Everyone knows that there is nothing sweeter than mom, but these gourmet chocolates and goodies come awfully close!

Top row, from left:

Mom will delight in this selection of 18 hand-painted chocolates from Christophe Chocolatier. And why stop at 18 when there is an equally charming 28 count available as well?

A beautiful expression of Spring just for Mom! A white chocolate bar with candied violets and roses from Cacao Chocolates.

The aptly named Mother’s Day Collection from Sucré features a refreshing medley of dark chocolate raspberry ganache, fragrant rose petal, and lemon infused milk chocolate.

Bottom row, from left:

Experience a little nostalgia with a jar of chocolate buttons. Each mason jar contains milk, 65% dark and white buttons dusted with pearl powder.

Sucré’s White Chocolate Lavender Macaroons are the perfect treat for mom… Delicate Parisian cookies filled with a lavender infused white chocolate mousseline and finished in a purple luster.

Mix it up with Christophe’s Chocolate Covered Orange Peels for a zesty treat for mom.

When I was a child, I loved it when my grandmother had parties because her cook always made cheese dreams, a mini cheese sandwich that was then dipped in a mixture of egg, milk, grated cheese, and spices, and then baked or broiled. They invariably flew off the serving trays, and even though I have never been able to approximate Ernestine’s sublime recipe, I am a big proponent of grilled cheese sandwiches at the cocktail hour.

First of all, who doesn’t love a grilled cheese? Secondly, they can be incredibly elegant. One of my favorite combos is grilled Comte (the superlative Gruyere cousin available at St. James Cheese Co.) on Very Thin Pepperidge Farm white or wheat bread with two whole sage leaves, so that when you cut the sandwich in rectangles for serving there’s a leaf tucked inside each half.

I created the Grilled Devilled Crab and Cheese Sandwiches pictured above for an outdoor spring lunch in honor of some New York/Palm Beach friends who had never visited New Orleans. I wanted to showcase all our specialties, so we passed the sandwiches and fried oysters with Bloody Marys and Gin Fizzes, followed by the main course, a dark brown Duck and Andouille Sausage Gumbo served Cajun style with a mustardy potato salad rather than rice.

The sandwiches were an especially big hit and I’ve made them many times since. Another melted cheese and crab combo I love is Crab Mornay, the recipe for which is in my book Ham Biscuits, Hostess Gowns, and Other Southern Specialties, and which can be served in tiny puff pastry shells or in a chafing dish with toast points on the side.

Julia Reed

Grilled Deviled Crab and Cheese Sandwiches

4 tablespoons butter (plus more for “grilling”)

1 cup country ham, finely diced (you may substitute prosciutto)

1 cup finely chopped onion

¼ cup thinly sliced scallions

¾ cup heavy cream

¼ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

¾ cup freshly grated Comte Fort St. Antoine or Cabot Clothbound Cheddar

1 teaspoon Tabasco

1 ½ teaspoons Worcestershire sauce

1 egg yolk

1 pound lump crabmeat, picked over and patted dry

2 teaspoons lemon juice

1 loaf Pepperidge Farm Very Thin Sliced White Bread

Melt the butter in a skillet over medium heat. Add the ham and fry for five minutes. Drain off all but 1 tablespoon of the fat. Add the onions, cover the pan, and cook until onions are soft, about 8 minutes. Uncover pan and add the green onions, cream, cheeses, Tabasco, and Worcestershire sauce, and stir until mixture is bubbling and thickened. Beat the egg yolk in a large bowl, add about a cup of the cream and cheese mixture, mix well, and add the rest. Toss the crab in the lemon juice and fold into the mixture. Refrigerate for at least one hour before making sandwiches.

For sandwiches: Cut crusts off bread, spread a layer of crab mixture between two slices, press together, and repeat. Melt a tablespoon of butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Places as many of the sandwiches in the skillet as it will hold. Press down lightly with a spatula and turn over after about a minute, or as soon as the underside is golden brown. Press down again, and remove when the flipside has browned, about another minute or less. Halve into triangles and serve immediately. You may keep the cooked sandwiches warm on a cookie sheet in a slow oven while you finish the rest.

[Note, as you cook, you will likely need to add more butter. If the butter gets too brown after a few batches, you may need to wipe out the pan and start over. Also, for an especially pretty look, chop parsley, chervil, or chives, or a mixture of all three, and dip the cut edges of the sandwiches in the chopped herbs before you put them on a tray for passing. Finally, either a Gruyere-like Comte or a sharp and creamy Cheddar like the Cabot Clothbound is perfect for this recipe. The addition of Parmesan lends a wonderful depth.]

Pictured above, from left:

A selection of cheeses from St. James Cheese Company, perfect for grilling and more; Julia’s Grilled Deviled Crab and Cheese Sandwiches.

Take advantage of local farmers’ markets and young spring greens in time to make a gorgeous Easter or Passover salad.

The salad recipe below is from one of our favorite recent cookbooks, Edible, A Celebration of Local Foods, but it’s only a template. This time of year you could toss in everything from real spring onions to blanched peas, baby asparagus tips, or haricots verts. In Edible, for example, there’s another arugula salad that pairs the peppery green with goat cheese, pecans, and the strawberries that are also in season.

Be creative, but keep it real—that’s the Edible mantra, and ours too. In a salad, after all, the quality of the ingredients matters more than in almost any other dish (which is why we recommend the Extra Virgin Olive Oil made for Blackberry Farm from Napa Valley Arbequina olives, or St . James Cheese Co.’s Georges Extra Virgin Olive Oil  made in Kalamata, Greece).

Pictured above, greens look even more gorgeous when set off by the milky white finish of Astier de Villatte’s ceramic bowls and serving platters. Handmade in Paris, the pieces are surprisingly light, yet extremely durable, and the perfect warm weather tableware.

Arugula and Fennel Salad

(From Edible, A Celebration of Local Foods, by Tracey Ryder and Carol Topalian)

Serves 6

4 cups (about 5 ounces) lightly packed arugula

2 small fennel bulbs (about 1½ pounds)

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice (preferably Meyer), plus more, if needed

½ teaspoon kosher salt, plus more, if needed

¼ pound Pecorino Romano or Parmigiano-Reggiano

¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

In a large salad bowl, arrange the arugula. Cut the stalks off the fennel bulbs. Remove the fronds from the stalks and set aside. Cut each bulb in half lengthwise through the root. On a cutting board, place each half cut-side down, then cut in half lengthwise again. Cut each quarter into very thin slices crosswise and scatter the slices on top of the arugula. Cut the fennel stalks into thin slices and on the diagonal and scatter on top of the salad.

Sprinkle the oil, lemon juice, and salt over the vegetables and toss gently. The salad should taste light and slightly lemony. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed.

Using a potato peeler or cheese slicer, cut ribbons of cheese and scatter them on top of the salad. Sprinkle with the pepper and top with the reserved fennel fronds. Serve immediately.

Couple a great jigger with a well-written cocktail book, and you’re well on your way. The best jiggers are double-sided with graduated measurements on each side and one of the absolute best references for home drink-making is The Savoy Cocktail Book. It’s a timeless piece of cocktail history, peppered with hundreds of cocktails that can be easily recreated by a home bartender with an interest in upping the ante.

To get things off to a fairly uncomplicated start, I recommend one of my favorite classic cocktails, the Manhattan.  In its two-part/one-part simplicity, it’s hard to screw up. Just measure it carefully, give it a patient stir, and sip.

Once you’ve mastered the Manhattan, buy the book, and make your way down the rabbit hole.

The Manhattan   

In a large mixing glass (use a basic pint glass), measure the following:

2 oz. of your favorite Bourbon or Rye Whiskey

1 oz. of your favorite sweet vermouth (Try Carpano Antica Formula—it will change your life)

3 dashes of Angostura Bitters

Add ice and stir for 15-20 seconds

Strain the drink into your preferred glass—I like a classic coupe—and garnish with a brandied cherry.

-Brooks Reitz

Pictured above from left:

The Savoy Cocktail Book, by Harry Craddock is known for popularizing many legendary drinks.

Fetch Bar Correspondent Brooks Reitz.

The Match Pewter Double Jigger  from the Mercantile is the perfect measuring tool for any bartender.

We love the Pendleton 1910 Rye Whiskey, but the Stetson Kentucky Straight Boubon is a great fit as well.

Mitch Rosenthal has cooked in such famed kitchens as Wolfgang Puck’s Postrio and Paul Prudhomme’s K-Paul’s. These days he is the proprietor of San Francisco’s Town Hall, Anchor and Hope, and Salt House, and the author (with his brother-in-law Jon Pult) of the great new cookbook Cooking my Way Back Home. Here he creates a template for a Mardi Gras party at home (wherever home may be) inspired by his stint in New Orleans:

THE MENU

Smoky Chicken Hock Gumbo with Andouille Sausage and Green Onion (pictured above, left)

Chicken and Smoked Andouille Jambalaya

The Peacemaker (pictured above, right)

Warm Beignets and Powdered Sugar

King Cake

Sazerac’s Sazerac

Uptown Hurricane

Beer

More Beer

With the exception of the drinks, the above recipes are featured in Cooking My Way Back Home, by Mitchell Rosenthal with Jon Pult. A The recipe for a Sazerac’s Sazerac can be found at http://www.sazerac.com/cocktail.aspx and Mitch’s Hurricane recipe is below:

Uptown Hurricane

Serves 4

4 ounces light rum

4 ounces dark rum

2 ounces fresh squeezed lime juice

2 ounces passion fruit juice (or subslitute fresh squeezed orange juice)

2 ounces pineapple juice

1 ounce Grenadine

Plenty of ice

In a pitcher, combine the rum, fresh juices and Grneadine. Stir well. Pour into 4 highball glasses filled with ice. Garnish with a slice of lime or orange (or both) and as straw.

THE MUSIC

Go to the Mardi Gras, Professor Longhair: Here, the legendary piano man suggests “If you’re going to New Orleans, you oughta go see the Mardi Gras.” He’s right, but if you’re not going, this recording, with its rollicking piano, insistent shuffle beat and whistling(!) makes a pretty fair sonic substitute.

Jockamo, James “Sugarboy” Crawford: “Hey now!” A Mardi Gras Indian Chant reimagined as an R & B burner.

Do Watcha Wanna, The Re-Birth Brass Band: A classic of more recent vintage, its repetitive lyric serves as a kind of instruction manual for the season. Do watcha wanna, indeed.

If Ever I Cease to Love, various versions: The unofficial anthem of Mardi Gras and the official anthem of the Rex Organization. A tale of the world turned upside down. Perfect.

To buy Mitchell Rosenthal’s Cooking My Way Back Home, shop Books & Books on Taigan.com

To buy a King Cake, shop Sucre on Taigan.com

Among the countless stellar creations is the signature gin martini, which, if memory serves me correctly, came wheeled to our table, accompanied by a white gloved barman who deftly pulled a bottle of Tanqueray 10 from beneath, and proceeded to offer us a selection of the finest dry vermouths and house-made bitters. Carefully poured, artfully stirred and gently presented, it was, in a word, perfect: this was not drinking, this was living (like the other half, I might add.)

What I took away, aside from a burning jealousy that they were so damn good, was that a bar cart, no matter how simple, can elevate anyone’s home cocktail experience. We are in the process of constructing one for Jack Rudy based on a design found in my great-grandfather’s basement, but in the meantime, there are great finds to be had at thrift stores across America. Your guests will be pleased, no doubt.

For my own martini quaffing, I prefer Plymouth Gin, an incredibly subtle gin distilled from only 7 botanicals, including that stalwart of the gin world: juniper. I love it because it’s not only quite smooth in a stirred martini, but also because I once was told that it was Benjamin Franklin’s favorite gin – that was enough reason for me, taste be damned. For dry vermouth, I prefer Dolin, produced in France. I’ll take mine with a lemon twist; for a different take, try a peel of grapefruit, about the size of a half-dollar, and squeeze it over the cocktail to finish. Drink what you like, remembering only this rule: stir, never shake.

2 ounces Plymouth Gin

.75 ounces Dolin Dry Vermouth

Add ice, and stir.

Strain into a martini glass, and garnish with a peel of lemon.

Brooks Reitz

Shop Heirloom Books on Taigan.com for Brooks’s excellent Jack Rudy Small Batch Tonic.

Mitchell Rosenthal has cooked with the greats (Wolfgang Puck, Seppi Renggli Paul Prudhomme) and owns three of San Francisco’s most beloved restaurants (Town Hall, Salt House, Anchor and Hope) but in “Cooking My Way Back Home” he concentrates most on his love of Southern-inspired comfort food (including Barbecued Shrimp and Lemon Chess Pie). We’ll be featuring Mitch in future issues of Fetch, but for now we want to turn our own concentration on two recipes perfect for the holidays: his addictive Bienville Stuffed Mushrooms and his gorgeous Mini-Red Velvet Cupcakes.

As for “Cooking My Way Back Home,” the cover, featuring a photo of Angels on Horseback, tells you all you need to know about why Mitch is a genius. In his version, the bacon-wrapped oysters are quickly deep fried (instead of broiled to a mush), and served with a tiny dollop of mustardy remoulade. Mitch cooked these at a recent book signing in New Orleans and the results were astonishing. His book is a must-have for you and every enthusiastic home cook on your list.

Pictured above: Chef Mitchell Rosenthal; his book Cooking My Way Back Home, available at Books and Books; his Mini-Red Velvet Cupcakes.

For recipes, see below

Bienville Stuffed Mushrooms

Makes 24 stuffed mushrooms;

serves 8 to 12

Bread Crumbs

4 thick slices coarse country bread such as pain levain

Few drops of olive oil

Salt and freshly ground pepper

Bienville Stuffing

1 tablespoon canola oil

3 slices thick-cut bacon, diced

1 large yellow onion, diced

1 celery stalk, diced

1 large red bell pepper, seeded and diced

3 crimini mushrooms, diced

2 tablespoons Town Hall Spice Mixture (page 253)

6 ounces shrimp, peeled, deveined, and diced

2 oysters, shucked, with their liquor reserved

1¹/₂ teaspoons chopped garlic

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 tablespoon all-purpose flour

2 cups Chicken Stock (page 250) or Shrimp Stock (page 250)

1 bay leaf

1 teaspoon firmly packed golden brown sugar

Salt and freshly ground pepper

24 crimini mushrooms, each about 1 to 1¹/₂ inches in diameter

To make the bread crumbs, cut off and discard the crusts from the bread slices, then cut the slices into cubes. Place the cubes in a food processor and pulse until fine crumbs form. Transfer to a bowl, add the oil, and season with salt and pepper, then toss to mix. You should have about 1 cup. Set aside.

To make the stuffing, in large frying pan heat the oil over medium-low heat. Add the bacon and fry for 7 to 8 minutes, or until crispy and all of the fat has been rendered. Raise the heat to high, add the onion, celery, and bell pepper, and cook, stirring occasionally, for about 10 minutes, or until the vegetables start to caramelize. Add the mushrooms and spice mixture and cook for 1 minute, all the while scraping the bottom of the pan. Add the shrimp, oysters and their liquor, and garlic and stir well, continuing to scrape the bottom of the pan. Add the butter and flour and stir to combine. Pour in the stock, add the bay leaf and brown sugar, stir well, and bring to a simmer over medium-low heat. Let cook, stirring occasionally, for about 15 minutes, or until most of the liquid is reduced and the stuffing has a nice thick consistency.

Remove from the heat, remove and discard the bay leaf, and let cool slightly. Transfer the stuffing mixture to the food processor and process until it is thick and a bit chunky. Season with salt and pepper. You should have about 2 cups.

Preheat the oven to 375°F. Pull the stems off of the mushrooms. Spoon a generous amount of the stuffing (about 4 teaspoons) into the stem side of each mushroom and top with some of the bread crumbs (about 2 teaspoons). Arrange the stuffed mushrooms on a sheet pan.

Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until the mushrooms are cooked through and the bread crumbs are toasted. Transfer to a platter and serve immediately.

Mini-Red Velvet Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting

Makes 24 cupcakes

Cupcakes

1¹/₄ cups all-purpose flour

³/₄ cup sugar

¹/₂ teaspoon baking soda

¹/₂ teaspoon kosher salt

1 teaspoon unsweetened natural cocoa powder

³/₄ cup canola or safflower oil

¹/₂ cup buttermilk, room temperature

1 large egg, room temperature

1 tablespoon liquid red food coloring

¹/₂ teaspoon distilled white vinegar

³/₄ teaspoon vanilla extract

Frosting

¹/₂ pound cream cheese, at room temperature

4 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature

1¹/₃ cups powdered sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Toasted pecan pieces (optional)

Toasted shredded coconut (optional)

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line 24 mini muffin-tin cups with paper liners.

To make the cupcakes, sift together the flour, sugar, baking soda, salt, and cocoa powder into the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment. In a separate bowl, whisk together the oil, buttermilk, egg, food coloring, vinegar, and vanilla. Add half of the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix on low speed just until a paste forms, stopping to scrape down the sides and along the bottom of the bowl as needed with a rubber spatula. Add the remaining wet ingredients and mix until smooth. Do not over mix the batter or the cupcakes will be tough.

Fill the prepared muffin cups two-thirds full with the batter. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of a cupcake comes out clean. Let cool completely in the pan on a wire rack, then remove from the pan.

To make the frosting, in the stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the cream cheese on low speed until smooth. Do not whip! Add the butter and mix until incorporated. Use the rubber spatula to scrape down the sides and along the bottom of the bowl to check for lumps. Sift in the powdered sugar and mix on low speed until smooth. Add vanilla and mix until combined.

Spoon the frosting into a pastry bag fitted with a ¹/₄-inch star tip and pipe a rosette onto the top of each cooled cupcake. Sprinkle with the pecans and coconut. Serve right away. They will keep for a day in an airtight container.

Reprinted with permission from Cooking My Way Back Home: Recipes from San Francisco’s Town Hall, Anchor & Hope, and Salt House by Mitchell Rosenthal, copyright © 2011. Published by Ten Speed Press, a division of Random House, Inc.

Photo credit: Paige Green © 2011

I’m very excited to be contributing to Fetch. Whenever I have the opportunity to talk about liquor drinks, I seize it, and to know that I’ll be part of a community with a passionate and loyal following is just icing on the cake. When Julia asked me to write about some of my favorite cocktails, I said “yes” without hesitation. I didn’t bother giving her the time to realize that I’m anything but an expert. But, as a Southerner, I have an inherent appreciation for a fine mixed drink, and as a Kentuckian, I grew up with bourbon in my backyard. So I guess I do have a leg to stand on.

As I write, I’m on a plane somewhere over Atlanta, heading back to Charleston having gained a few pounds, some week-old scruff, and a fixed smile as I think back on a Kentucky homecoming filled with friends, family, food, and, of course, several cocktails. After packing a ton of good times into a very few days, I realized something very important about the way I entertain during the holidays especially: simple is better.

It can be fun to pull out all the stops and host an epic soiree with fine foods lovingly prepared all day long—and sometimes for several days prior. But what gets me going is something with a little less pomp and circumstance—perhaps a roasted chicken and roasted vegetables doused with olive oil and kissed with some good sea salt. Less time prepping means more time socializing, an approach I also extend to my holiday drink making.

So for this, the first of my contributions to Fetch, I thought I’d present my own small twist on one of my favorite classic cocktails, the French 75. It’s a very simple drink to make, and nothing says “Let’s Party” like Champagne (or any other sparkling wine). I’ve substituted my own product, Jack Rudy Cocktail Co. Small Batch Tonic, in place of the lemon juice and sugar.

Jack Rudy French 75

1.25 ounces gin

.75 ounces Jack Rudy Cocktail Co. Small Batch Tonic

Brut Champagne or other dry sparkling wine

Combine gin and Jack Rudy Tonic in a cocktail shaker filled with ice. Shake vigorously and strain into a Champagne flute. Fill with Champagne and garnish with a twist of lemon.

Brooks Reitz

Pictured above, Fetch Bar creator Brooks Reitz; Jack Rudy French 75s made with Jack Rudy Cocktail Co. Small Batch Tonic from Heirloom Books.

For more on Brooks Reitz, read Julia’s column in this week’s Fetch. For festive champagne flutes, shop Corzine & Co. on Taigan.com

Order Callie’s Charleson Biscuits at Heirloom Books on Taigan.com.

Order Blackberry Farm‘s jams and preserves on Taigan.com.

Order the Sheffield Basket and other serving pieces at Corzine & Co. on Taigan.com

Order Sallie’s Greatest Jams on Taigan.com