Bivalve mollusks, Valencia candied, Parmigian Reggiano Summer - chefshop.com/enews
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In this issue: |
Clams
Candied Almonds
Parmigiano-Reggiano
Category Katz
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 wild snails
escargot
 madras curry
powder
 sticky toffee
sauce!
 zero tanin
lentils
 smoked turkey
Order your smoked whole turkey for Thanksgiving today. The New York Times thinks it's the best in the country and we think so too! Apple wood is one of the best woods to smoke with and we here in Washington are in apple country! Limited supply.
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 Sugar coated almonds!
Valencian almonds from Spain
Handful ready, almonds from Spain are some of the sweetest almonds in the world, and when you top them with a sweet sugary coating you have one of the best treats to eat, by one or by the handful!
As you know, wild almonds are bitter, even toxic, and when consumed in even small quantities can be fatal! “Domesticated” almonds however are not. Even before “grafting”, domesticated almonds may be as old as the Early Bronze Age (3000-2000 BC,) and even King Tut had a few in his tomb. The natural process of selection of trees by man unintentionally, and then intentionally, in the orchards brings us the sweet almond of today.
The Valencia almond, with its flatter, more pointy tip, make it one of the distinct shapes in the almond world. And when specifically from Spain, these are one of the sweetest grown. Out of the top ten largest producers of almonds in the world, second behind California, Spain produces about 9% of the world’s total.
These lightly sugary coated almonds have crunch from the sugar and bite from the almond to blend perfectly in the mouth. Not too sweet at all, the sugar instead complements the almond slight bitterness and the “milky” almond flavor, blending into the perfect bite. And the best part is that the sugar is not “heavy” or “hard” like some sugared almonds.
Instead it breaks away cleanly without any fear of tooth fragmentation. In fact, if you place just one almond in your mouth, the sugar melts away in a wonderful dissolution leaving the almond to be minced up and swallowed.
Combined variables of almonds and sugar, make each nut crazy good and not just good tasting, but fun to eat. (Full disclosure I had to eat many handfuls just to write this .....)
Shop now for Valencian Candied Almonds
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 Hand Harvested
Sweet clams
Hand harvested by Chilean farmers who dive to the bottom of the sea to gather the shellfish. Using small boats helps to maintain a responsible environment and to allow responsible stewardship of the resources of Chilean waters.
These bivalve mollusks are then hand cleaned and packed in a HACCP certified by the FDA, EC and with the BRC certification meets the highest standards for quality.
And all of this is important for sure, but we didn’t know any of this when we first tasted them. And, what a taste! You have just one razor and you will be clam’ming for more! These are like candy!
We just love food in flip-top cans, just the right size for a lunching, like an Ortiz Bonito Del Norte Tuna, or Sardines and Tomato. It’s perfect with fresh bread or even a saltine. It’s picnic food that will transport you from the cubicle to your own Le déjeuner sur l'herbe.
And though we think of these cans as lunch, slice these mollusks and they are perfect for a citrus salad or topping pasta like Strozzapreti. And, of course, they have been diced and put in congee forever. The only difference is that all you have to do is flip, chop and you’re done!
Shop now for lunch! |
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Summer Cheese
Fresh cheese aged 3 years.
It may seem like the summer has disappeared at a rapid rate, and here in the Northwest it certainly has. The leaves changed and the rains came. Though, we are a bit odd here, we kinda miss the rain and the overcast skies.
Though the torrential rainstorms and hail today might change our minds and make us wish for a little more summer sun.
The good news is that we can get a little summer cheer from a hunk of cheese. Not just any cheese of course, this is late spring/early summer Parmigiano-reggiano. As many already know, it's what the cows eat in the summer that gives these wheels their special flavor.
These wheels are aged 36 months at a minimum before the rind is cracked and the oxidization starts to happen. These wheels of cheese are from early June, 2009.
Shop now for late Spring/early summer Parmigiano-Reggiano |
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Albert Katz's fabulous sour-sweet Zinfandel Vinegar.
Glace de Chicken
You can't have enough stocks standing by as we approach these fall family holidays. And More Than Gourmet stocks often are the easiest way to be ready. Unlike a demi-glace, this Glace de Poulet is made without flour as a thickener, producing a clean, light flavor that is appropriate for modern cuisine. Stock, rich with roast chicken flavor, is reduced to 1/20th of its volume, yielding a rich and complex "glaze." Add Glace de Poulet Gold to finished sauces or to stocks by adding 1-2 oz per gallon, which will lend stock a deeper flavor and color.
It's also wonderful for deglazing pans. To deglaze a pan: After food (usually meat, often with aromatics like onion or garlic) has been sauteed and the food and excess fat removed from the pan, add a few spoonfuls of the Glace. Bring close to a boil and stir vigorously, scraping up all the browned bits on the bottom of the pan. The resulting mixture may be used to make a sauce for the meat, or sometimes added directly to the final product, a stew for example.
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Give the gift of class! Cooking that is. Taste-of-the-Cakes coming! |
Cooking Classes with Chef Erin - Tapas: Small plates Class
Learn the history and origins of some of the most commonly used Spanish ingredients, as you learn how to prepare a variety of tapas dishes such as piquillo pepper stuffed with herbed goat cheese, citrus-marinated olives, tortilla de papas with garlic aioli, marcona almonds with rosemary & sea salt, deviled dates, Catalan white beans and more!
Open Sundays in November! Come early for your baking needs! Chocolate! Almond Paste! Crunch! 2X Vanilla!
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DESIGN: JODI LUBY & COMPANY, INC. NEW YORK CITY, NY; EMAIL STRATEGY: CRM Group USA, SEATTLE, WA
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