Jam Star #1: Christine Ferber

Christine Ferber is a goddess, and we worship on her jam alter. Often called the "fairy-godmother of jam" in France, she's our guru and a wonderful jam maker. And to make her even more cultist, you can't buy her jam here, you have to go to Paris or her home in Alsace. To quote Library Journal:

Ferber is a fourth-generation French patissiere whose specialty is her unusual, delicious jams and jellies, which have gained an international following among chefs (Alain Ducasse, who wrote the foreword, serves them at his renowned restaurants) and other gourmands. This book, a best seller in France, presents dozens of recipes, organized by season, for preserves from Black Cherry with Pinot Noir to Greengage and Mirabelle Plum with Mint.

Obviously, she inspires us with her edgy yet classical flavor combinations, and her long maceration process. She lives in Alsace, where she continues to make jams, pastry, and confections by hand, with only the freshest local ingredients. Like us, only different. She recommends things like picking your peaches at the moment after the sun has just risen and evaporated the dew from the surface (thanks, we'll keep that in mind). We don't care that she occasionally has an extremist jam lilt--we're jamarchists after all.

Read her book, Mes Confitures: The Jams and Jellies of Christine Ferber and be inspired.