5 things & my first olive oil

so actually, 6 things

Dreaming of the view from my bathroom in Monopoli, Puglia.

As I sit here munching on matzah, I thought I’d use this pasta-free week as an opportunity to tell you about a few things I’ve been enjoying lately, and also to announce something exciting: my first product collaboration.

the pasta social club x primis imports olive oil

You probably know that I am very particular about the things I use in my kitchen, and even more particular about the brands I promote—I will never, ever recommend something I do not fully stand behind. And of all of the products I’m fortunate to receive, olive oil is the one that graces my mailbox the most. In short, I have tried many, many olive oils. Most are good. Some are great. A few are excellent. And at the top of that list, there’s Primis Imports.

I first spotted Primis through Trevor Joyce’s newsletter,

Anchovy Trove

. He was working with the company on his own olive oil, a Coratina variety from Italy that’s delicious and grassy and especially spicy, but which unashamedly lured me in for its stunning packaging, looking more like a fancy bottle of wine than an everyday cooking ingredient. Soon after, I was chatting with a friend, formerly of Food & Wine, who was working closely with the company’s founder, Damian—one of the kindest, most passionate people I’ve partnered with, by the way—and who sent me a few of their oils to try, including their early harvest Koroneiki from Messenia, Greece and Everyday Cuvée (of which I have now gone through at least four bottles). I can confidently tell you that Primis olive oils are some of the finest I’ve encountered, and it seemed only natural to collaborate with Damian on something for Pasta Social Club.

So, without further ado:
Introducing the Pasta Social Club x Primis Imports 100% Peranzana extra-virgin olive oil
from Puglia, Italy.

This is a special oil for many reasons, one of which is because Peranzana olives are rare. The trees, which were originally brought over from Provence and have since been passed down for generations, grow only in a small, sun-soaked stretch of northern Puglia. These trees are delicate and must be cared for by hand, so the varietal is grown in small quantities and the yield is modest. What fruit they do bear is split between making oil and being cured as table olives; you’ll never come across a surplus of Peranzana olives. The flavor, too, is unique: Peranzana olive oil is robust and fruity, so it’s great for finishing, but also smooth and well-balanced, so it’s easy to cook with. There’s some of the grassiness you’d expect from a southern Italian oil, but also a sweet, slightly nutty aftertaste that makes it a perfect pairing for pasta dishes, as well as seafood, chicken, roasted vegetables, and salads. Damian and I also love it drizzled over southern Italian cheeses like burrata, stracciatella, mozzarella, and caciocavallo.

The Pasta Social Club x Primis Imports olive oil will be available in the coming weeks, and we’re offering a special presale for Pasta Social Club subscribers here. This is a limited run, so if you’re in the market for a new olive oil, I hope you’ll give it a try (and, if you do, please let me know)!

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while we’re here, five other things you might enjoy

Benedetto Cavalieri Pasta
I’m always on the hunt for great dried pasta brands, and I’ve finally found a new favorite: Benedetto Cavalieri. I was lucky enough to visit the factory in Puglia (thank you,

Elizabeth Minchilli

!), and I have never felt more like a kid in a candy store. Although I’m no snob when it comes to dried pasta (good dried pasta does not need to be expensive), there are two things you should always keep in mind when choosing what to buy: bronze-cut and slow-dried. The Cavalieri family has been honoring these tenets for over 100 years, creating pasta of the highest quality using only the best durum wheat from Apulia and Basilicata. They make their pasta using the “delicate” method: long, “cold” kneading (each shape has a different dough recipe, by the way); slow, gentle pressing; bronze-die extrusion; and low-temperature drying, all of which results in a sought-after chew while preserving the wheat’s nutritional value.

From L to R: Benedetto, me, and Andrea at the Benedetto Cavalieri factory in Puglia.

During our visit, we spent time with the Cavalieri family, which, even generations later, remains completely dedicated to their mission of quality and innovation. So much so that, when their famous spaghettoni was introduced to the American market and buyers complained about the 17-minute cook time, instead of producing an inferior product, they added the tagline “it’s worth the wait” to the packaging instead. You can find Benedetto Cavalieri in some specialty markets and online here.

Holcomb Studio Oil Can
I watch a lot of videos of Italian grandmothers making food (mostly pasta), and almost every single one features an oil can that’s probably been in their family for a hundred years. Naturally, a nonna-approved oil can has been on my wish list for a long time—until now. This one from Holcomb Studio is stunning, a kitchen workhorse that’s modern and elegant enough to be dinner party décor. Storing your olive oil in a stainless steel oil can like this one (or another nonreactive metal container, or dark glass) protects it against light and debris, keeping larger quantities of oil fresh while making pouring a breeze (it’s also dishwasher safe!). Just make sure to keep it in a cool, dark place—away from the stove—and use it regularly so the oil doesn’t go rancid.

20 Amici 40 Ricette
There are a lot of great cookbooks coming out this season, but the one I’ve been particularly excited about is John Bersani’s 20 Amici 40 Ricette (available now!). Yes, this book is about Italian food, with a slew of delicious recipes that are sure to delight and inspire. But more exciting is its focus on friendship: This book is about people. Specifically, twenty of John’s friends from his small village of Gaiole in Chianti, a mix of professional chefs and home cooks that together share heart-warming stories and uncover a secret side of Tuscan cooking (who knew such a thing still existed?). Not to mention the photography alone—the same team that shot Pasta Every Day!—has me seriously considering a trip to Chianti in the very near future.

Pocket Coffee
Hello, my name is Meryl, and I can’t stop talking about Pocket Coffee. Among all the olive trees and limestone villages and bowls of orecchiette that won my heart in Puglia, this is one discovery I will never forget (thank you, Sasha!). Pocket Coffee is, well, pretty much what it sounds like: A shot of coffee you can fit in your pocket. Better yet, it’s a shot of coffee encased in dark chocolate that you can fit in your pocket. And when I say “coffee,” I don’t mean chocolate filled with coffee liqueur. Or coffee ganache. Or coffee syrup. Nope: Actual liquid espresso. Yes, there is a warning on the wrapper that screams “LIQUID INSIDE,” an attempt to tell tourists that it must be eaten in one bite lest it explode in your face and stain your shirt. It’s also made by Ferrero, lovers of crunchy, chocolatey things, so the interior is coated in sugar to give it some of that exciting texture. Pocket Coffee is, without a doubt, the best afternoon pick-me-up, a nostalgic Italian staple that’s exactly what your tired brain needs at 3pm.

Hot Girls Eat Pasta Sweatshirt
As someone who spends 80% of their time at home (okay, 90%), I’m a sucker for soft clothing, and this sweatshirt from Overseasoned has remained within reach since it arrived on my doorstep. It not only meets my high softness standards, but it’s also incredibly flattering, a difficult bar for sweatshirts that are usually very baggy or very cropped. The color is a chic brick red (not quite as vibrant as pictured) and it only gets cozier after washing. Plus, I wore it to my favorite pasta restaurant in D.C. and it made me a lot of new friends.