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Umami Packed Anchovies, Pesto from Italy, Chai it's not just tea and more at chefshop.com/enews |
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Think Umami Think Anchovies! Think anchovies. Do you think of those super-salty, crinkled-up, spiny, fishy bits only on pizza and in Caesar salad? Think again! Top-quality Spanish and Italian anchovies are seawater-fresh, flavorful and never too fishy. Their firm flesh is retained because they've been preserved with great care, using age-old, proven methods. In short, they're a far cry from most anchovies available in America. We've tried anchovies from many different producers, to bring you the finest bounty from the Cantabrian Sea and beyond. There are 144 different versions swimming around in the warm ocean waters all over the globe. By the time we consume these little fish, who rarely grow larger than 4 inches, they start to blend together without distinction. But be forewarned, not all cans, jars, or other vessels contain the same finished results. Anchovies are cured (they are being transmogrified) by layering them alternately with lots of salt in barrels. This process creates a liquid called Garum, the original fermented fish sauce of the ancient worlds like Byzantium, and also creates the anchovies we know and love. After many months of curing, the little fishies are packed in salt or oil to be used in dishes around the world. These little babies explode your palate with an amino acid! This amino acid we affectionately call Glutamate and it is naturally found in foods like tomatoes, Parmigiano-Reggiano and kombu. Naturally high in levels of glutamate, inosinic acid, and guanosine monophosphate, you have what is called today, "Umami". The anchovy is one of the ingredients that exemplifies and exudes umami! But caution is important; a not well preserved anchovy can be mushy (bad sign), fleshy feeling (meaty is better), and overly salty (like a mouthful of salt). Sadly, it is an all too common experience with the cheap stuff and why so many of us wrinkle (squish) our nose in distaste. We have found that better is better from taste, to how it feels, to how long it will keep in the refrigerator. Quality can be the difference between success or not in the kitchen. Kept covered in salt (or oil), salt packed should keep a good long time! Anchovy! It is the flavor-packed punch spice! Shop now and check out the selection of Anchovies we have! |
Capperi salati! Large Pantescan Capers Grown on the island of Pantelleria and preserved in the native sea salt for La Favorita Fish. The island of Pantelleria is 70 km away from Africa and 85 km from Sicily. It is considered by many culinary aficionados as the ultimate source for capers. These are large capers, picked just before they were ready to flower. Preserved in sea salt which also means that none of this aromatic flavor has been lost. A rare find indeed! Drop on your pasta or in your salad. Little flavor explosions for your mouth! Shop now for Large Pantescan Capers in Salt! |
Cardamom Tea! Indian Chai All Natural. Just add hot water. Since ancient times, chai has been a daily tradition shared with friends and family all over India, multiple times a day. Chai is traditionally a freshly brewed black tea with added milk, spices and sugar. With Jaipur Chai, you can make the perfect chai elixir by just adding hot water. Each packet has just the right amount of tea, real milk powder, sugar and spices to create an authentic chai beverage instantly. It's the perfect, soothing combination, which not only gives us a little pick up, but settles your spirit and calms your nerves. Cardamom is the perfect, warm spice - and so popular in Indian culture. The woodsy, green overtones and aromas just hit the spot. Cardamom is beneficial to the kidneys, lungs and heart, is anti-inflammatory, aids digestion and stimulates metabolism. Shop now for Jaipur Avenue Cardamom Chai Tea Mix! |
The Meaning of Chai The many meanings of Chai The word Chai means “life”, alive, living, and as far back as medieval Spain, the symbol (of life) was worn as an amulet. In France, Chai (pronounced shay) means a wine “shed” or place to store wine above ground. In India, Chai, \chi\ derived from Chá (Chinese and others), means tea. And in Indian cooking, the word Masala means spice mixture made into a paste or powder, such as chicken masala. Thus Masala Chai is a spiced dark tea. Jaipur Avenue Masala Chai is more than the blending of the ingredients; it is not just a random mix. In fact, it is about finding perfect harmony to create the smooth balance that makes this a very special calming, blissful chai. The creation of Jaipur Avenue Chai started with an expat from Mumbai, India who was an accomplished textile designer for Oscar de La Renta in NYC, and missed the Chai from “home”. Now a Seattle resident, Jillu found it harder and harder to find the time to make Chai in her new “home”. When she found out that her husband’s high school friend had created an all-natural, instant, just-as-good as the freshly brewed homemade chai, she quit her job at Nordstrom and started Jaipur Avenue. The brief history of Chai in India started in the 1800’s when the British occupied their land, and the black tea grown in the Assam area (Assam Tea) was cultivated to reduce the British reliance on the Chinese tea supply. Tea as a “drink” in India is a recent “invention”. Tea, used primarily historically as a Ayurvedic medicine, was not a popular drink within the borders of India. In the early 1900’s the British promoted the drinking of tea with milk and sugar. As the “locals” put their own twist to the mix, adding masala, increasing the sugar and quantity of milk and created the Masala Chai as we know it today. The aromatic spices chosen are not random and according to Ayurveda, the 5,000 year old system of natural healing; the spices chosen have purpose and are rich in antioxidants with health benefits. Like all foods, the origins are as important as the taste themselves! Shop now for Jaipur Avenue Masala Chai |
Caramel Dragees Liquid Toffee inside Liquicroc Caramel Toffy is a sugar-coated chocolate (cool!) with a liquid toffee inside! And even though you know the center is “loose” when you bite in, the reward is better than you can possibly imagine! There is lots of crunch (sugar shell?), with the toffee center swirling in around the chocolate to make an entertaining bite that is, well, sophisticated! You will spend some time enjoying it all! One satisfies, two is better! When we have a line waiting to check out this is one of the favorite treats we share with those who are waiting. Almost everyone is surprised by the bite and loves the flavor! They are super stunningly good! 5 Stars Divine! "the first time i discovered these was years ago at a specialty chocolatier in santa fe. i told the owner i would marry him for these! i searched everywhere and finally found them with you. thank you chefshop for choosing the most unique and exquisite products. i would marry you too for these except you're in seattle and i'm not good with long distance relationships!" -- suzanne Shop now for Pecou LiquiCroc Caramel Dragees! |
Pesto alla Genovese! Ligurian Basil! Pesto has only taken root in North America in recent history, becoming popular in the 80's as a grocery store item. One could speculate that the ancient Romans, who made and ate a paste of cheese, herbs, salt, oil, vinegar, and nuts are the originators of pesto. 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. Then the recipe travels with the immigrants to the New World. Italian basil pesto was introduced to a much wider audience when Italian immigrant and University of Washington Professor Angelo Pellegrini's pesto recipe was published in a 1946 issue of Sunset Magazine. The recipe consisted of a little bit of this and a little bit of that, with no precise measurement. This makes sense when you think that pesto, which means to crush or bash, is a combination of just a handful of ingredients mashed together. You can see how you might want to add a little more or a little less of one thing or another to match your palate. 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, 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 Fish S.r.l., originally only sold their foods in the Piedmont and Liguria regions, 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. This is definitely an Essential Pantry item! Add to a bowl of trofie pasta, and you have an authentic Ligurian delish dish! Shop now for Pesto alla Genovese! |
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Hey Boo Lemon Coconut Curd Dairy Free Hey Boo Coconut Jam is a dreamy, creamy, all natural spread! Chilled in the refrigerator and then warmed (in your mouth) it goes from cold to gold! Hey Boo Coconut Jam has a very soft mouth feel as you taste; even on a spoon, your inclination is to use the tip of your tongue to start. Pushing up to the roof of your mouth as the flavor of lemon dominates and mixes nicely with the coconut milk. If you haven’t closed your eyes yet, you will on the next taste as you try to define the flavor. As the flavor spreads you will find your inner cheeks puckering up with a wonderful lemony memory. It’s not just lemon. And it is not a coconut milk dominated mouth either. This combination goes to a third tier of complexity, that isn’t complex at all. Simple, flavor-rich, a sweet gift to any honey you might know. This lemon coconut curd is a special gift (to yourself!)! If you loved the Hey Boo Coconut Caramel, then you're going love the Lemony Coconut too! Spread this lemon coconut curd on Toast, Waffles, Yogurt, and dipping fruit. Make it a bake it regular in your pastries. Shop now for Hey Boo Lemon Coconut Curd |
Furikake Yuzu - Organic sprinkling Delicious ! "I bought this for making onigiri, but it works great on just about anything you can sprinkle it on. " -- chelsea Organic and vegan, this furikake seasoning contains mostly sesame seeds, dried yuzu citrus zest, and nori seaweed. It is an easy-to-use condiment, perfect as a topping on rice, meat, fish or salad. Made only with plant-based ingredients, and free from additives and artificial flavors. Furikake is considered a typical and necessary stable seasoning in Japan. Shop now for Organic Sprinkling Yuzu Japanese Furikake! |
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Fallot Dijon Mustard In 1634, out of concern for the quality of its mustard, the city of Dijon imposed the first statutes on the mustard-making trade. Even before this date, the region was well-known for the quality of its mustard. The 18th century discovery of verjuice - juice from grapes harvested in Burgundy - brought the finishing touch of quality to this fine product. Adding verjuice to the brown mustard seed and grinding the mixture using traditional grindstones - so as not to damage the heat-sensitive paste - helped to earn DIJON MUSTARD a worldwide reputation for quality. Shop now for Fallot Dijon Mustard |
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Italian Gourmet Food Pantry See our selection of Italian ingredients from our pantry. Italy is where we started and it is where we always look for our own personal food. The cross between Asia and Italy is historical and as we learn more and more, the deeper we go you can see the way food through time has married together like a sour cherry turned to sweet cherry. Shop now for Italian Gourmet Food Pantry |
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Cooked in its own Juices! Sacred Sea canned Albacore tuna has won double-blind taste tests by a private consortium of sashimi buyers from Japan three years in a row. "Feed Your Body, Mind & Spirit" says the label of this excellent tuna. That sums up why we love Sacred Sea and support canned tuna made with healthy, wild fish!! This tuna has a such a following the followers purchase in shoals. For sure it is a top favorite! Shop now for Sacred Sea Tuna! |
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Oatmeal of Alford It is so good and good for you! Every list of “super foods” has oats near the top. You’ve seen the commercials - eating oats is known to lower cholesterol and improve cardiovascular health. Oats are an excellent source of fiber. They even help stabilize blood sugar - at any time of day. The unusual flavor and texture of these amazing Scottish pinhead oats may be attributed to the final drying process, carried out in the old fashioned 'flat kiln', which is believed to be the only one of its kind used in Britain today. The oats are dried in the kiln for four hours, during which time they’re turned twice by hand shovel. It is this very specialized process, perfected by the miller, which makes the flavor and texture unique. The distinct oat grains are then stone-cut into small pieces - smaller than Irish "steel cut" oats - thus the name “pinhead.” Unlike “old-fashioned” oatmeal, they’re not steamed and rolled flat. This oatmeal is amazing "I never thought I'd find oatmeal that surpasses my love of steal cut oats, but this is not only tastier, but also cooks faster. Love it with toasted almonds and berries." -- jennifer Shop now for Organic Stone-Cut Oatmeal from Scotland!! 
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| This Week's Recipes |
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Beets with Goat Cheese & Walnuts Recipe Some how fresh Goat Cheese and Beets just go so nicely together. Something about the sweetness of the beets together with slightly acidic, pithy taste of the goat cheese creates a perfect flavor balance. Add the slight crunch of the toasted walnuts and you have a perfect combination. We made the dish as a vegetable side. But you can add a little more dressing and serve it on a bed of greens or butter lettuce, and you have a side salad. Many chefs add chunks of avocado -- to add a little more anti-oxidant punch. Pasta with Pesto, Green Beans & Potatoes Recipe This is a classic Italian pasta dish - perfect for the early fall when the potatoes and beans are coming into the market and you begin to have a hankering for heartier fair. Although it is traditionally made with Fettuccine, any long pasta will work. In this case, the recipe calls for walnuts, as well as pine nuts. If the pesto becomes too thick, you can use some of the pasta water to thin the sauce. You should be careful to add the liquid a little bit at a time - after you have combined the pasta, pesto and veggies together. French Gimlet with Elderflower Syrup Recipe |
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Special Deal on Amlou - Colomba has Landed! Beautiful Exotic Short, 27 Awards Winning Olive Oil, Umami Packed New Preserved Lemons, Special Saffron, Royal Blossom Palm Syrup |
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