|
Anis Syrup, Food Show notes, Ingredients and more at chefshop.com/enews |
 |
|
|||||
| Recipes | Chef's Pantries | Shop for Food & Ingredients | Food Blog |
The report back from the Food Show 2020 39,199 steps Three days equals 39,199 steps and 31 hours of being on one's feet without sitting down! Good, thick socks, drink lots of water and eat only what you think you might want to share. And I kept to that rule, except for one item. Two brothers flagged me down with their pitch. They had recently acquired a recipe for a fruitcake, of all things. (Now we love our Trappist Abbey Fruitcake so much we even sell it year round!) I liked the guys and their pitch, they reminded me of home. So I engaged in the conversation and then turned around and went back to talk them. What got me to come back? The mention of A&P (Remember them? A grocery store with 16,000 stores nationwide in 1930) and the A&P’s house brand, Jane Parker. If you had Jane Parker fruitcake you would remember the mouth feel right away. And they have a new old cake just launching. The Jane Parker Spanish Bar Cake! Yes it is what you remember, white frosting, soft cake with raisins. Now I remember liking this! Sweet as all get-out, what a great momentary taste memory! Thanks guys … look them up if you want the memory, we won’t be carrying them anytime soon. There are booths numbered from 126 to 7029, with over 80,000 products to see and taste making it a manageable show. We found some good stuff. Some really amazing, blow your mind good stuff. And we found some great things that aren’t exciting but essential pantry items. We will roll them out over the year. New doesn’t mean we can have them in hand right away. The process takes time. For many products it is a new relationship. We need to establish trust, shipping lanes, test product, those kind of things. And by the time everything flushes out, we could "lose" 50% of those “found” items. Often the people we end up working with become friends, friends forever! On this trip we also saw people we have known as long as we can remember, 22 years! How awesome is that! And for those of you that have been with us that length of time as well, woo-wee! We appreciate our friendship with you just as much! Antesite Anis Syrup The translation is not clear, but the story goes that Antesite is the creation of a man who had an apothecary who was asked by the railway owner to help fight the alcoholism of the workers working in the heat of the summer. He did so creating this amazing liquid. What is inside this bottle is the same secret recipe as it was in 1898. It only takes a few drops in water to create the “anti-thirst” drink. No sugar or added sweeteners in the ingredients, this bottle can create over 22 gallons of “flavored” water. Use with water of course, it is also very popular to make creative drinks that might include alcohol. It is a great addition to your pantry and bar. To the nose it has a powerful smell of anis. To the mouth it has a less pronounced anis and more of a sweet feel initially. In the end, as you suck your tongue up to the top of the mouth and squeeze, you taste what you smell. It is quite sweet but not in an overly sugary way. Ingredients: Water, licorice, star anise natural flavor, natural flavors, extract of gentian. Without alcohol, colorants or preservatives. Without added sugar or sweetener. Shop now for Antesite Concentré de Géglisse Anis! |
Limoo Omani Black Lemons Black Lemons are limes. Limoo Omani (Iran) is a thin skinned lime that is dried in the sun. They are grown and used in the Persian Gulf region and used extensively as an ingredient in many dishes. They are called many things including: Persian Limes, Persian Lemons, Dried Limes, Dried Lemons, and Iranian Limes or Lemons.... Pierce holes in the skin of 3 or 4 whole Limoo Omani and add to a thick soup or stew. Or cut in half (or break into pieces), remove the seeds and add to sauces. Limoo Omani black lemons are well suited to go with the foods from the sea like shrimp and, historically, preserved fish (Tahtah Malleh). They also work well with lamb, beef or camel to make a classic meat pie (pizza). To the nose, the uncut Limoo Omani have a musty, tangy tickley smell. The hint of citrus is at the top of the whiff and at the bottom is the wonderful must. It reminds me a lot of Li hing mui without the salt. Cut one open and the must fades and the tingly, tangy citrus tickles the nose. The smell reminds me of the Spice Bazaar in Turkey. Truly hard to describe with a fine brush, with broad strokes, the smell expresses the past with comfort and mystery. Shop now for Persian Black Lemon Limoo Omani! |
Mint Chocolate Peppermint Creams Perfect Little Peppermints "These are addictive. They are the Platonic ideal of the peppermint bite. They taste just like you hope they will." -- laura Now my favorite chocolate mints! "I try all brands of chocolate covered mints and this is the first time I have tried these. They are now my favorite. They are very fresh and delicious." -- jaqueline Shop now for Summerdown Chocolate Peppermint Creams |
Olive Oil Cake with Citrus This is a great time to make an olive oil cake. Use up last year's oil to make room for the new harvest oils 2019/2020 on your shelf. When you serve this soft, succulent, easy to make olive oil cake no one will be able to resist taking a second and even third piece - especially if you use the best oil you can find and the freshest eggs! Options for this recipe include using any citrus fruit in place of the orange, like lime, lemon or grapefruit. Or combine two or three citrus to make a zesty treat! Click here for the Lemon Olive Oil Cake Recipe! |
Healthy longevity comes from eating Black Garlic! Black Garlic Ketchup! Sometimes great things just appear. And when they do it’s a WOW kinda thing! This dark, very dark gourmet ketchup is nothing like the red stuff we have used our whole lives. In fact, it does not resemble anything we have had before. Though, I am thinking that the next burger I make will have this as the condiment of excellence. To the nose Hawkshead black garlic ketchup has a big twingy tickle from the acetic acid - balsamic vinegar. To the tip of the tongue it is sweet. And to the mouth it is a squeeze in the cheeks pleasure. It took a couple of “tastes” to notice the little bits of garlic. At the end, some of the time, there is a tickle in the back of the throat. The flavor of this gourmet ketchup is not “garlic”, at least not to the taste buds. It takes some cheek smacking to get the garlic taste. The flavor is much more about the complete experience. Sweet twinge of good with hints of Balsamic and caramel. This is like an extension enhancement of black garlic into a ready to pour form! Black Garlic has been around for a long time. Long associated with longevity and even immortality, black garlic is rich in color, rich in flavor, with roundness, fullness and lots of fun when it is packed like a gourmet ketchup. Shop now for Hawkshead Black Garlic Ketchup! |
Year-round Fruitcake In the old days, like when we lived in castles, fruitcake was the food you made to preserve the bounty of harvest and to have a preserved food you could travel with. Like a powerbar full of calories and a satisfying bite, one only needs a tiny, super thin slice to satisfy one's cravings. The Brethren (Monks) of Our Lady of Guadalupe Trappist Abbey in Lafayette, Oregon make this outstanding, brandy soaked fruitcake. Dark and dense, it is loaded with fruit and nuts, but not with the typical maraschino cherries and green citron - instead they use raisins, candied pineapple, and candied cherries. Baked for almost three hours, these delightful fruitcakes are then soaked in fine brandy. Most of the alcohol evaporates and the rich brandy flavor is absorbed. The cakes are then aged for three months to develop the flavor, a unique balance of the sweet fruits and moist walnuts and pecans with a pleasant finish of spices and brandy. Shop now for Trappist Abbey Fruitcake! |
Preserved Beldi Lemons! Amazing versatility is this lemon! To make preserved lemons is easy. Salt, lemons, time. Preserved lemons are a wonderful go-to, add-to a recipe kind of food. Use as a topping, an ingredient or as a taste-changer. Any place you use a lemon you can use a preserved one for more punch and flavor. This intense concentration of flavor is more than a lemon, it is a release of flavor in your mouth! This combination of salt, lemon and time makes a flavor bomb when combined with chicken, for instance, by bringing out the best in your fowl. A bit like sardines, another flavor enhancer bomb, it might not appeal to all your senses right off the bat, but once you incorporate a preserved lemon into your next dish you might just find a new love. We like these preserved lemons because they are whole, small, little round globes. Smaller than a golf ball, they have a very thin skin, easy to cut and to chew. As a garnish whole, they look cute and gorgeous, dressing up any dish! Make your own or try these. Preserved lemons are the sour, salt, bitter bomb! Shop now for Beldi Preserved Lemons! |
Black Mustard Whole Seeds The little black seeds (Brassica nigra) are hard when you roll them around with your fingertips and in your mouth. When you bite they collapse like a hollow basketball or ping pong ball. Each seed varies in intensity of flavor with the tip of the tongue telling you ‘mustard’. These tiny little black seeds pack a punch. Black are not nearly as bitter as white/yellow and brown seeds and are more earthy in flavor. Once the most popular mustard seeds, Brassica nigra must be hand harvested because the pods fall off when they are ripe. Yellow and brown can be harvested mechanically and are more readily available. The enzyme myrosin is what gives mustard its mustard flavor and it is “excited” by the submersing of the seeds in a water-based liquid. Using wine, beer, vinegar or even soy sauce can make unique and exciting mustard's. Keep in mind that you can justify eating a ton of mustard for it has a long list of possible healthy side benefits. Including heal and “fix” conditions like eliminating intestinal parasites, bronchial issues, flatulence, bladder issues and soaking your feet in a bath to promote circulation. Make your own beer mustard, or fry them in a little oil and add to a sauce. These little guys pack a flavorful punch! Shop now for Organic Black Mustard Seeds! |
Pastry Crunch Feuilletine Flakes Also known as Paillete Feuilletine™, these Crepes Dentelles crumbs are hard to find and normally only found in commercial kitchens. As Tina says, in Food & Wine Magazine, "Add these buttery, toasty-sweet shards to ganache, frostings and truffles for a super crunch." Called for in classic French recipes, these are a common ingredient when making Praline Feuillete or filling for Praline. Note that Paillete Feuilletine Flakes are delicate and are naturally small. Shop now for Feuilletine Flakes Pastry Crunch! |
|
Come visit and say hello! |
|
ChefShop Cocoa Powder! Sometimes brownies are the perfect treat. Not just to share and eat, but to make and bake too. Try making a big sheet pan full for a change. Shop now for Cocoa Powder for your next batch of brownies! 
Cooking Classes for 2020
Classes started and the New Year has started! ChefShop Cooking Class
|
Store Hours - Monday Thru Saturday! Monday thru Saturday 10AM to 5PM. ChefShop.com 1425 Elliott Ave W Seattle, Wa 98119 206-286-9988 Our bigger 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 |
|
Barley Risotto with Karocha Squash and Crispy Kale Recipe This recipe is courtesy of Lauren Feldman, local Seattle chef and an amazing cooking teacher. We made this dish last night in Lauren's "Grains Workshop", and it was absolutely stupendous. You will never look at barley the same way. Perfect winter fare, and risotto (or orzotto) the color of Halloween. An absolute must-try. English Roast Beef Pancetta Recipe It's easy, it's home cooking. Use your instinct to adjust to the beef and the results will be good. An English Roast is also known as chuck arm roast, cross rib roast, chuck-eye roast, chuck shoulder, pot roast. Salmon Souffle Recipe This recipe originally comes from an interesting and beautiful cookbook, Russel Wright's Menu Cookbook, by Ann Wright and Mindy Heiferling (Gibbs Smith, 2003). Russel Wright was a pioneer of mid-century modern design. He designed and created lines of china, flatware, glassware and furniture. What many don't know is that Wright also liked to cook. Tired of meatloaf and spaghetti, he collected menus of recipes which he kept in a loose leaf notebook. Included were suggestions on which china and linens to use with each menu - photos of which are included in the cookbook. Wright's daughter, Ann, has now published these family recipes in this cookbook, which includes beautiful photos of her father's flatware, china and linens. It is a great addition to your coffee table - especially for those who are fans of the mid-century modern era. Appropriate to the times (the 1950s), she includes a number of souffles within the cookbook. This one is a perfect way to use up leftover cooked salmon - plus it forwards my campaign to bring back the souffle. You can also use canned salmon, with a little picking-over. Ann recommends rushing the souffle to the table as soon as it comes out of the oven with a hardy, "Voila!". However, she also says not to stress about it - the souffle can wait for a few minutes, and if it falls a bit, it will still taste good. |
| See what you missed in previous Newsletters |
|
Fancy Food Show Buy 1 Get 50% Off Italian Green Walnut Syrup is Bliss and more Happy New Year |
|
||||
| DESIGN: JODI LUBY & COMPANY, INC. NEW YORK CITY, NY; EMAIL STRATEGY: CRM Group USA, SEATTLE, WA |