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Life changing Abricot from France, A fragrant trip to Paradise, Walnuts, Coconuts and more at chefshop.com/enews |
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| Recipes | Chef's Pantries | Shop for Food & Ingredients | Food Blog |
French Abricot Jam Sometimes unrequited love is worth it. For many of us apricots are a “yeah, whatever” or “never touch ‘em” and others can’t wait until May or June when the first of the apricots are ripe on the tree. (This is really a sweet year here for apricots.) A great fresh apricot is like candy. Hard to comprehend when our first taste of an apricot is a dried one, tart and chewy and quite unappealing. So we think, why bother.... So many foods, when you have them fresh, as close to the earth as possible, picked-at-their-peak, can be mind blowing good. Like a fresh apricot. And sometimes, those foods can be transformed, placed into a jar and come out just like you want them to be. Freshly delicious! And that's what we have here. This Abricot fruit is cooked in a copper cauldron with brown sugar, where time and patience make all the difference. It is by all tastes, amazing! It tastes like fresh apricots, though never sharp or sour, and it is like a spoonful of a sweet treat. The flavor of apricot, the way a freshly bitten fruit would be, is all there, swelling like a balloon rising, the smoothness of the flavor envelops all the senses, with the right cheek filling more than the left and then the tongue feels the weight of the flavor. And then suddenly you realize the physical being is gone, and all you are tasting is the memory! And what a memory! It is indeed splendiferous. It is indeed spoon ready, and perfect for a croissant, sourdough bread, scone, oatmeal, cheese, pork chop and chicken. Limit 2 jars per order. Extremely limited supply until the next production. Shop now for La Trinquelinette Apricot Jam! |
Crépe basic Based on Jaques Pepin's Recipe Crépes are really easy to make, fun to do and a fun challenge to make perfect. When you get it just right you will pat yourself on the back. And before that moment you will be eating a wonderful, easy and inexpensive meal. A little jam like Abricot is a perfect match to a couple of crépes for breakfast or even a light afternoon snack! Watch Chef Jaques Pepin make a crépe with incredible ease. His food always tastes good (which means amazing!) Click here to watch (in new window). click here to see the Crépe basic Recipe! |
Shepherd's Grain Pastry Flour Shepherd’s Grain premium pastry flour is a blend of renowned, soft white wheat and has a lower amount of gluten than all-purpose flour, lending to a lighter and less-chewy crumb or flake. Used in pie dough and other confections, Shepherd’s Grain pastry flour is a staple of the discerning pastry chef. Great for all sorts of pastries like puffs, croissants, eclairs, cannoli, strudels, and crépes, of course! Shop now for Shepherd's Grain Pastry Flour! |
Castor Bakers Cane Sugar Also known as "caster sugar", this sugar has granules that are very fine and dry. A superior quality sugar, it is the workhorse of professional Pastry Chefs because it dissolves so easily in batters and doughs, leaving them very smooth. Especially appreciated for genoise, other sponge cakes, and meringue. It also dissolves very quickly in liquids, so it's great for iced tea. Once you use caster sugar it is hard to go back. The superfine granules dissolve so quickly and smoothly you don't ever wonder if it will melt in time. Shop now for Superfine Cane Sugar! |
Nicolas Aliziari Intense and Fruity French Olive Oil This olive oil is the magical blend of a variety of olives that are harvested early, still green. Unlike his classic blue tin -- which is 100% late harvest nicoise olive. To the nose there is almost no odor to inhale. In fact, you might need to pull the liquid up in order to get a hint of anything. To the lips (yes lips), as you dip your upper lip and sip in, the lip sends you sensory signals about a warm feel, all enveloping. It is quite unusual and even minutes later you feel as if your lip has gained a wonderful friend. To the mouth the flavor has both a top and a bottom. Buttery smooth, with a touch of hazelnut, along with the olive light green and a lower touch on the outer edges of the tongue. And if you take a big gulp you can get a hit of spice dead center in the back of your throat. This Nicolas ALZIARI olive oil is subtle, smooth, sophisticated and complex. One spoonful is not enough to really understand all it has to offer! This is one way cool oil to have. Shop now for Nicolas Alziari Intense and Fruity Olive Oil (Red Tin)! |
A Fragrant Trip to Paradise What started as an aid mission ended up launching a tropical business that is turning the world of vanilla up-side-down. Years ago, a dairy farmer from New Zealand, John Ross, set out on the trip of a lifetime. Leaving his homeland in his self-built 52-foot launch, he headed for the island nation of Tonga to celebrate his 60th birthday. He eventually landed on the exotic tropical Island of Vava'u, part of the island nation of Tonga, and settled in the village of Utungake, befriending the local chieftain of the village and his family, the Latu family. 
Although John did some immediate work to help the village, like building a playground for the local school children and building living quarters for the local school teacher, John’s goal ultimately was more long-term — to find a more sustainable agricultural project, one that would help the village prosper in the long run, and give the locals, many of whom were well educated, a way to earn a living without leaving their island paradise. 
During harvest John, along with the village elders, eventually decided that vanilla was an ideal crop to grown on Tonga. Land was plentiful, the climate was perfect (like coffee and chocolate, the world’s vanilla all grows within 20-degrees of the equator), and there was plenty of highly capably local labor available to help cultivate the labor-intensive crop. Add to that the fact that vanilla prices are good, and not as susceptible to wild seasonal price fluctuations, unlike many more common tropical fruit crops. In fact, vanilla has been known to fetch as much as $300 to $500 a kilo on the world market – which makes it the second most expensive crop in the world, after saffron.
Before the mid-19th century, most of the world’s vanilla was grown in Mexico. That was before a French botanist named Charles François Antoine Marren discovered, much by accident in 1836, how a certain black bee in the Veracruz area of Mexico was key to the vanilla’s pollination. In 1841, and after much experimentation, Marren figured out how to pollinate the vanilla flowers by hand.
In 1819, French entrepreneurs had shipped vanilla beans to the tropical islands of Reuion and Mauritius, hoping to produce vanilla there. But the tropical orchids were unproductive, until Edmond Albius heard about Marren’s methods, and started pollinating the vanilla flowers by hand. Soon, orchids were sent to the Comoros Islands and Madagascar, and by 1898, most of the world’s vanilla pods were coming from locations other than Mexico. Currently, Madagascar is now responsible for 58% of the world’s vanilla production, and the vast majority of the bourbon cultivar. 
There are three main varieties of vanilla: Bourbon Vanilla (V. planifolia) is the classic and most common vanilla bean, and is largely grown in the Indian Ocean islands, such as Madagascar, Comoros and Reunion. Mexican vanilla is also V. planifolia, but is frequently mixed with an artificial bean-like extract, which smells and tastes much like vanilla, but can be toxic to your liver; Tahitian Vanilla (V. tahitiensis) beans are bigger and more floral than the Bourbon beans, and are largely grown in French Polynesia; West Indian Vanilla (V. pompon) is a strain grown primarily in the Caribbean.
Ultimately, it took over three years of love, care and hard work to get the plantation on Tongo off the ground. It is a very labor-intensive process to develop and nurture the vanilla vines to the point where they can produce a viable crop; each vanilla flower must be hand-pollinated as soon as the blooms appear, as there are no bees on the island, and pods then take nine months to grow, all the while the vines need to be trained, weeded and pruned, all while maintaining organic horticultural practices. Once mature, the pods are hand-picked, dipped in hot water, and then dried on special trays, as the curing process begins and the aroma and flavor is carefully developed. Jennifer of Heilala Vanilla 
Heilala’s Tonga Plantation celebrated its first commercial crop in 2005; 40 kilos of vanilla pods – each picked and processed by hand. Today, the Tonga plantation employs over 30 people, and they harvested over 20 tons of green beans, which were dried and processed into vanilla products by John’s daughter, Jennifer, and son-in-law, Garth Boggiss, in Tauranga, New Zealand.
Only the best organic vanilla beans are used for Heilala's cold extraction and unique aging process. The result? A true vanilla aroma and the purest taste imaginable.
This versatile bourbon vanilla extract is perfect for all your baking needs. Whenever a recipe calls for vanilla extract or essence, turn to Heilala. Freshly harvested each year, this bourbon vanilla extract tastes like vanilla and smells more like a bean than alcohol. This is double strength (two-times the "vanilla" flavor or less diluted than 1X), no sugar, and Heilala is wheat free. Double fold extract has 37% alcohol. Using a whey alcohol, this ethanol has no allergens. It is free from dairy and wheat, and has a less offensive alcohol odor. Heilala is the only company that controls their vanilla from seed to final product. They are dedicated to growing and producing natural, sustainably grown vanilla. Great care has been taken from begining to end. Shop now for Heilala Bourbon Vanilla Extract! |
Deviled Eggs with Bleu Cheese Mustard Recipe I absolutely LOVE homemade deviled eggs. But I am very picky about my deviled eggs. My favorites were made by Frances, the elderly Italian woman who used to clean my grandparents' house when I was a little girl - no relish, nothing fancy, just good, old-fashioned deviled eggs. The beauty about deviled eggs is that you can't mess them up. Add what you want to change it up, try just about anything for fun. So easy to make. Deviled Eggs are one of those foods that are just calling for a new twist. So, if you like homemade deviled eggs with a little something extra, try out this recipe.... Click here for the Deviled Egg Recipe! |
Back-in-Stock - Swedish Fish These Swedish Fish have a following and for good reason. They are unique. The sour ones are good because they are sour. The cold smoked is cold smoked and they don't make you feel sick after you eat them, unlike others of the same name. They are good, and what more can you want from a Swedish Fish. Excellent Splurge for Licorice Lovers "I bought these in a small store locally and then went online to find them again. These are delicious - a much lighter licorice flavor than the Australian type. Very firm chewy consistency. The salty cold-smoked flavor is very good...different. They really are cold-smoked!" -- roberta Shop now for Swedish Fish! |
Smashing Garlic Herbivoracious Video Tip The many ways to prepare your garlic with just your Chef's knife. Click here to see How to smash your garlic - a video tip! |
Chocolate Covered Walnuts From France! It has taken forever for these nuts to get a following. We have always loved them. I have always loved them. Though I only got them as leftovers, long past the pull date and I thought they were pretty gosh darn special! And then last holiday I had a sample from the (fresh) samples and remembered how truly special tasting these are. They are so good! Don't think for a moment that they are covered in gloppy milk chocolate, these walnuts are covered in dark chocolate that somehow seems like cocoa powder melted. The crunch is good, the taste is great and the combination is fabulous! To Die For "I have an irresistibility index I apply to chocolate. How long does it take to stop eating without painful self denial? For all of ChefShop’s remarkable collection of dark chocolates, for the Pralus bars, the Margaux cherries, the Arriba couverture, the Slitti bars, the Quadrotta, the Cleopatra pearls, the irresistibility index is way above average. But for the chocolate covered walnuts, it is off the charts. To stop, lock yourself in another room." -- victor hazan Shop now for Domaine de Bequignol Chocolate Covered Walnuts! |
Buy 2 for the price of 1 Premium Coconut Milk Cream 100% Natural Premium Coconut Cream. Not a nut. A fruit or drupe, this nut is not a nut and not nearly as dangerous as one is led to believe. Contrary to popular belief, these nuts are not deadly. As the common saying goes, “If the fall doesn't hurt you, you'll be better for it.“ Just a few hundred people a year die from coconuts falling on their head worldwide, so one is reasonably safe unless there's a coconut tree nearby. Coconut milk and water, on the other hand, have been touted recently as exponentially, unbelievably, very fabulous for you. We don't know about that, but we do know that the Ayam coconut milk that we use is indeed fabulous! Consisting of just two ingredients: coconut kernel extract and water. That's it. Filled with lots of B vitamins and other good stuff, coconut milk is a versatile and surprisingly useful ingredient to have in your pantry. Ayam coconut milk is useful for desserts such as coconut cream pie, coconut cupcakes, coconut hot white chocolate, and of course coconut ice cream. It’s also a wonderful ingredient in savory dishes. Think of a Thai Curry for your shrimp or a coconut rice (use coconut milk to cook the rice) or a wonderful curry garlic pepper milk sauce for your fresh fish! We opened and tasted a boat load of coconut milk and this is the best we have found! Shop now for Coconut Milk Cream! |
Picked-at-their-Peak Sweet Washington Cherries Just two Varieties of cherries left...so far the Early Robins, the Bings and the Rainiers, so big and packed full of cherry flavor, have been shipped! The Lapin is next, shipping Monday, often the biggest cherry on the block! Good snap and juicy. With less "bing tart cherry" punch or "flavor", it is the favorite of many of the cherry farmers we know. Next up after the Lapins are the Sweetheart. Last and never least, the Sweetheart. It is not the sweetest, but most often the sharpest and tartest of the sweet cherries. Some like it for a sweet pie, others like its twist on how to be sweet! Every year this cherry has gotten better and bigger! Happy Customer "These cherries are incredible! Drew and the Chef Shop have the BEST customer service in the WORLD!" -- kristeen Pre-order now for Fresh Washington Cherries! |
Cocoa Powder! Best cocoa I've ever used! Cocoa powder is not just for brownies, or chocolate syrup, though they are both quite useful this time of year. Cocoa powder can make life chocolate filled any way you want it to be. From ice cream to smoothies to breakfast, lunch and dinner! A perfect way to get a little of that healthful cocoa powder into your morning smoothie routine. Perfect for the early summer when the mango and strawberries are just coming into the market. Click here for the Moon & Star Berries Smoothie Recipe! Love this Cocoa Powder!! "I use this in baking and put a little in my chocolate smoothie every day. I've tried others, but this is my favorite." -- april Shop now for ChefShop Cocoa Powder! |
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We are shipping as normal. We are having unexpected outages and addressing them as they come up. Let us know if we can help find that ingredient you Shipping times have gotten better and more reliable. There are still a few random delays. The store has picked up as well. Please remember to bring a mask or call if you want us to bring out your order to the parking lot. We also have masks if you forget yours. If you want a private shopping time in the store, early or late, please let us know and we will do our best to accommodate your request. | |
Last Week's #1 Seller! For the second week in a row, koji demand is high What great fun to make what you have made before all new! It does work and easy to do. There is no perfection here. It is literally grind up the rice into a powder, rub it on, refrigerate in a zip lock bag for 2 days, rub and wash it off and cook! And you will have kitchen success! Grilling success! Shop now for koji! 
Cooking Classes for 2020
We will have classes again. If you have signed up for a class it is still good for any class of your choice when we do start them up again. So no worries. ChefShop Cooking Class
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Store Hours - Monday Thru Saturday! If your order has been confirmed as ready in email (or you were called) and want it brought to you in the parking lot, call us when you arrive and we will run it out to you. 206-286-9988 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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Socca (Provencal Crepes) Recipe This is a Provencal Crepe version, using chickpea flour. Deviled Eggs with Capers & Tarragon Recipe These Deviled Eggs replace some of the traditional mayonnaise with olive oil, and the capers and fresh tarragon make for a lively flavor that’s a nice change from the classic mayo/mustard combination. Rice & Vegetable Salad Recipe Any short grain rice will work -- but Tamaki Haiga works especially well as it has a little extra flavor. However, you can also use a medium or long grain rice -- just remember to let the rice salad come to room temperature before serving. |
| See what you missed in previous Newsletters |
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Harissa, Yuzu, Super Hot, Flowers Koji Magic Grilling Yuzu Hot Sauce, More Pistachios, Iconic Moroccan, Cheap Everyday Salt |
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