Foodie Box Love - Chef Companion Box

December 2025 - Chef's Companion

This month’s Chef’s Companion Box is all about transforming that time into something delicious and memorable, with pantry upgrades that bring big flavor fast. Think of it as your curated mini gourmet food subscription for inspired, everyday cooking.

Fun Fact 🍳

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the average American spends just 37 minutes a day cooking and cleaning up in the kitchen. Even small flavor boosts can make those minutes feel truly special.

Fine & Raw – Sweet Pistachio Spread

Our five-ingredient Sweet Pistachio Spread is pure nutty magic in a jar. Silky, gently sweet, and intensely pistachio-forward, it’s perfect for drizzling over ice cream, spreading on toast, folding into whipped cream, or enjoying straight from the spoon.

Born in a Williamsburg artist loft in 2007, Fine & Raw started with small-batch chocolate delivered by bike around Brooklyn. Today, they’re still obsessed with organic ingredients, bold flavor, and the simple joy of great chocolate in all its forms—this spread included.

Wilderness Poets – Organic Roasted Hazelnut Butter (Ultra Creamy)

Crafted in small micro-batches, this ultra-creamy hazelnut butter starts with organic hazelnuts that are blanched to remove their skins, then slowly roasted for deep, natural sweetness. The result is an incredibly smooth, almost pourable texture that feels downright luxurious.

Drizzle it over oatmeal, swirl into smoothies, spoon onto pancakes, or use it as a base for homemade “nutella-style” sauces and desserts. It’s a simple ingredient that instantly makes breakfast—or dessert—feel restaurant-worthy.

Dried Wild Morel Mushrooms

Morels are one of the most coveted wild mushrooms in the world, and here you get them in a convenient, shelf-stable dried form. With tall, honeycombed caps and a hollow center, they bring an earthy, buttery flavor with a whisper of smoke that actually intensifies when dried.
Rehydrate them in warm water, stock, or wine for 15–20 minutes, then sautĂ© and add to cream or white wine sauces, risottos, and fresh pasta dishes. They’re also incredible folded into rich stews or served over grilled steak, roast chicken, or seared scallops for a rustic, chef-level touch.

AOVE Forvm Arbequina Extra Virgin Olive Oil

This exceptional extra virgin olive oil is made exclusively from early-harvest Arbequina olives picked in October while still green and intensely fresh. Because the olives are pressed within six hours of picking and never heated above 26°C during milling, the yield is low—but the quality is extraordinary.

Expect a dense, silky oil with a green-gold hue, vibrant fruitiness, and a beautifully balanced profile of gentle sweetness, peppery bite, and fresh, grassy notes. Drizzle it over grilled vegetables, finish seafood and roasted meats, or use it as your “special” olive oil for dipping and salads when you want maximum flavor.

Yuzu Kanzuri – Japanese Style Chili Sauce

Yuzu Kanzuri is a Japanese-style chili sauce that layers bright, floral yuzu citrus over the umami depth of shio koji—a traditional fermentation of rice, salt, and water. The result is a complex blend of spice, savory notes, subtle sweetness, and aromatic citrus.

Use it to finish pork bao buns, drizzle over fish tacos, stir into ramen, or whisk into dressings and marinades. A little squeeze goes a long way, adding a memorable pop of heat and flavor to everything from grain bowls to grilled veggies.

Noble Handcrafted – Black Garlic Paste 

Black garlic starts as whole bulbs of fresh garlic that are slowly heated over several weeks with precise humidity and temperature control. The cloves turn inky black and develop a tender, jelly-like texture along with an unforgettable flavor—sweet, savory, and tangy, with notes of balsamic vinegar and tamarind.

Noble’s Black Garlic Paste makes this special ingredient easy to use: stir into pan sauces, blend into aioli, whisk into vinaigrettes, spread on crusty bread, or melt into butter for next-level steaks and roasted vegetables. It has nearly twice the antioxidants of raw garlic and a totally unique taste all its own.

Burlap & Barrel – Cardamom Extract

Burlap & Barrel’s Cardamom Extract is made from single-origin cardamom seeds grown in Alta Verapaz, Guatemala, slowly infused in alcohol by their partners at Bittercube. The result is a richly aromatic extract that can be swapped 1:1 for vanilla extract wherever you want a bright, tropical twist.

Add a few drops to cakes, cookies, and puddings, stir into coffee or hot chocolate, spike sparkling water or cocktails, or drizzle over fruit and ice cream. It’s especially perfect for holiday baking and festive drinks, adding a fragrant, citrusy warmth that feels instantly special.

How to Enjoy Your Chef’s Companion Box

  • Upgrade your weeknight pasta:
    Rehydrate morels, sauté in Arbequina olive oil, and toss with fresh pasta, a splash of cream, and a drizzle of black garlic paste.
  • Build a dessert board:
    Serve pistachio spread and hazelnut butter with sliced fruit, shortbread, and dark chocolate. Finish with cardamom-scented whipped cream for dipping.
  • Create bold sauces & dressings:
    Whisk Arbequina olive oil with a spoonful of black garlic paste and a dash of Yuzu Kanzuri for a punchy drizzle over roasted vegetables or grilled fish.

 

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