21st Century oil, Rain Coast Crisps, Pesto alla Genovese - chefshop.com/enews
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In this issue:
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Smokey Olive
Raincoast Crisps
Pesto alla Genovese
light salt
yuzu!
sweet potato
purple vinegar
shapely bottle
fabulous oil
colorful nuts!
almond dragees
leatherwood
honey candy
tear drop
spanish marcona almonds are fabulous! Like a salty "candy", you can eat one at a time or a handful. Either way it is the perfect treat.
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XXI Century Oil
A smokey Olive Oil
A 21st Century oil. Somehow the name, Castillo (Castle), sounds perfect for an oil that is smoked.
The other day, one of our local store regulars came in and announced he would really like us to carry a smoked oil. Like you, our customers know so much about food, and we learn so much from you all! And, when someone mentions a product they are looking for, we jump on it. Though not everything makes it to the shelves, we still enjoy the “taste”!
This oil, from Castillo d Canena (whose oils we love), tastes so good! And it isn’t “smoky” like the others. No liquid smoke added ... Castillo d Canena uses a process of smoking organic oak wood to flavor the oil.
The experience is indeed XXIst! Let us start with the bottle. Wrapped in a turquoise or Mediterranean Blue “wrap”, it is eye “grabbing”. Graphically labeled with the look of a fairy tale story, you can't help but read it everytime you see it.
Open it and smell the smokiness emit itself upon your nostrils. The taste is like, well it's shocking, the smokiness comes first, then the oil dissolves and then the heat burns and makes you cough. Wow! IT is a lot of ... bacon in a swallow!
It’s good, but I haven’t grasped what to do with it yet. Perhaps a salad, soup, beans? I think beans! What do you think? Try it! You might love it or not, it’s worth having.
Shop now for XXIst Century in a bottle!
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 betcha' can't eat just one!
Here’s my internal debate. Is a chocolate bar worth $8 to $20 for 70 grams of pleasure? Sometimes. But I never “pay” for the bars. Well, actually, I really do; I pay for them when we pay the chocolatier, but, when I eat them, I just walk through the store and grab a bar and eat it.
Now if you think this is about chocolate, you are not quite right, this is in fact about a cracker I have fallen in love with, and it costs about the same as a bar of chocolate.
There are only a few items in the warehouse that we snack on continuously. We're surrounded by great food. We eat oatmeal almost every morning and I have been known to eat it as a late night snack. We consume honey on toast, in tea or coffee, and by the spoonful in hot water when we're sick.
Yet, when we want something to munch and crunch, we turn to Raincoast Crisps. These addictive crackers are like the ad that ran so long ago, "betcha can't eat just one". This truly applies to this crispy cracker from our neighbors to the north. On a good day British Columbia, and Raincoast Crisps are just two and half hours away.
With five flavors to choose from, you'll surely find a favorite to have by your side ... There's not a universal favorite here in the warehouse; we each have at least one. Mine is cinnamon raisin, with cranberry and hazelnut following closely behind. Eliza, who is much more savory than I (or is it that I am sweeter?) chooses the olive and fig.
We sample raincoast crisps all day long in the store and sometimes even offer them to customers. They love them too.
Topped with a thin layer of cream cheese and honey, or a sophisticated high brow cheese with a savory marmalade, it's all good! And like the potato chip, these crackers go great on top of mac and cheese!
Shop now for raincoast crisps
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The very best
Pesto Alla Genovese
The nucleus of modern day pesto started in North Africa and India, when basil became the main ingredient. Basil pesto took hold in Provence (as pistou) and in
Liguria
(as Pesto alla Genovese.) In the 1860's, a recipe for pesto with basil is published in La Cuciniera Genovese.
To make a typical pesto, you crush fresh young basil, Italian pine nuts, add Parmigiano-Reggiano, sea salt and olive oil. ( The Silver Spoon New Edition )
That's all it takes; a mortar and pestle, a little elbow grease, and you can make your own. Or, you can use a food processor, though the results are less textural and more mushy, like a moist paste.
Garlic and cashews are also often on the list of ingredients. Commercially, cashews ($7 per pound) are often used as they are less expensive than Italian pine nuts,($63 per pound) while maintaining the correct texture or mouth feel. Our version does not include garlic nor cheese, both of which can easily be incorporated just before using or serving. This keeps the pesto more versatile to match the palate of your guests.
The company, La Favorita Live S.r.l., originally only sold their foods in the Piedmont and Liguria regions of Italy using natural ingredients with simple commercial production.
Today, using what is considered the best for Pesto, basil from Genoa, "Basilico Genovese" is protected by the European Union with the Denominazione di Origine Protetta or the DOP designation. Pesto alla Genovese is an excellent representation of the quality the company still produces today, more than 60 years after its inception.
Using a machine of rotating knives and a mixing machine of "antique" origin allows for a delicate, handmade result in a commercial environment, allowing the basil to maintain its character all the way to you. Topped up with Ligurian olive oil (made from ripe Taggiasca olives) creates a natural preservative and cover for the pesto.
Shop now for authentic Italian Pesto
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Organic Olive Oil!
Absolutely fabulous this year! With sharp notes on the edges of the tongue along with the wonderful smooth olive flavor. The customary, healthy cough is included! One of the top three olive oils this year.
Double C
Addictive, Yellow, Spicy, Crunchy, Addictive! Mustard!
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| Still room! Cooking Class in August! |
Cooking Classes with Chef Pam - Summer Farmer's Market Class
This is the time of year that the Farmer's Market is over-flowing with options, and recipes abound with the abundance of early summer in the Pacific Northwest. Learn how to combine some of those lovely and delicious summer crops, with some fine pantry staples, to fill your families spring table. List of Recipes: Lemon-thyme Spring Crostini, Beluga Lentil Salad with Smoky Blue Cheese Saute of Kale, Spring Vegetables and Flageolet Beans Chickpea Salad with Einkorn, Arugula and Chive Dressing
Come in and try stuff out, come on in to share your food stories! Over a cup of Chai or Coffee. Sit and chat … read a cookbook or a magazine!
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DESIGN: JODI LUBY & COMPANY, INC. NEW YORK CITY, NY; EMAIL STRATEGY: CRM Group USA, SEATTLE, WA
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