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Cambodian Kampot Salted Pepper, A new way to make PB&j without the PB&J. Verjus and more at chefshop.com/enews |
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You probably don’t know this, but I love my peppercorns! Read on to see why this changes everything. Kampot is a province in Southwest Cambodia where pepper is grown. This land has wonderful exposure to the sun, great air from the neighboring sea and plentiful rainfall. Peppercorns have been grown in this region since the 13th century (planted by the Chinese) and then, when the French occupied the region in the 19th & 20th century, they grew pepper into an industry. At the time, the majority of the eight thousand tons of pepper produced was shipped to France. In the 70’s the civil war in Cambodia disrupted and all but stopped the production of the Kampot peppercorns. Ten years ago Kampot pepper - having been revived by generational family farms ten years earlier - the Ministry of Trade and the French Development Agency established the PGI, the Protected Geographical Indication label. Kampot Pepper is the first PGI designation for Cambodia. This designation has strict requirements that must be met including the use of natural fertilizers, natural pesticides and traceability. Only plantations that are accredited members of the KPPA (Kampot Pepper Promotion Association) are allowed to sell pepper using the Kampot Pepper certificate of origin. In September bunches of pepper start to develop in a show of intense green color. They continue to grow into January as they mature. To create this salted green Kampot pepper, they first harvest by hand the green peppercorns while still young, which are then fermented to enhance their flavor. This salted pepper is the first we tried from the Kampot region in Cambodia and it is awesome! The drupe is small, light in weight, dark in color, salty and tingly spicy, maybe even hot to some. Literally pop one in your mouth and bite down. Its not hard or solid like other peppercorns, in fact it is like a hollow kernel. One little Kampot peppercorn delicately covered with fine ground salt is a flavor powerhouse! Holy Mackerel! This pepper is a super treat of epic proportions! Flavor, spice and everything nice, it is indeed a stunner for the taste buds! This is just the first of the peppers we will have from Kampot. Stay tuned! Shop now for Salted Black Kampot Peppercorns |
The Almighty Tiny Caper What is a caper? Capers are the preserved bud of a flower from a plant that grows like a weed throughout the Mediterranean. Capers are delicious in sauces, salads and with seafood. Try capers in pasta, salads, stews, vegetables, poultry and meats, on pizza, or in remoulades and tapenades. Capers go especially well with lemons or tomatoes. Salted capers are our favorite! Shop now for Capers |
Organic Bark Ceylon Cinnamon from Hawaii! Organic Ceylon Cinnamon Bark from the Island of Hawaii. Farmer Tane talks about the leaves of the tree and the stimulation properties of cinnamon. Watch the video clip here. Open the bag, put your schnoz inside and take a big whiff ... "ooh-la-la", to quote Grace Potter. This is what you expect, this is what you want, this is, and I mean IS, organic cinnamon bark. Open the bag and see a tree, see the bark and wonder how it can be, something like this is so de’lish’iss’ee! Break a little loose, pop-it-in-your-mouth and in a second or two the cinnamon tingles your tongue and the flavor imparts, leaving an eidetic memory. Use a coffee grinder to make a quick and easy powder. And don't worry, the leftover cinnamon goes into your next cup of coffee nicely! Freshly cut from a small stand of trees in Hawaii, when Ceylon cinnamon bark comes in like this, we jump for joy as it reminds us why we chose it in the first place. The man who planted the trees to harvest chose Ceylon for it’s good health properties, its chemical properties and also for its “taste”. This Ceylon cinnamon bark is grown on a certified organic farm on the Big Island of Hawaii. Tane's trees grow 4-5 years before harvesting the limbs (most trees are chopped down after 1 to 1.5 years). Not only does waiting increase the yield, but Tane feels that the cinnamon then has a stronger flavor and has a little more kick to it. Shop now for Ceylon Cinnamon Bark from Hawaii! |
Pesto Pesto The nucleus of modern day pesto starts in North Africa and India, where basil becomes the main ingredient. Basil pesto takes hold in Provence (as pistou) and Liguria (as pesto alla genovese). A recipe was published in La Cuciniera Genovese in the 1860’s, and the dish moved with its immigrants to the New World. Of course, good, authentic pesto starts with good, authentic ingredients. The most important ingredient? Genovese Basil. La Favorita pesto is made with DOP certified Genovese Basil. Basil cultivation is age old, but today basil is enjoying more popularity all over the world than ever before; not only for its delicious aroma, which enriches any cuisine, but also because it represents the quality, simplicity and uniqueness of the Ligurian territory. The quality of basil strongly depends on the environment in which it is grown. Thanks to its particularly mild climate and abundant sunshine, the constant sea breeze plays such an important role which means the entire region of Liguria proves to be ideal for basil farming. It's this geography and tradition, paired with modern scientific methods of preparing and feeding the soil and naturally watering and preventing disease, and old-fashioned manual harvesting that ultimately impacts the quality of the basil used by La Favorita in their pesto. The pesto itself is manufactured the old fashioned way, being careful not to bruise the basil. Using a machine of rotating knives and a mixing machine of “antique” origin, this method produces a delicate, handmade result in a commercial environment, allowing the basil to maintain its character all the way to you. A topping of Ligurian olive oil (made from ripe Taggiasca olives) creates a natural preservative and cover for the pesto to seal in the natural goodness and prevent oxidation of the basil. Shop now for Pesto! |
Peanut Butter and Jelly A fun new version Deconstruction is fun - whether you’re tearing out a wall in a house or dissecting a frog in science class. Well, maybe not the frog, but when you do it with fancy foods (or not so fancy) it really explains how and why flavors of a dish come together. And at a minimum, it’s entertaining to think about creating the same “taste” with unexpected ingredients. We did that this year in Aspen, at least on a figurative level. It started with the first taste of Black Sesame Paste. I was working to find the right sugar combination to make a black sesame filling like you might get in a pastry. The chefs tried it and it opened up their palates and a ruckus erupted about what to make with it. Sugar was replaced with honey and then Royal Palm Date Syrup. An argument, a tussle if you must, as Derek wanted to put some of the mix on Adam’s Raspberry sorbet spoon. Once this was done, it became obvious it was the makings of a PB&J re-created! Frozen Banana Bread, fried in coconut-milk cream (didn't work), with Raspberry sorbet and Black Sesame Paste barely sweetened with Royal Palm Date Syrup. What fun! It's good! Shop now for Black Sesame Paste (Peanut Butter) |
Royal Palm Date Syrup The date in history is one of royalty. This 50 million year old fruit, phoenix dactylifera, also known as the bread of the desert, is naturally sweet and full of goodness. Believed to be full of nutritional value to fight all the bad things in life. High in fiber, with not only benefits one would “regularly” expect, dates are also known to help in shaping things to come and keep your sugar levels from spiking. High in antioxidants to protect your cells from free radicals, it fights off chronic worries of Alzheimer's, diabetes and your heart. In some studies they found that eating dates helped in natural child birth, from starting as expected, to shortening labor! At a minimum the natural sugar and calories keep your energy up. And it has shown to remove plaque in brains. I am not sure what this means, but I expect it is good, though I haven’t figured it out, yet. Perhaps I should eat more dates and it will make me smarter? Dates are a natural sweetener with a bit of a flavor. Dates biggest enemy, for those that are not used to the bite, is the gooeyness and the pit. And that’s where this date syrup comes into play. Easy to use or eat (a spoonful of date is the medicine that goes down), you can add date syrup as a topper to a squash soup, as a sweetener in places that call for sugar and in baking, not just as sugar but as a sweet, deep flavor. Shop now for Royal Palm Date Syrup |
Mulled Damson and Port Jam To the nose, it's got a tang and a bit of tingle. I recognize the notes, the "smell", but I can't put my tongue on it.... To the buds, it is lip sucking, tongue smacking fun. The cinnamon is just right, giving the overall feel a nice twinge and the citrus gives a nice overall upper cheek twang! It's smooth with little chunkies of citrus peel! Even though it shines on a piece of toast or a deconstructed PB&J, you could easily eat the whole jar with just a spoon! It is that good! It just might be one of the all time faves! A damson is a fruit with an English name, small, a deep dark purple, like a plum. Damsons are all over Europe, though the damson is native to Great Britain. Originally Port, was a wine aged in Oak barrels fortified with local brandy to keep from spoiling during transport from Portugal in the 18th century. This added alcohol stopped the fermentation process, leaving more residual sugars and thus creating a sweet wine. Made and stored this way until 1986. Add lemons and oranges and a wonderful jam is produced! Shop now for Hawkshead Mulled Damson and Port Jam |
Verjus Rouge Verjus (pronounced vair-ZHOO) is the tart, fresh juice of unripe wine grapes. It is a culinary ingredient indigenous to the world's wine producing regions that is used in sauce making, for poaching fish and meat, and to dress lettuces, vegetables and fruit. Verjus or "verjuice" as it is sometimes called, literally means green juice in the sense that it's made from fruit that has yet to fully ripen - it's green. It is used to add acidity to foods, an important component in food and in cooking. Napa Valley Verjus is made from white wine varieties such as Cabernet, and the wine grapes removed from the vine in midsummer, at a point in the growing cycle called veraison. At veraison, the berries change in color from green to black and begin to soften enough to press. As the grapes arrive at the winery, they are loaded into large pneumatic presses where the juice is gently extracted and then transferred to refrigerated stainless steel tanks. The juice is allowed to settle for a couple of days, then it is lightly filtered and packaged. The fresh verjus is at its best right after pressing, and can be packaged immediately. The challenging part of the production is keeping the verjus from fermenting and becoming wine; crushed grapes will spontaneously ferment due to airborne yeasts. Commercially, grape juice is usually stabilized by either adding powerful preservatives like benzoic acid, or by traditional canning methods - the juice must be heated to a temperature high enough to kill yeast cells and bacteria. Both of these methods adversely affect the taste of the finished product. At Fusion Foods, their goal is to produce the most natural, fresh tural, fresh tasting juice by protecting its delicate aromas and flavors. To achieve this they use a technology called aseptic packaging. With this process, no strong preservatives are necessary and the fresh verjus is exposed to high temperature for only 4 seconds. Shop now for Verjus Rouge - Red Verjuice |
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Shawarma is old! So old, no one really knows when and where it started. Variations abound today, perhaps spread around by the Turkish-Ottoman empire. Using a spit grilling technique, a spinning combination of lamb and veal for which slices of meat are taken off as needed and cooked. Villa Jerada has created the "ambiance" of the dish Shawarma thru a collection of spices. Use on grilled meats, chickpeas, or mix in with yogurt. We tested it with oil and popped popcorn. It was divine! This is an easy chicken-based recipe version of the Turkish street food usually cooked on a rotating spit. It's perfect served over couscous or accompanied by Toasted Millet Tabouli. A great idea for a week night meal, just make sure to marinade your chicken in the morning to have it ready for dinner! Ingredients: Paprika, onion powder, netmeg, cumin, bay leaf, cardamom, garlic powder, ginger, coriander, cayenne, cinnamon, allspice, cloves, turmuric, sumac, black and white pepper. Shop now for Villa Jerada Shawarma Spice Blend |
Organic Teggia Beans A French shelling variety, these dried Teggia beans have a delicate flavor and creamy texture. Plenty of nutrition and protein packed into a perfect side dish for any meal or in a wonderfully hearty soup. These may be the most delicately flavored legumes you have ever enjoyed. Shop now for Organic Teggia Beans! |
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Sorrento Lemon Olive Oil The Californians use Meyer Lemon and the Umbrians use Sorrento lemons. Each with their own personality. This one is new to us. Coming from Abruzzo, it is very reminiscent of Giuseppe’s oil from Eturia Gourmet, but different. We are loving this artisan Sorrento lemon infused olive oil because it's perfect for fish or oven blasted vegetables, like asparagus. To the nose it fills and smells like a wonderful lemon without any bitter notes. To the eye it has a nice yellow green color and darkens with depth. To the mouth it is pure joy. A sip is lemony. By the mouthful, it takes a moment for the lemon to evolve into a gentle wash that passes through. As the oil swishes, the lemon moves to the outside in the cheeks and to the back of the throat. It has a bit of roll around action and when the oil has dissipated, the upper part of your cheeks seem to keep the lemon flavor! The finish has a little bit of bitter on the top outer edge of the tongue and a hint of heat in the lower back of the throat. Enough to create a little cough. It’s so good you can drizzle on pasta and that’s all you need! The summer is awesome with artisan Sorrento lemon infused olive oil from Italy. Shop now for Sorrento Lemon Olive oil |
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Toasted Sesame Oil This golden brown, toasted sesame oil adds a rich, nutty flavor to your vinaigrettes, stir-fries and BBQ marinades. Not over-powering, this oil adds just the right amount of toasty sesame punch. Sesame oil, also known as Gingelly Oil and Til Oil, is an ancient ingredient. The Assyrians used it as a cooking oil more than 2500 years ago. It was an expensive delicacy back then, and a hundred years later in Persia, it was still an oil only the rich could afford. Today, it's still used as a medicine in India, and oil pressed from the raw sesame seeds is commonly used as a massage oil in Ayurvedic medicine. La Tourangelle has partnered with one of the oldest Japanese oil mills to bring you this toasted sesame oil, crafted in central Japan following traditional methods that are over 270 years old. Sesame seeds are slowly roasted using lower temperatures. The result is a lighter colored, more richly flavored oil with a subtle, toasted taste. The production of Sesame Oil begins with sesame seeds harvested from South America or Africa. The seeds are toasted and then expeller (machine) pressed to extract the oil. This oil is filtered several times and then bottled. The quality of Sesame Oil varies depending on the quality of the seeds, and the length and temperature of the toasting process. La Tourangelle's Japanese partner uses only the freshest, highest quality seeds that they then painstakingly clean and slow toast to produce the best quality product. All the while maintaining the integrity of the oil and creating a unique and wonderful flavor. Shop now for Toasted Sesame Oil! |
Roasted Pistachio Oil La Tourangelle is the first oil mill in California to produce pistachio oil using traditional French methods and locally-grown pistachios. After harvesting, the nuts are washed, sorted, sun-dried for several days and stored for further drying. The pistachio kernels are then ground and roasted in cast-iron kettles. The resulting warm paste is pressed in a hydraulic press. Following mechanical extraction, the oil is lightly filtered and bottled. The oil has intense pistachio flavors and a luxurious, dark green color. This oil adds a rich pistachio taste to salad dressing, pasta, grilled meat or fish, baked pastries, and is perfect to dip with bread. Pistachio oil suitable for medium-heat cooking, such as sautéing, baking, dressing and drizzling. In salads, pistachio oil mixes very well with balsamic vinegar or red wine vinegar to create a simple but flavorful vinaigrette. It is also delicious on grilled fish or chicken. A drizzle of pistachio oil is the perfect touch for enhancing flavors. You can also try it on a simple pasta or on rice instead of butter. Or try a pistachio oil cake - replacing half the olive oil with pistachio oil. Shop soon for Roasted Pistachio Oil! |
Fall is here, the rain has come! Time for new paint! The shop is getting an (exterior) makeover. The interior is, too! |
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Check your stock of cocoa powder ChefShop Dutch Process Cocoa Powder is ready to satisfy in drinks and desserts, like a rich Chocolate Sorbet or a Super Dense Chocolate Brownie. Get this unsweetened cocoa powder and add sugar (to taste) to hot milk, and the aroma will transport you to breezy autumn days in the Piazza della Signoria. Cocoa Powder "I have been buying this chocolate for several years and LOVE LOVE LOVE IT!!! It's amazing to cook with but most oftenly use it in my chocolate protein shakes. Fantastic taste and quality! Chocolate lovers... Enjoy! YUM!" -- claire Shop now for Cocoa Powder! 
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Store Hours - Monday Thru Saturday! Monday thru Saturday 10AM to 5PM. ChefShop.com 1425 Elliott Ave W Seattle, Wa 98119 206-286-9988 Our parking lot is north of the shop and next door (south of) Champions Party Supply. Easy open parking lot. Click here to see the map. |
| This Week's Recipes |
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Farro Spezzato Salad Recipe This recipe is so quick and easy. Mostly because Farro Spezzato is so easy and quick to make. Perfect for picnics and BBQ dinners. This recipe was adapted from a bulgar wheat recipe. Bulgar and spezzato are very similar, although bulgar tends to be larger pieces, and spezzato is not pre-cooked. Quince & Quince - Chutney Recipe This recipe is adapted from a traditional ginger and quince chutney recipe. Basic Biscuit Recipe Chef Lesa's Basic Biscuit Recipe made with Mangalista Pig lard. Yum! |
| See what you missed in previous Newsletters |
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Sweet Cranberry Apples Triple Crunch Notes from Glam Camping and Other Foods The Last Dogs of Summer |
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