American Made, Italian Inspired Provisions We Love

Katrina Markoff, chocolatier extraordinaire and founder of Vosges Chocolates, gives new meaning to American made chocolate. Vosges Collezione Italiana 16-piece Truffle Collection is an exquisite chocolate experience; one bite is better than the next. The flavor combinations are the most unique I've seen. She uses everyday Italian ingredients, like Sicilian sea salt, taleggio cheese, and 12-year aged balsamic to make the truffles in this collection. The Olio d'Oliva, featuring first press extra virgin olive oil, white chocolate, green olives is divine. The nutty olive flavor hits your tongue and is instantly met with the sweetness of white chocolate and finished with a chewy saltiness of the green olives. Vosges makes all of its chocolates in Chicago, Illinois.

There are a number of 'salumifici', or meat factories, dotted across the country that are making artisan and small-batch products.  The Iowans are even in on it. La Quercia Prosciutto Americano is made from pork coming from both Heritage Acres and Niman Ranch in California. It has a stronger, less delicate flavor than some of the prosciutto I've had from Parma, making it perfect to pair with a light, bubbly wine or to eat all on its own. Similarly, I very much appreciate that the company marks the products as American prosciutto, for a number of reasons. 

Jacobsen Salt Company Italian Trio is perfect for someone who loves to play in the kitchen. Jacobsen Salt starts with hand-gathered water from Oregon's Netarts Bay. The salt is slowly evaporated until it forms light, crisp salt crystals, imparting a delicate mineral flavor. This bundled trio includes infused Garlic Salt, California olive oil and discs of fine Italian sea salt (that provide the perfect amount of salt to pasta water).

You don't need a spoon for this because you're going to want to shovel the entire jar in your mouth. Okay, that might sound obscene, but Sauce n' Love's Scarpetta Pink Pesto is obscenely delicious.  Made with fresh ingredients you know, and can pronounce, including tomatoes, basil, cream, onion, extra virgin olive oil, sunflower oil, Parmesan cheese, garlic, pine nuts, Pecorino cheese, salt,  and black pepper.

The Italians and Greeks aren't the only ones with amazing olive oil. California boasts a great climate for olive growing and California Olive Ranch uses California grown olives to makes its own olive oil. Nutty, buttery, and fragrant, California Olive Ranch Extra Virgin Olive Oil cold presses their award-winning 100% California-grown olives within hours of picking for a fresher taste. 

You can stock your fridge with premium Italian meats made in the USA from Volpi Foods. The Volpi family has been making salami, bresaola, coppa, prosciutto, capocolla, mortadella, guanciale, pepperoni, soppressata, and more in St. Louis, Missouri since 1902 and for generations before that in Milan, Italy.