Meet the Maker: Little Belgians

From her bakery in Berkeley, California, Evy Ballegeer thoughtfully creates spicy, crispy bites that are traditional coffee and tea accompaniments in her native Belgium. Speak with Evy, and you’ll enjoy a warm conversation that also imbues every bite of her cookies.

Little Belgians Evy Ballegeer

How did Evy bring Belgium to Berkeley?

“When I moved to the US, I was working as a correspondent and a journalist in New York and later San Fransisco. I wanted a change, so I went to culinary school at Tante Marie’s in San Francisco with no pre-determined goal in mind. During that time, I noted the re-emergence of artisanal food and that people were very eager to get back to the roots and traditions of food. I observed the resurfacing of classic European recipes. I never really set out to be the owner of a cookie company, but I kept trying to think of what I could uniquely bring to this movement. I thought back to the foods I reached for when I first moved to the US from Belgium and was missing home. I realized that when I was feeling nostalgic for my childhood, I would always grab speculoos.” 

In Belgium, coffee or tea are regularly enjoyed around 4pm, and are generally served with a taste of something sweet. Often, these little somethings are speculoos (from the Latin for mirror, as they are perfect reflections of the molds from which they are formed). Historically, their forms were often the patron saint of the town in which they are baked, although today that is not generally the case. These edible pieces of art have many recipes, but Little Belgium’s Belgians use only the highest quality ingredients. They are made rich and complex with organic butter and nine spices, including cinnamon, cloves, cardamom, pepper, and ginger.

Evy shared how her disappointment in what was available turned into opportunity, “So I was nostalgic for speculoos, and I really looked closely at what was out there in terms of thin, crispy cookies. The speculoos I found were all mass-produced, using palm oil versus butter and other sub-par ingredients. I wanted to show others how amazing these cookies could be. Fortunately, when I was working for a pastry chef at Nopa in San Francisco, I was allowed to put some out. The servers kept returning to the kitchen with messages about how much the customers were enjoying them. I also got more positive feedback when I’d prepare holiday cookie boxes. There were other types of cookies in these boxes as well, but the greatest response was always about the speculoos. All of this, combined with the fact that I love the kind of crafting reflected in the molds, came together when I opened Little Belgians.  

Evy began with four molds, made in Germany. “I wanted to use shapes that had something to say about my life in Belgium, so I chose an umbrella, a house, a cyclist, and a bird. The umbrella reminds me of the gray skies that are always over Belgium. The house represents a home in Ghent, my favorite city and the place I went to college. The bike racer is because everyone in Belgium watches cycling in person or on TV. And the bird pays homage to my grandfathers who raced pigeons.”

Evy's Uncle Aulugele, known as "Ori." Ori tended pigeons until a couple of years ago.

I had to do a double take . . . Pigeon racing? Apparently pigeon racing, like cycling, is also a Belgian national sport. “I remember both of my grandfathers in overalls in the garden every Sunday, tending the pigeons in their lofts. They would be released in the south of France or Spain with numbered rings on their feet. Since pigeons are homing animals, they would fly all the way back to Belgium and were clocked by a timer once they returned home. Honor and bragging rights went to he whose pigeon made it home first. When their pigeons came in, my grandfathers and older uncles would take the timers to a café with Belgian beer to compare and show their friends.” (I digress, but if your interest is still piqued, Google “Mike Tyson pigeon racing” and “Pigeon racing gambling in China.” I’ll leave it at that.)

Most recently—just this summer, in fact—Little Belgians has elevated a camping classic. “I used to make s’mores for weddings when I was catering. Nearly everyone agrees that the flavors are good but the size of our classic cookies isn’t perfect for s’mores. So, I decided to make smaller cookies and incorporate handmade, all-natural marshmallows from The Candy and small squares of also local TCHO chocolate.” And naturally, these cutest-ever-s’mores are made from a precious “campfire” mold.

How do these s’mores follow? Evy shared, “They absolutely resonate with our theme. Speculoos bring people together over cup of coffee or tea. S’mores bring people together around a campfire. People are coming together and celebrating moments with food.”

When you gift these memorable treats from The Savory Pantry, you share the spirit and tradition that are baked into every Little Belgian cookie. “We put so much care into making them,” Evy shared, “To me, each one is precious.” Look and taste, and you’ll know this to be true.   

Texas' State Dessert is as Easy as Pie with Pecan Pie in a Jar

Did you know pecan pie is the official dessert of Texas? (Or that states had official desserts at all?) Pecan pie was so named in 2013, following a resolution sponsored by then first-year Texas State Representative Marsha Farney. This was her first bill—and apparently she caught some flack—with lawmakers proposing amendments such as requiring that Texas pecans be the only ones used in pecan pies across the state and making it illegal to use chocolate in the recipe. In celebration of the bill’s passing, the Capitol served up pecan pie.

Luckily, San Saba River Pecan Company makes it easy as pie to replicate this Southern favorite loved nationwide with its Pecan Pie in a Jar, which is perfect for gifting or pantry stocking. Just add eggs and butter, and pour the mixture a prepared pie shell, and within minutes the pie is in the oven. Each jar makes one nine-inch deep dish or two nine-inch pies. Feeling saucy? Add a couple of tablespoons of bourbon!

The smell and taste of the 10,000 pecan trees growing in Central Texas’ Hill Country will pour out of every jar. Indigenous to San Saba County, pecans have been a cash crop since as early as 1857. The county’s typical production is two to five million pounds of pecans per year, backing their title as “Pecan Capital of the World.” All of the San Saba River Pecan Company’s award-winning gourmet products are produced and shipped from facilities housed within the orchard. You'll also "go nuts" for San Saba's Preserves, which include Apple Pecan, Raspberry Pecan, Peach Pecan Amaretto, and Blackberry Pecan. 

Pecan Pie in a Jar is the perfect gift for friends, neighbors, and colleagues—anyone whose time in the kitchen you want to make more simple and delicious! 

Fall for Robust Charcuterie Flavors

Make holiday entertaining easy with our luscious Petit Jean Peppered Ham holiday board!

Scroll down to learn more about each of the components of this board, which includes Petit Jean Peppered Ham, Mr. Filbert's Roasted French Rosemary Almonds, L'Estornell Wild Caperberries, Tishbi Fig Cabernet Preserves, and Jan's Farmhouse Crisps, all available from The Savory Pantry. This board also includes "Rocchina" cheese purchased from Little Rock's local Kent Walker Artisan Cheese. 

Petit Jean Peppered Hams

Our whole or half bone-in or whole boneless Petit Jean hams can feed your family or gift recipients in many ways throughout the holidays. Hams are shipped straight to your door in Styrofoam containers to ensure they remain fresh and at peak flavor. They are accompanied by warming instructions and everything you need to know to serve them within hours of arrival. Freeze what you can’t eat for later use.

Petit Jean Meats of Morrilton, Arkansas, family-owned and operated for over 80 years, is known for producing some of the finest meats available today. Petit Jean Ham is also marketed under the Neiman Marcus label, and, since 1940, is the only ham served at The Pancake Shop, the legendary breakfast eatery in Hot Springs, Arkansas.

The company's beginnings date back to 1922 when Felix Schlosser, a butcher and German immigrant, relocated to Arkansas in search of a better life. He opened a small retail meat market in the town of Morrilton. Schlosser's nephews Ed and Lonnie were brought into the business at the ages of 12 and 10, respectively, and first delivered meat to homes in Morrilton by bicycle.

Mr. Filbert's French Rosemary Almonds

As their packaging indicates, Mr. Filbert's makes "really interesting snacks," with "flavours from around the world." Tasty hot air roasted almonds are tumbled with fresh French rosemary and a touch of sea salt, providing a crunchy, savory snack. These are the perfect nuts to pair with antipasti and cheese, or as stand-alone snacks for any tummy that grumbles.

L'Estornell Caperberries

L'Estornell caperberries are wild fruits that grow in the sun-drenched, mountainous areas of the VEA family estate in Spain. Hand-selected, the caperberries are first put in rock salt for a minimum of three months before preserving. The salt is then removed by rinsing the capers several times in fresh water and the fruits are bottled in white vinegar, using no additives or preservatives. Don’t forget to save a few of these piquant treats to serve in gin or vodka martinis!

Tishbi Fig Cabernet

Oshra Tishbi has created an exceptional selection of wine and fruit preserves made with extraordinary wines from her family's estate in the town of Shefeya, in Israel. This perfect combination of figs and cabernet sauvignon complements cheese with a lovely balance of fruit and wine flavors that linger on the tongue. Perfect with Aged Cheddar, Romano Milk Gouda, Montgomery and Pecorino Romano. Use your board leftovers with a warm croissant, French toast, or vanilla ice cream.

Tishbi wine & fruit preserves have garnered international recognition for their innovative and delicious tastes. Each of Tishbi's preserves are skillfully cooked in small batches to ensure the finest quality product. The unique process delivers a completely natural, fruity and flavorful, less sugared, reduced calorie preserve made from only the finest fruit and Tishbi family Estate Wines.. You can learn more about the history of Tishbi under the “The Story” tab by following the product link. 

Jan's Farmhouse Crisps

Vermont's Jan Gorham was on the hunt for a healthy snack for her three boys. Not satisfied with what she found on the market, she created these anything-but-average crisps. Jan's Farmhouse Crisps are super thin and loaded with dried cranberries, flaxseed, pistachios, sesame seeds, and pumpkin seeds. They offer the perfect foundation for soft cheeses, a great crunch atop a green salad, or straight from the bag. 

Edmond Fallot Walnut Dijon Mustard

Offering a punch of color and bold spice, Edmond Fallot Walnut Dijon also delivers distinctly nutty flavors from fine walnuts grown in Perigord, France.

Since 1840, the Fallot family has maintained a worldwide reputation for exceptional quality mustard. The Fallot Mustard Mill relies on the expertise of artisan mustard maker, Mark Désarménien, who continues the uncompromising production of Dijon mustard by stone grinding the seeds, artfully blending them with the highest quality ingredients and following Fallot family recipes. Fallot is one of the few companies in the world still using traditional stone milling methods, which retain robust gustatory qualities and give Fallot mustards their incomparable flavor.

Use remaining Dijon to flavor poultry, meats, fish, cheeses, vinaigrettes, and sandwiches.

Roccina Cheese from Kent Walker

Handmade and cave aged, Kent Walker Artisan Cheese is a Little Rock local favorite. Italian for "Little Rock," Roccina (Row-cheen-a) is Kent Walker’s take on Asiago, made from local raw cow milk with curds at a high temperature. During the three month aging process, the rinds are treated with salt, giving Roccina a tasty and attractive edge. It's hard to imagine what wouldn't pair well with the Tishbi Fig Cabernet Preserves and Jan's Farmhouse Crisps, but this tasty cheese was just right. 

Meet the Maker: Bushwick Kitchen

Think you could start a successful business from scratch in thirty days with a $5k investment? That’s the very challenge that Bushwick Kitchen’s Casey Elsass accepted two and a half years ago when his friend Morgen asked. Within thirty days, Bushwick Kitchen was up and running with its Bees Knees Spicy Honey—chile-infused wildflower honey from the hives of a husband and wife team in Upstate New York. Within ten months, more than $170,000 in revenue had rolled in from that one product alone, a story of excellent taste skyrocketing entrepreneurial success.

In addition to Bees Knees Spicy Honey, The Savory Panty stocks holiday limited-edition Gingerbread Maple Syrup, Bees Knees Meyer Lemon Honey, Bees Knees Salted Honey, Trees Knees Spicy Maple Syrup, Trees Knees Cinnamon Maple Syrup, and Weak Knees Gochujang Sriracha. Just read those descriptions again and feel the flavors roll over your tongue.

From Bushwick’s Brooklyn kitchen, Casey shared the story of the company’s beginnings: “My friend Morgen had left for Europe and other pursuits. Based on the fact that Bushwick had taken off in a pretty surprising way without a lot of effort, I’d decided to leave my job at New York’s Metropolitan Opera. I was 27 and single with no kids and no mortgage, so it seemed like a great time to make a change and take on the challenge.” About this time, Morgen departed and Ted and I became partners. Ted had gone to business school, so he added a lot of needed expertise. I was renting shifts in a commercial kitchen in Brooklyn where there were more makers than space or time slots. I worked all night on an 8pm to 2am shift, then physically hauled the products down, then hauled them up again to my walk-up apartment. It was exciting but exhausting.”

Then, a break. Casey shared a lesson that while persistence is key, its results can also be terrifying. “I’d emailed the producer of the TODAY Show five times with no response. Then, I got a response . . . a little more than two weeks before Christmas. They said bring the honey on Friday and the show will air on Monday. As I watched the segment air, I had goosebumps because it was that moment in which things could really blow up exponentially for us. Or, they might not. As I watched the orders roll in I was thrilled, but then I was hanging my head in my hands because fulfilling them all just seemed impossible. It was amazing but terrible. My apartment became a warehouse of product and packing materials. We hardly had time to sleep, and this would go on day after day leading up to Christmas. Ted basically moved into my apartment to keep us moving, but it still wasn’t enough, and fulfilling all the orders seemed an insurmountable task. We were at the point where we almost decided we’d just have to disappoint customers and cancel the orders we couldn’t get out the door. Then, we realized we just couldn’t let customers down right before Christmas. We called in a few friends to help in exchange for beer, pizza, and our eternal gratitude. Together, we got it done and shipped everything out. By the end of that first December, we’d sold more than 9,500 bottles of spicy honey.”

“After that feat was behind us, Ted mentioned the introduction of a new maple product. I firmly said no new product until we can move this out of my apartment. My sanity was starting to slip away. It was full shifts just for honey, so how were we going to add maple? It seemed physically impossible. We ended up finding space just down the street from my apartment, and we were able to grow from there.”

“We learned invaluable lessons that first year. Because we got through it, our next year was funded, and we’ve been able to continue to grow in that way with one year’s sales funding the next year. We’ve never taken a loan or a credit card. This has become a self-sustaining business model. We’ve carved out our roles in the partnership. Ted manages all of wholesale accounts, brings in retailers, handles the accounting and legal issues. This frees me to focus on production, product development, and marketing. Two of those friends we offered beer and pizza still work for us, so they’ve seen the business from then to now. Two and a half years later we have five employees and are finally staffed up in a way that we have lives again. We have a robust enough bank account to order ahead and to make strategic plans for the future versus just trying to keep up. Life has started to normalize and this has become a well-functioning business where we can leave at 6 or 7, and have weekends and vacations.”

When I asked Casey about his relationship with food, he shared, “I’ve always been my most relaxed and comfortable in the kitchen. After a long day, I love to chop. In my family, we cooked in a way that was reactionary to the things around us, versus using recipes. I see recipes as ways to get new information. They are suggestions of you might do. They are an outline of the primary components that make up a dish. They’re a way to keep dictionary nearby while you start speaking language on your own. I feel proud that we’ve got a strong trio of projects out now all based on the three pillars of honey, maple, and sriracha. These basic tastes are so versatile.”

And what’s it like to be a maker in the booming creative mecca of Brooklyn? “Brooklyn is such an incredible place to be right now because there’s a great energy among food producers here. I have lots of friends who are making really interesting food products, and we area community all feeding off of each other’s creativity and drive. And it feels good to be able to use New York products. Our maple syrup comes from the Catskills. Our Gochujang Sriracha is made from ingredients we get in Flushing, Queens.”

Casey’s favorite days are those when he arrives at the kitchen before anyone else and has time to organize. “I square away my email, build a to-do list, organize my desk. It makes me feel more productive when I have that quiet alone time at the beginning to get ahead of my day. Most days don’t go like that, but I try to make that time as often as I can.”

What can we expect next from Bushwick Kitchen?  “We are awaiting the arrival of our first automatic bottler! The industrial revolution is coming. It will do in an hour what we can now do in a whole day. We hope this will help us consider new products and we’re likely to bring more hot sauces into the mix. However, we don’t want to commit to overproducing and risk losing the confidence of our customers. We won’t put products out there until we know they’re awesome.”

Aside from the bottles that you’re sure to carry out of The Savory Pantry as soon as you taste them, the Bushwick Kitchen story certainly offers many other inspirational takeaways. “We are very pro taking risks and love tackling things that feel really big and impossible and pushing ourselves to go farther than we think we can. We’ve learned that although getting to this point has been lot of hard work—giving up weekends, vacations, missing birthday parties—there are a million paths to success and no step-by-step guide. You just have to be willing to keep persisting and sacrificing if you believe in your business. And if something doesn’t feel like it’s working, you have to be willing to see that it isn’t and adapt. ”

We’re sure glad that the hard work and ingenuity of Casey, Ted, and the Bushwick team have brought these inspired tastes to our table. From pancakes, to cheese boards, to fruits, to cocktails, nibbles and sips are just a squeeze away from spectacular. 

Hog Tails and Sooie Side Dishes for Razorback Tailgating

The Hogs may be unpredictable this season, but we're here to help ensure that your tailgate and home football party have you living high on the hog regardless of the numbers on the scoreboard! Our original recipe "Hog Tails" punt with spice, while grid-iron baba ganouj with crunchy veggies and no fumble baked beans provide the perfect compliments to whatever protiens are coming off your grill. Don't forget to serve it all up with our Fiery Rasperback Cocktail, featuring Liber & Co's Fiery Ginger Syrup. 

THE SAVORY PANTRY'S "HOG TAILS"

• End of Season/Red Jalepenos
• 1 Block or Carton of Your Favorite Cream Cheese
• 1 Package of Your Favorite High-Quality Bacon
• Beekman 1802 Blaak Onion Jam with Balsamic

DIRECTIONS

Our garden is full of end of season jalapenos which have turned red, so I used them for this recipe. If you don't have a home garden or aren't able to locate any red jalapenos, you can substitute green jalapenos. Cut in half and core the number of jalepenos you'd like to serve, and top with about a teaspoonful of cream cheese. Wrap with 1/2 to 1 full piece of bacon, as desired, and secure with a toothpick. Grill until bacon is crispy (as pictured), roughly 10 minutes depending on temperature. Remove and top with Beekman 1802's Blaak Onion Jam with Balsamic. Serve after brief cooling period. Touchdown!  

Notes from Erin: The green version of this without the Beekman Blaak Onion Jam are popularly known (in Central Arkansas, anyway) as "armadillo toes." This version offers an unstoppable blitz of deliciousness by adding sweet and tangy balsamic and flavorful onion to sumptuous bacon, velvety cream cheese, and spicy jalapenos for a robust treat that will have all hogs fans calling for more. See how the plate is empty in the table picture? Expect it to happen fast, and plan to make twice as many as you think your crew will eat. I suggest 3-4 per person, depending what else you're serving. 

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BABA GANOUJ WITH AGRUMATO LEMON OLIVE OIL

• 6-8 Japanese Eggplants 
• 1/2 Head Garlic
• 1 Tablespoon Tahini (or more to taste)
• JQ Dickinson Heirloom Salt
• India Tree Rainbow Peppercorns
• Agrumato Lemon Olive Oil
• Smoked Paprika
• Fresh Cilantro

DIRECTIONS

Pre-heat oven to 425 OR heat grill to medium-high. Wash and half eggplants. (If you can't find Japanese or longer eggplants, you can use those more commonly found but you might have to create thinner slices.) Cut garlic head in half. Place eggplant and garlic on roasting pan. Drizzle all with Agrumato Lemon and sprinkle with salt, pepper, and smoked paprika. Roast in oven for about 15 minutes or until soft, or grill for 10-15 minutes until soft. Allow to cool slightly. Holding the stem with one hand, use tablespoon to rake meat of eggplant into blender or food processor. To eggplant, add 1 tablespoon of tahini, a pinch more salt, a few rounds of ground pepper, a handful of chopped cilantro, and a healthy drizzle of Agrumato Lemon (maybe three tablespoons). Blend or process to desired  consistency. Taste and add salt, pepper, and tahini until optimal taste is achieved.  Place in serving dish, and top with smoked paprika and fresh cilantro. Serve with crunchy veggies of your choice or grilled/toasted pita bread. 

Notes from Erin: Can you make this recipe without Agrumato Lemon, JQ Dickinson Heirloom Salt, and India Tree Rainbow Peppercorns? Absolutely. Will it be as good? Nope. I use these three ingredients nearly daily in my kitchen. There is something magical about the combination. You'll be shocked how little of this salt you need compared to standard table salt, and you'll be amazed at the way it brings out all the other flavors of your food. There's a reason they use only JQ Dickinson at The French Laundry and Husk. No other salt compares. Salt aside, the Agrumato Lemon speaks of summer no matter what time of year and these peppercorns have more punch per corn than any other I've tasted. Quality ingredients really do make a huge difference. 

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NO FUMBLE BAKED BEANS

• Tin Smooth Wholegrain Mustard
• Bushwick Kitchen Bees Knees Salted Honey
• 2 Strips Bacon
• Your Favorite Canned Baked Beans

DIRECTIONS

No fumble baked beans make it easy to please. Pre-heat oven to 375. Simply combine your favorite canned baked beans, a tablespoon of Tin Wholegrain Mustard, and a substantial all-over drizzle of Bees Knees Salted Honey. Stir. Add two pieces of bacon and submerge in beans with spoon. Bake for 30-45 minutes (or until most of liquid has bubbled out and edges appear sticky. No flag on this play!