Holiday Shipping

With the holidays fast approaching, the shipping window for foods becomes smaller and smaller, making planning critical. This may seem obvious, but it's all too important. Over the years I've seen and heard too many stories of packages not arriving on time and spoiling celebrations. Most mail order companies do their very best to get every package out, but the reality is that this time of year many are processing 10 times the volume they usually would. Add to that temporary package delivery employees and unpredictable weather, and it all can spell trouble.

The simple advice is: order early! Next week is the busiest delivery week and also the busiest sales period of the year for food shippers, so I recommend placing orders by this Friday to give them time to process. Most foods will arrive frozen or with a shelf life of at least a week, so they will still be in ideal condition for Christmas.

There are a few exceptions to this rule, such as caviar, fresh baked goods, and fresh cut cheeses. I recommend requesting a delivery date of December 23 on these items, which may mean paying for overnight shipping. It's clearly worth it in the case of caviar (and if you're spending the money for good caviar, a bit extra on shipping to assure freshness is a minor addition), but I also believe it's important for most cheese as well. The highly regarded cheese-mongers have cheese cellars that keep fine cheeses in much better shape than the average household refrigerator.

One cheese in particular that I have come to love (and dream about) is Serra da Estrela from Portugal. Dating back to the 12th century, this DOP cheese is a sheep's milk cheese from the Portuguese mountains. It is considered the "king of Portuguese cheeses." Handmade in small batches using wild thistle to coagulate the milk, the curds are broken by hand instead of being cut. Typically, only two or three are made each day. The cheese is luscious, soft, gooey, and herbaceous. It pairs well with spicier reds like Syrah and Pinot Noir.

Serra de Estrela can be hard to find most of the year, but around the holidays it can be found at fine shops like Artisinal in New York. Be sure to order a whole cheese in order to keep it with the traditional linen wrapping. To serve, bring the cheese to room temperature and cut open the top. I enjoy this cheese best scooped out with a spoon and served with Portuguese Tomato Jam.

Stay tuned for my next post... Gourmet Food Gifts under $ 30.00!!