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Balsamic Vinegar, a Knight's Fruitcake, it was fate and more at chefshop.com/enews |
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La Vecchia Dispensa Balsamic e Fichi She was like a balsamic vinegar, complex, mature and aged just right. When he first saw her he was transfixed by her eyes which could carry on their own conversation. They had passed each other for many, many years, with not much more than a nod...today was different, though neither one new why. Perhaps it was fate. Or, perhaps it was the cheese. d'Alpage Beaufort was a very special cheese, as the name describes, it’s from the Alpine meadows, aged over 14 months, and is a soft and supple cheese, softer than the large wheel cheeses like Parmigiano-Reggiano. And when melted, it is divine, exactly why French fondue exists. It was here, around the outdoor fire pit at the lodge after a full day of skiing that they actually spoke. With strawberries on the end of their skewers they met in the cheese, of course. After a laugh the conversation evolved and revolved naturally around the universal icebreaker of food. They found commonality because they liked the same foods, which released the thoughts they had about the same cultures and where they wanted to travel. China to eat the dumplings, Japan for the sugar cane harvest, the south of France on a barge in Canal latéral à la Garonne to eat D’agen Prunes and Modena for Balsamic vinegar. As they sat by the fire with mugs of hot chocolate laced with French rope marshmallows, nibbling on Sorrento lemon Panettone, he saw the Fichi Condimento twinkle in her eyes...and they talked for hours, until the sun rose.... It’s decided, they are going to Italy, to Modena, to share in tasting Balsamic Vinegar and specifically Fichi Condimento, as it is a vision that he says he can see in her eyes. The La Vecchia Dispensa Fichi has fig extract added to the vinegar to develop a silky sweet, smooth mouthful of wonderful aged balsamico. The fig is a complementary enhancer of the aged must. At the end there is a twinge and a twinkle of sharpness. Just about perfect. Shop now for Balsamic e Fichi! |
Frutti di Bosco A Berry Delicious Balsamic Condimento! The La Vecchia Dispensa Berry Vinegar is a melange of wild berry flavors, sweet but not cloying. Good for decorating a lovely platter of roasted potatoes, drizzling over sauteed mushrooms, dolloping onto a fresh slice of mozzarella perched on bruschetta, or for saucing up some herbed grilled chicken or garlicky shrimp. Perfect choice for the ubercool new cocktail: the balsamic vinegar martini! It’s a martini made with the usual suspects (vodka or gin with a dry vermouth) plus a sinker of the sweet stuff...Ta Da! Yours is the hippest minibar in town. Shop now for La Vecchia Dispensa Balsamic Frutti di Bosco! |
A very, very special100 year Balsamic Vinegar! In our store people always ask if we have ever tasted this amazing 100-year aged balsamic vinegar. Well, I have thanks to the wonderful sharing of our customer who bought our very first bottle. He cracked it open right then and there at the counter and shared a drop! It was like none other! 100-year aged balsamic vinegar is a rare find these days. They become as dense as molasses, and their fragrance and flavor are deep and heady - think of a 40 year old Tawny Port and you're just scratching the surface of dark caramel, raisin, and a whole host of secondary notes. Aging and changing slowly over time, the characteristics of balsamic vinegar vary as time passes. After a certain number of years, it becomes denser, loses fluidity and develops a real richness. At this point, it should be treated with devotion. Italian balsamic vinegar of this quality may be appreciated to the full on hunks of Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, on strawberries, on ice cream, or simply sipped at the end of a meal. This special 100-year aged balsamic vinegar is bottled for us in very small quantities, and is limited to quantities on hand. Shop now for 100 Year Balsamic Vinegar from La Vecchia Dispensa! |
12 Apostles - stirring the pot the symbolism of 1 plus 12 ingredients! To hear a Brit talk about their Plum Pudding, "Which never has been and never will be equaled, much less surpassed, by any other.” it's obvious that they have not tried Mother Sperry's Plum Pudding. It's made just over dale and up the hill from us. It must be good for we have at least one customer in England who likes it enough to have Mother Sperry shipped across the pond every year! Plum Pudding, also known as Christmas Pudding, has a long history that goes back to Medieval England. It is expected to be made on the 25th of December and it is filled with 13 ingredients to represent Christ and the twelve apostles. And every family member is expected to take a turn and stir. “Stir-up Sunday” became “official” in the Victorian Age. Doused with Brandy, it was lights out, and flame on for the pudding with great ceremony. Pudding is often dressed up with holly, the real treat is when you top this glob of stuff with brandy butter, rum butter, ice cream, castor sugar, or a good hard sauce. A spoonful of this mouth watering, delicious stuff topped with a topping, makes for a holiday in your mouth! Shop now for Plum Pudding! |
This is a story of love lost a gift, a helmet, and true love. Quite simply, it started like all Hallmark movies (which I love) where a jilted lover was given a symbol of hostility, a breakup gift just before the holiday. The gift, as you may have deduced, was a simple fruitcake. What she (the giver) did not realize was that a Trappist Abbey Fruitcake is a very special cake, with a long history (especially in the 18th century) when fruitcakes were considered sinful. And so with a heavy heart and a one pound cake, the recipient, who we will call William, left dejected and in pain. Donning his Panoply, he trudged to the nearest cafe for a cup of joe. As he sat at the little round table made of wood, he sipped his cappuccino thru his Armet, with great difficulty I might add. As he removed his gauntlets, and tried desperately to take a bite of the “parting” gift, he failed miserably, like his now defunct relationship. The story should end there, all sad and stuff, but instead, a strong but gentle voice, a dame they say named Joan, spoke, “I can help with that if you are willing to share”, she said. Will turned quickly to see who had spoken and found a shining light blasting around Joan's head, (she sat with her back to the picture window) and an arming sword at the ready. He flinched, knowing this was the end to a long day. Instead of him, Joan sliced a paper thin piece, “This fruitcake is a perfect match to go with a holiday fire, and when paired with a cup of hot chocolate or chai , you have the formula for a calm life", she said wisely. And so the story goes that the secret key to a happy life is with a fruitcake experience that is not chunked into a mass that is so big that you can’t fit through the slit in your helmet. But instead, when thinly sliced (frozen or chilled makes it easier), the fruitcake becomes easy to eat and you will create a very special and long lasting relationship. This unseemly and often made fun of cake is actually really, really, rather good! Cheers! Shop now for Trappist Abbey Fruitcake |
Heritage Shortbread - the very best on the planet! This buttery crisp, but slightly moist shortbread is handmade by Willow McCrain in South Carolina's Lowcountry. It's baked to a golden brown and its texture and flavor border on the sublime. Willow uses only the best ingredients -- and you can tell. We like our shortbread to be crisp when you bite into it, but not hard. And these shortbreads do not disappoint! Traditional shortbread lovers will be thrilled. Delicious. "A wonderful treat. Very fresh and buttery. " -- ann Shop now for Heritage Shortbread! |
A short, flat history of the cookie! We all know the story that cookies originally were little cakes (called koekjes) that the Dutch bakers made for testing cake recipes. Eatymologists (people who study food words) say that the word was re-pronounced when it crossed Ellis Island and came into the America's. Biscuits followed closely behind, some even say on the same boat! What is the difference between a cookie and a biscuit? It all depends on the continent you are standing on, and even then it varies from north to south within the country you are in. History tell us that the “biscuit” is an old French word, bescuit, meaning twofold or twice cooked. Originally, baked and then dried in a drying “oven”. In the middle ages in England, the word bisquite was used to describe a hard, twice baked "thing". And then, as lots of "things" were baked, biscuits became more like a classification and came to include crackers, cookies and sugar wafers. Ok, so I hope that was confusing, because it is. No matter the name, we wish and hope to share the same, and a happy cookie holiday this year. (Except when we consider a true southern biscuit, then it is more like a cake than a cookie.) Shop now for Cookies of all kind! |
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Smoked Habanero BBQ Haute Sauce To the nose it smells initially like a nice BBQ sauce and then you give a second whiff and you can smell the underlying Habanero (and there is a little tickle, too, in the nose). To the mouth it's BBQ 'eee, sweet and delicious. Little bits of onion to crunch and a complex, wonderful flavor. Though the name might appear to be the hottest, it comes across the palate as the mildest. Ryan, the banker, loved it on his hamburger, pouring it liberally even though he doesn't really like hot. It might be the favorite.... Shop now for Marshall's Smoked Habanero BBQ Haute Sauce! |
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Pralus Infernale Noir Dark Bar This is one of the most dazzling chocolate bars we've had the pleasure to taste! Just the first bite may make your eyes roll into your head, as all the flavors - almond, hazelnut, chocolate - come together. It is so good you may feel compelled to eat it all at once. Though you might not want to. Shop now for Pralus Infernale Noir Dark Chocolate Bar! |
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D'Alpage Beaufort! Delectable Cheese If you like cheese, you will love Beaufort D’Alpage. (Summer from chalets (shepherds' huts) at high altitude). These Tarentaise cattle (a domesticated cow that adapted to high altitude hiking in steep and treacherous hoofing and have not co-mingled with other cows) are from the Haute-Savoie and are known to make some of the best milk on the planet for making cheese. The Tarentaise gaze at the French Alps...while grazing freely, choosing to eat what they want of the grasses and flowers of the high pasture. Beaufort cheese- a winner "This was a great cheese. We (and our friends) particularly enjoyed it when incorporated into artisan wheat bread before baking. Looking forward to the next shipment." -- ronald Beaufort D’Alpage "This cheese is fantastic! We use it in our recipes instead of Gruyere, and we like to eat it fresh. It has a stronger flavor than Gruyere and has a sweet and lasting finish." -- john Shop now for French Alpine Summer Cheese for the winter Holidays! |
Panettone from Italy choices to choose from The panettone is delicious, soft, supple and more. A small handful is a joy to behold and better to consume! Selling like hotcakes! Shop now for Italian Panettone! |
It's Party time! Our Annual Taste of the Cakes is NOW. We open all the panettone to taste! And all the candy and confections too! Head on down! |
ChefShop Cocoa Powder Time for hot chocolate! We will be making our simple recipe for making your own hot chocolate everyday at the shop. Come in for a sip as you shop! Come in for a sip as you shop! Want it richer, add more cream...the perfect sipping, fire sitting, hot drink for the holidays. If you're at home you can find the recipe here. Shop now for ChefShop Cocoa Powder! 
Cooking Classes for 2020
Classes for 2020 are now available! Give the best Gift of food! Cooking Class Gift Certificates are available. Booking 2020 Classes Now. ChefShop Cooking Class |
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Store Hours - Monday Thru Saturday! And Sunday in November and December Monday thru Saturday 10AM to 6PM. Sunday 12PM to 4PM 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 to reach and wide open parking lot. Click here to see the map. |
| This Week's Recipes |
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Maple Cranberry Glaze Recipe A perfect topping for a pork chop, a pork tenderloin or a chicken breast. Quick, easy and nicely tart. Roasted Potatoes and Goat Cheese Recipe This recipe is about as easy as you can get. Oven-roasting potatoes is one of my favorite ways to cook potatoes - and using rice bran oil helps them become nice and crisp. You can also use olive oil or butter. Green Beans with Lemon & Pistachios Recipe Fresh alternative to your holiday green beans. Pistachios and lemon give an updated twist to a green bean casserole. |
| See what you missed in previous Newsletters |
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Personal Favorite Holiday Treats Do You Know What Hyssop Is? Holiday Pistachio Panettone has Landed |
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