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Red and Black Organic, Pistachio Crema with white chocolate, Pesto, Walnut Oil and more at chefshop.com/enews |
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Quinoa (keen-wah) is back in stock and badder than ever! Red and black are now fair trade and organically grown in Bolivia. This seed, thought of as a grain, is easy to cook and can last in the refrigerator for easily a week. One cup uncooked yields about three cups cooked. 1 cup of cooked quinoa is 222 calories, 39 grams of carb with 4 grams of fat. Quinoa is a gluten free, whole-grain carbohydrate and it contains all nine essential amino acids, making it a whole protein. It has that carb feel, it is just not a grain. It is considered one of the great super foods. Or at least some think so. We agree, though we think it is the versatility and the interesting bite and ability to work and support other flavors that make it super. It is as simple and easy as boiling water and then simmering to cook. Fancy it up with stock from vegetables or chicken, or toast the quinoa in a little oil first with spices or garlic. Think of the quinoa as a blank slate. Shop now for Red, Black and White Organic Quinoa! |
Red Quinoa Why eat red, black or white? Many articles debate this at great length. Almost all come to the same conclusion that the only difference (between the options) is to choose which color makes a prettier plate for dinner. And it is true, red quinoa and black can make green and yellow veggies “pop” on the plate! But the often stated conclusion that white (and for that matter all quinoa) are the same isn’t quite true. Not only does taste vary between white (or golden) options, red and black might just be the best option. Research has been showing that the more color in your food means more good stuff for your body. And in this case it appears that quinoa with color has about 15% of your “daily requirements” for riboflavin. Not sure you should care about Riboflavin? Otherwise known as Vitamin B2, this important vitamin often helps keep the painful red tongue, cracked lips, itchy bloodshot eyes, and cracking mouth corners away. It is also believed that a deficiency of Riboflavin effects the blood and the ability to absorb much needed iron for your body resulting in a cascade of potential evil issues. Now should you go out and only eat red or black quinoa? No, of course not. You get vitamin B2 from many food sources including dairy, eggs, green leafy veggies, nuts and legumes. Keep in mind that Quinoa is fibre healthy, has iron and magnesium and antioxidants. It is a complete protein (amino acid rich) and is a great food for gluten free, vegan eaters. Because it is such a superfood you should make sure it works for you. But the very best reason to eat this seed (not a grain) is that it as easy as boiling water! The very basic, basic cooking instruction is this. 1 part quinoa to 2 parts water. Boil water, then rinse quinoa to remove the natural saponin (natures bug repellant), add quinoa to a pot and then simmer covered for about 15 minutes. Wait for the seed to unfurl and it's ready! Remove from heat and let sit covered for 5 minutes, fluff with a fork and make a dish. It works well with just about anything, from pasta sauce to veggies and protein. Shop now for Organic Fair Trade Red Quinoa! |
Black Quinoa Earthy, sweet, black and gorgeous. What more could anyone want from such a keen grain! Quinoa! Cook it just like keen'wah (quinoa). Shop now for Organic Fair Trade Black Quinoa |
Elite Crema di Pistachio Back-in-stock It's back in stock! For those of us whose jar is usefully empty and who have been desperately scraping the last bits out, this is fantastic news. Order soon as the jars go quickly! This rich, pistachio green color crema is so soft to the tongue it literally melts like a “chocolate” bar of pistachio! It is an Italian pistachio spread of luxury wrapped up in a jar. Squeeze and lick your chops and the pistachio gusto starts in the middle (of your mouth) and then flows to the edges. As the crema moves outwards through your taste sensors, the white chocolate creaminess follows. Then, during the dissipation of the first morsel, the pistachio flavor reaches the outer edges of your taste buds and then quietly finishes with joys of smoothness with a subtle mix of creamy white chocolate and pistachio. So smooooth you can spread it like butter on just about anything. From toast to crackers, to topping a simple donut or muffin, sharing this pleasure with pistachio lovers is one of the ultimate experiences you just might have. Shop now for Pistachio Crema! |
Pesto di Pistachio At first we were a bit apprehensive. Pistachio Pesto sounds a little weird. And the first taste, even though we knew it was pistachio, was still a bit of shock. After the first spoon we went for the second and it was way better. Quite tasty in fact. When we tested it on pasta it was joy. So flavorful, that you only need a tiny bit to make a fabulous plate! The main ingredient of this pesto from Brontedolci in Sicily, as you may have guessed, is Sicilian pistachios (55%) along with sunflower oil, salt and pepper. No Basil. Yet, if we think of pesto as mortar & pestle, then this is a savory pistachio pesto. Look in the jar and see green (with texture). It’s the beautiful green of Sicilian pistachios with flakes of black pepper. When you taste you will get this wonderful smooth feel that is creamy and then finishes with little tiny bits of pistachios in the pits of your teeth. The “bite” really never ends as you move your tongue around tasting pistachio! Using this Brontedolci pesto di pistachio as it was intended is even better than that. Take a pasta, cook it al dente, drain with touch of pasta water left, twirl and twist in the pesto into the pan and plate into small bowls. This is the perfect side dish and very filling! Or, if convention is not your thing, think a dollop on your fish or with tofu! Shop now for Brontedolci Pistachio Pesto! |
Easy Baked Beans Recipe All it takes is time, waiting time. Actual hands-on time is minimal. Soak the beans overnight, change the water a couple of times, add some mustard powder, quartered garlic cloves, half a pound of thick-cut bacon, cut in fifths, excellent maple syrup, freshly ground pepper. And then bake in the oven for at least 4 hours. This week I took the beans in last week's photo and made wonderful baked mixed beans. Make a medium or long grain rice to go with. See the Basic Baked Beans Recipe! |
Shakshuka Moroccan Tomato Sauce A meaty sauce without the meat! Breakfast for some, lunch or dinner for others, Shakshuka is a delicious dish that is easy to make and even easier when you use Cafe Mina’s version. Shakshuka has a long history with many theories of when and where it originated. An everyday “one pot dish” in a big swath of countries from Tunisia and Morocco and east to Egypt, Israel and Syria. Variations abound with different spices and the addition of lamb, potatoes and artichokes is common. Cultural variations of tomato-based sauces span the globe and this Moroccan version is the spicy one! Mina’s Shashuka starts like a tomato sauce you would make at home. With chunks and bits of texture giving not only a flavor but also a great mouth feel. The tomato sauce is absolutely present along with the spices and an all-around heat. It’s a heat that’s tingly, pleasantly hot (not spicy) and when you finish there’s a wonderful aftertaste. If you’re not careful you’ll eat the whole dish before you know it. The combination of the egg whites, the yolk and the tomato creates a mouth feel of pleasure, that is very rewarding, satisfying and very homey. This meaty dish has no meat, instead your heart is filled with tomatoes and eggs. This dish is simple and plain, easy and quick, just like you want your vegetarians to be! Shop now for Moroccan Shakshuka! |
One of the most amazing oils on the planet! French Walnut Oil Huile de Noix - 100% pure black walnut oil. The first taste is quite remarkable. Full of flavor, yet the oil is actually very quiet. Reserved, subtle, delicious. It’s an oil that will knock your socks off, in a very quiet way. Inhale, and you get the wonderful walnut oil smell unlike any other oil. The multi-smells you get are the outer wafer thin “seed coat”, and then the inner kernel “flavor” which then returns to the seed coat. Wow! The whiff alone is spectacular! Almost smoky to the nose, it’s not, and one of the great “feels” about lightly roasted walnut oil! This oil to the tongue is only “oily” for a moment and then it disappears into a light vapor. The same is true when you take a swig, for a brief moment there is an “oil affect” but the effect is eye-popping, walnut filled, flavored joy! The huile de noix imparts all the walnut flavor you want and lingers longer without the dry, crumbly leftover feel the nut itself does. You will find yourself tasting and tasting, and moving your tongue around, as you squeeze every bit of nuance out of the oil that you can! The difference between a good walnut oil and an amazing one is like night and day. Even when the oil itself is subtle, the flavor is mind-blowing! It’s not just technique, low heat / slow mash, but also using “extra white” kernels from the Périgord region. That’s one of the reasons this oil is tops in its class, winning Gold multiple times! Filled with polyunsaturated fatty acids in the form of omega-3s, this nut oil is good for memory and cardiovascular health. Salad dressing of course, it can be added as a swirl to finish a carrot soup or as a natural preservative to a goat cheese treat. Shop now for Maneyrol Virgin French Walnut Oil! |
Udon classic soft noodles Making your own udon noodle is as easy as most noodles. Salt, water, flour, mixed, kneaded, rolled, cut. It’s great if you want a quiet moment for yourself, and nothing beats freshly cut noodles. On the other hand, when you want to savor the time you have to be blissful with your udon noodle soup instead, and not making oodles of noodles, then Inaka Udon is the right choice to make. These chewy, soft, fat noodles make for a wonderful carrier for something green and a little protein. A hot soup somehow can make a cold day seem just about right. Greens cooked quickly in a hot pot along with mushrooms and protein, like super thin uncooked chicken, bbq pork, or tofu, and it is a delectable meal that takes all of about ten minutes, the time to cook the udon. Udon noodles are eaten both, hot and cold, kept simple or transformed when tossed with ingredients like soy sauce, sesame oils, or oyster sauce. And, whether you fry them or soup’em, the softer, plumped up udon noodle is fabulous. Udon noodles are a staple food in northern Japan, and a wonderfully versatile food to have on hand for adding new flavor to your everyday meals. These wheat-based noodles differ from their Italian cousins with their slightly denser texture and wheatier taste. Shop now for Inaka Udon! |
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Anchovy Fillets in Olive Oil! Scalia is known for its anchovy fillets packed in extra-virgin olive oil - yes, extra-virgin! Many companies, especially those available in the grocery store, use second-press oil or a less flavorful oil like sunflower or soybean. In addition, these anchovies have been aged for at least 12 weeks and this means richer, more complex flavors. Perfect Pantry "This is the jar to have if anchovies aren't part of your norm. One fillet changes up a salad or add one to a nice simple pasta dish. Easy to store on the door of your reefer, good quality ensures that they will keep for awhile and not fall apart like so many brands." -- . Shop now for Scalia Anchovy Fillets in Olive Oil! 
Cooking Classes for 2020
Paris and Valentine's Day, Asian Fusion, Simple Cooking, Visit Sardinia, Visit Catalan, Visit Marrakech, Go to Sicily. ChefShop Cooking Class
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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 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 |
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Chicken with Preserved Lemons Recipe This is a classic Chicken Tagine recipe -- but you don't need a tagine to make it. This one was adapted from Chef Erin Coopey (SheSpeaks.com). It's traditionally served over couscous, but if you want to go gluten free, serve it over quinoa. Or just eat it all by itself. Coconut Quinoa Pudding Recipe This is a super recipe, adapted from Lauren Feldman's Heritage Grains workshop. She makes a chai version of this recipe that is out of this world, as well. If it is not sweet enough, you can always sprinkle some coconut palm sugar on top. Yum! Quinoa Risotto with Black Dried Currants and Golden Raisins Recipe Takes the attention of a classic risotto, and the results are as rewarding. Take your time adding the heated broth and enjoy the benefits of the time you have just stirring. You end up with a rewarding bowl of food. |
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