Appetizers

On a slice of toasted rye, cool cucumber and dill sit over smoked salmon, and a spoonful of Sweet Horseradish from Domaine des Terres Rouges, clean, herbaceous and gently pungent, gives real character to the crème fraîche underneath.

Movie night takes an elegant turn when hot popcorn tumbles into a bowl and gets a generous misting of Estoublon’s Truffle Olive Oil Spray, whose very intense black truffle flavor clings to every kernel along with the Parmesan.

Warm toast, fresh goat cheese and a few thyme leaves are a fine excuse to open a jar of Hédène’s Linden Honey from Lorraine, with its distinctive freshness and menthol overtones.

Crisp potatoes, a thick tomato sauce and a dollop of garlic mayonnaise, as in a tapas bar: Place des Épices’ organic smoked paprika from Murcia, deep, warm and subtly sweet, gives the sauce its color and its soul.

Following Basque custom, thin slices of Ossau-Iraty on toast are crowned with Hédène’s Black Cherry Jam with Heather Honey, melting and intense, its deep black cherry fruit softened by the warm, slightly malty sweetness of heather honey.

Rich Brillat-Savarin on toasted walnut bread wants something bright, and Hédène’s Apricot Jam & Chestnut Honey answers with slightly tart apricot first, then the woody warmth of chestnut honey on the finish.

Crack the shells, leave them overnight in a dark marinade, and the peeled eggs appear veined like marble; Dammann Frères’ Smokey Lapsang Tea N°496, a smoked black tea in the Lapsang Souchong tradition, lends them a campfire note for a savory brunch.

Toasted squares of spice bread, a cool slice of foie gras, a glossy dab of jelly and a few flakes of salt: Dammann Frères’ Noël à Paris Tea Jelly, with its notes of cherry, almond and spiced gingerbread, makes an elegant holiday bite in minutes.

Shrimp turning pink over high heat, brushed at the last minute with a glossy, tangy glaze: Dammann Frères’ Miss Dammann Tea Jelly, made with cane sugar and the house blend of green tea, ginger, lime and passion fruit, melts into a quick lacquer.

Sticky, burnished and best eaten with your fingers, these wings owe their glaze to Hédène’s Acacia Honey & Espelette Pepper, round and sweet at first, then gently warming, brightened with a squeeze of lemon.

Crunchy, paprika-dusted chickpeas, still hot from the pan, need only one last generous pinch: Binet 1660’s Smoked Fleur de Sel, cold-smoked over beech wood in small batches, gives this cocktail snack a deep, penetrating smokiness.

Scored and baked until its center goes molten, a small Brie needs only a teaspoon or two of Hédène’s Acacia Honey & Black Truffle, where sweet French acacia honey meets the powerful, earthy aromas of black truffle.