenville, IL

More than 20,000 ethnic food products, ingredients for Indian, Asian, Mediterranean, Latin American and Middle Eastern cooking like edible wrappings, quail eggs, husks and masa for tamales, Szechuan hot bean sauce, pomegranate molasses.

The Fillo Factory

www.fillofactory.com

800-653-4556
Bergen, NJ

If you want to work with fillo, this is the best, most forgiving product. Fresh, no-tear fillo dough shipped fresh frozen, regular or whole wheat; also carry a line of frozen fillo hors d'oeuvres.

Formaggio Kitchen

www.formaggio-kitchen.com

888-212-3224
Cambridge, MA

Specialty cheese store with their own on-site cheese cave; very fresh Parmiggiano-Reggiano and more.

Galaxy Desserts

www.galaxydesserts.com

Stunningly beautiful, scrumptiously delicious individual gourmet desserts — mousse cakes, tarts and cheesecakes. Also find crème brûlées, and Oprah's Favorite croissants.

Greenberg Smoked Turkeys

www.gobblegobble.com

903-595-0725
Tyler, TX

Offering fully cooked, ready to serve, smoked turkeys, averaging 6 — 15 lbs per bird at $3.65/lb. Helpful information on how much to order, delivery time, what to do with it once you get it. Orders must be called or faxed in, no online service at this time.

King Arthur Flour Baker's Store

www.kingarthurflour.com

802-649-3361
Norwich, Vermont

America's oldest flour company, King Arthur Flour was founded in 1790. Now you can visit online this playground for home baking enthusiasts, which offers: real maple syrup, a vast array of baking and cooking supplies; recipes; fine tools; pastry blending fork, flour wand, English muffin rings, stainless steel rolling pin, doughnut cutter, alphabet and number cutters, ingredients, equipment; and books for baking.

Kitchen/Market

www.kitchenmarket.com

888-HOT-4433
New York, NY

Offering one of the largest selections of chile peppers, at over 100, in the U.S. Also find Latin American ingredients including hot sauces and salsas, a variety of cornmeal products, many organic, nine types of tortillas, and a selection of Caribbean ingredients.

Lee Gelfond Chocolates

www.gelfondchocolate.com

310-854-3524
Beverly Hills, CA

Candy as art. Specialty molded chocolates, custom “anything” in chocolate. Imagine 6” white chocolate Cinderella slipper filled with truffles, a chocolate champagne glass place card, available personalized, a chocolate golf bag. Call or fax to place orders.

Legal Sea Foods

www.legalseafoods.com

800-343-5804
Allston, MA

High quality fresh seafood: live lobster and excellent New England clam chowder. The Lobster Clambake supreme includes lobster, clams, linguica sausage, clam chowder and corn on the cob. Simple cooking instructions included in every shipment.

Los Chileros De Nuevo Mexico

www.888eatchile.com

505-471-6967
Santa Fe, NM

New Mexico food products and wide variety of dried chiles, and just as many recipes to use them.

Maine Lobster Direct

www.mainelobsterdirect.com

800-556-2783
Portland, ME

This is the site for lobster lovers. Live lobsters and lobster dinners.

Mid East Pastry Delight

www.mepdelight.com

800-643-3278

Baklava, etc.

Mozzarella Co.

www.mozzco.com

800-798-2954
Dallas, TX

The place to purchase product from cheese legend, Paula Lambert. Selections include: cow's and goat's milk mozzarella, smoked scamora, queso Oaxaca, marscapone; range of fresh goat's milk cheeses including ricotta, feta, and fromage blanc. Paula Lambert's cookbooks are also available.

Olson's

www.cjolsoncherries.com

800-738-BING (2464)----ask for Deborah
Sunnyvale, CA

Cherries, cherries, cherries and other fruit. Famous for the world's most wonderful cherries and jewel-packed boxes of cherries; fresh and dried gift packs, chocolate-dipped fruits, homemade jams, jumbo pistachios, almonds and walnuts.

The Oriental Pantry

www.orientalpantry.com

800-828-0368
Acton, MA

They ship all of the hard-to-find ingredients for authentic Oriental cooking: curries, mustards and wasabi, lemongrass, a large assortment of noodles and thirteen kinds of seaweed. How about custom fortune cookies (up to 10 different messages) $29.99 includes shipping for 50. Cooking equipment: steamers, woks, Chinese knives, and utensils, as well as, Asian gifts items such as sake and/or tea sets, chopsticks, rice bowls.

Penzey's Spices

www.penzeys.com

800-741-7787
Brookfield, WI

Incredible, vast array of exotic spices and herbs. Every chile, every way. Custom spice mixes.

The Perfect Puree

www.perfectpuree.com

800-556-3703
St. Helena, CA

High-quality cooking bases from field-ripened berries, fruits, and vegetables that are pureed then frozen. Widest selection I've found of all natural essences -- from pomegranate to persimmon.

Petrossian, Inc.

www.petrossian.com

800-828-9241
New York, NY

Russian caviar, smoked salmon, truffles, foie gras, luscious handmade French chocolates and the elegant appointments to serve these rare delicacies with elan.

The Republic of Tea

www.republicoftea.com

800-354-5530
Mill Valley, CA

Extravagant and enticing variety of special teas from around the world: organic, herb, chai.

The Spice Hunter

www.spicehunter.com

800-444-3061
San Luis Obispo, CA

Broad selection of unusual, all natural, salt free blends and spices. Selected products are carried at national grocers; also available online or call for catalog.

Sweet Street Desserts

www.sweetstreet.com

Serving up tempting desserts since 1979, Sandy Solmon's Sweet Street Desserts is not to be missed. You'll drool at the the tempting sweets online including: cakes, deep dish pies, gourmet dessert bars, coffee and bundt cakes, and more.

Uwajimaya

www.uwajimaya.com

800-889-1928
Seattle, WA

Asian ingredients: twenty varieties of miso, bean pastes, noodles, Japanese bread crumbs, fermented black beans, and Asian specialty produce: fresh lemongrass, Thai eggplant, red basil, frozen fresh banana leaves, galangal.