Looking for Calabrian chiles, salt-packed anchovies and olives in brine

[Benjamin68]

I would appreciate some assistance locating Calabrian chiles and salt-packed anchovies -- other than those sold at Buon Italian, which I find too fragile and expensive. Does DiPalo sell them? Also, where can I get high-quality olives in brine, as opposed to oil, which is how I believe most places sell them?

[erica]

DiPalo sells the dried Calabrian red chilies. What a vast difference between those and the peperoncino flakes that I used in the past. Lots of heat!

[Benjamin68]

Thanks for these responses. What about high-quality olives in brine? I usually buy olives from good sources (e.g. Fairway) but I'm pretty sure most places stock them floating in olive oil, no? The author of a cookbook I'm reading says that the usually inferior quality of the olive oil masks some of the flavors of the olive, therefore she recommends buying ones in brine.

[JoanN]

Fairway does have olives in brine, but iifc, only one kind and I've forgotten now what kind it is.

[erica]

I think there are certain varieties of olives ,like black from Morocco,that are usually found packed in oil. I would guess that it is not the store, but that certain types of olives are traditionally packed in oil and some are packed in brine. I know that i have had some very high quality small Spanish olives that seem to always be packed in olive oil so don't dismiss all oil-packed olives.

I am not sure that Fairway is actually the best source for high-quality olives. Perhaps try Despana and Ideal Cheese,to name two retailers I am familiar with. Zabars also has a good selection--more extensive than Fairway. Dean and DeLuca and Murray's might have good olives as well.

[Benjamin68]

Thanks for the ideas. By coincidence, I was in Despana today and tasted some of their olives packed in brine and, unfortunately, wasn't crazy about them. By the way, I can't say enough about Despana's mojama and bottarga.

[c oliver]

99% sure we got salt-packed anchovies at DiPalo's. Not sure about the others.

[bob96]

If you're looking for whole dried Calabrian pepe rosso, try DiPalo or Faicco--they're more easily available outside Manhattan (Coluccio and Frank+Sal's in Brooklyn; Teitel, Calabria Pork Store on Arthur Ave, Bronx.) IMHO, unless I'm eating them fresh or freshly dried in the home land, I don't see too much difference from other similar dried chiIies. I also assume you're looking for the big tins of Agostino Recco salted anchovies, open to buy as many as you need: I believe DiPalo has these, but there are not many places left in Manhattan selling this humble traditional fish.

[c oliver]

I bought my anchovies at DiPalo's in a tin. Don't remember seeing them where you can buy what you want. I did see them that way somewhere on/near Arthur Avenue but wouldn't know where. Can't wait til we get back to NYC in June. Shopping for food is the best.