Here's to the cooks
Local entrepreneurs make a
specialty of specialty foods

By Karen Levin

Here's to the Cook! founders Barbara Giannetti (left) and Sandra Hartman with their Sweet & Spicy Pinwheels, foreground, Salsa Dip, left, and Winter Salad. (Photo by George Pfoertner / For Pioneer Press)

For nearly 10 years, Barbara Giannetti of Northfield and Sandra Hartman, a native of Northbrook, have teamed to create exquisitely crafted, all-natural specialty foods. Their reputation for producing exceptional edibles began when they founded Biscotti di Barbara in 1994 as a way to market biscotti handmade from a recipe passed down through four generations of Giannetti's family.

The twice-baked Italian cookies quickly became a hit in small coffeehouses around Chicago, a featured item of upscale specialty food boutiques along Chicago's North Shore, and a well-recognized staple of the farmers and French markets across the Chicago-area. The cookies are available at Sunset Foods.

Over time, Giannetti and Hartman expanded their scope to launch a line of specialty foods under the Here's to the Cook! label. Their products sprang from family traditions, as well as their own innovative culinary explorations. Regardless of the source of their inspiration, the pair has always held true to a simple (yet increasingly rare) decree: to create the best foods from only the freshest, all-natural ingredients.

The results have been specialty foods of high quality and exceptional taste. Here's to the Cook! products are perfect for people who appreciate great food but are short on time. The line of over 25 all-natural sauces, toppings, marinades and soups, is marketed through home parties.

Their continued focus on selling direct to consumers has allowed Giannetti and Hartman to invest in the products they create, rather than marketing and big grocery overhead. This fresh approach ensures the purest specialty products on the market.

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Though still a mainstay of Chicago's farmers and French markets, items in the Here's to the Cook! line can also be purchased directly from the company's Web site, http://www.herestothecook.com/, which is packed with a variety of easy-to-prepare recipes. In addition, the women have a sauce of the month club and put together corporate holiday gifts.

Here are four signature recipes developed by Giannetti and Hartman that are perfect for holiday entertaining. The three appetizers may be prepared ahead. The simple and elegant winter salad makes a perfect first course for guests.

Winter Salad