stocking the pantry: PRETTY SPICY FRESNO CHILI INNA Jam is a small jam and preserves company based in Emeryville, Calif. The owner, Dafna Kory, is unique among the new breed of small-batch, craft preservers in that she makes her single-varietal jams without the addition of any herbs, spices, or flavorings. That means no vanilla bean, no marjoram, no pink peppercorns, just pristine fruit sourced from farms located within 150 miles of the INNA kitchen. “This whole thing started one Thanksgiving a few years back when I came across something I’ve never seen before,” Kory says. “Some friends were serving these amazing little appetizers: crackers topped with cream cheese and jalapeño jam. Well, I thought those little appetizers were just the best thing ever and proceeded to eat so many of them that I couldn’t really eat the Thanksgiving meal that followed.” Unable to find jalapeño jam in any local store, Kory endeavored to make her own from scratch. After spending some time developing her recipe, she cooked up a batch, giving most of it away to friends and neighbors. Before she knew it, she found herself making batch after batch of jalapeño jam, and INNA was born. As much as we love INNA’s jalapeño jam here at spenser, we’ve fallen for her redheaded step sister made with bright and fiery Fresno chiles grown by Efren Avalos at Avalos Organic Farm in Hollister. Spicier than a traditional pepper jelly, the jam draws heat from the entire chili — seeds, membranes, and all. That heat is balanced with sweetness from unrefined cane sugar and red bell peppers grown on the same farm. With a bright, fruity flavor and a stunning red color, Kory calls it a “shiny, jewel of a jam.” The INNA staff’s favorite way to eat the jam is in a sandwich with roasted kabocha squash and sharp cheddar cheese. Here in our test kitchen, we tend toward a more Southern application. Taking inspiration from Mitchell Rosenthal and his Town House Restaurant in San Francisco, we serve it up with fresh baked buttermilk biscuits and country ham. We’re getting hungry, are you? Hand delivered by bicycle to select Bay Area neighborhoods, otherwise available nationwide via mail order through the INNA Web site. $12 for a 10 oz. jar. 20 | spensermag.com | spring 2013