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Our Lady of Guadalupe Trappist Abbey Fruitcake The Willamette Valley in Oregon is home to 200 wineries and 10,000 acres of wine grapes. The beautiful rolling hills of the McMinnville/Lafayette area are striped with rows and rows of grapevines, where cool-climate grape varieties flourish. When David Lett’s local Pinot Noir won top honors in the 1979 Gault-Millau French Wine Olympiad, the valley’s position as a viable wine-making region was validated. But there’s more here than wine. In 1965, when hopeful vintners were planting their first Pinot Noir grapes, the Trappist monks of the Our Lady of Guadalupe Abbey had already been in the valley for ten years. They too, came for the soil and the climate, relocating from New Mexico in search of land more hospitable to farming than what they found in the Southwest. Today, the Abbey and the ever-growing wine industry continue to live peacefully side by side, both communities nurtured and inspired by the beauty and bounty of the landscape. Our Lady of Guadalupe is a community of 32 monks, most of whom have spent their adult lives at this Abbey. Their days are filled with prayer, work, spiritual study and contemplation. Trappists are committed to self-sufficiency and strive to live solely by the work of their own hands. To this end, Our Lady of Guadalupe is home to several small industries: they harvest 900 acres of Douglas Fir, operate a small bookbinding shop and a large wine warehouse serving their neighbors --- and they bake an amazing fruitcake. We visited the Abbey on a cool, rainy day in late September. As we drove along the quiet road leading to the monastery, it was easy to imagine spending many quiet hours among these hills and scattered stands of fir trees. Our host was Father Richard, the Abbey’s business manager, who took us through the cluster of buildings on our way to the bakery. In the bookbindery, monks work silently at their tasks, hand-binding theses, periodicals and monographs. In the wine warehouse, the feeling is more contemporary, as several loud forklifts move through a maze of cases of wine stacked almost to the ceiling. The monastery’s decision to begin making fruitcake in the early 1980s was a purely pragmatic one. Their business building church pews and office furniture was dwindling, and they needed another source of income from an activity that would accommodate their aging population. At the suggestion of a monk who had run a similar business, they began to experiment with various fruitcake recipes – the monks themselves were the official taste-testers. In 1982, the Abbey began to bake and sell Trappist Abbey Fruitcake. In the early days, one monk, Brother Eugene, did all the baking. Now, three monks – all well into their seventies or beyond - work in the bakery each morning from the end of January until the beginning of October, and they bake more than 20,000 fruitcakes each year. The Trappist Abbey recipe is old-fashioned and straightforward – no scary, shiny green cherries here - and includes a three-month aging process after the cakes are soaked in brandy. Father Peter and Father Paul alternate the job of mixing and pouring the cake batter, and Brother Eugene helps when his health allows. After the batter is mixed and poured into the pans, the monks carefully top each loaf with their signature pattern of nuts and cherries, and then the fruitcakes bake at a low temperature for just under three hours. The monks work in silence, but Father Peter is quick to smile warmly and happy to answer our questions. Father Richard has been the monastery’s business manager since 1983. He is friendly and energetic; he’s dressed in blue jeans, boots, and a fleece vest, and he seems very much a man of the 21st century. In fact, he’s one of the only monks who has any regular contact with the outside world, and despite his clothing, his cell phone, and his modern office, Father Richard has spent most of the last 30 years within the confines of the abbey. Trappist monks belong to the monastic family following Christ according to the Rule of Saint Benedict. The name “Trappist” comes from a reform movement that began in the 17th century at a French monastery, La Trappe, in Normandy. There are now 100 communities of Trappist monks, and 69 communities of Trappistine nuns around the world. Our Lady of Guadalupe has a retreat facility where retreatants – men and women of all denominations - are welcomed for short stays in the four cottages. The simple buildings surround a lovely, peaceful pond, and 800 acres of woodland offer unlimited opportunity for contemplative walks and hikes. After a morning of observing work and prayer at Our Lady of Guadalupe, we’re invited to stay for lunch at the retreat center. The monks are vegetarians and eat simply, and we enjoy a lovely meal with Father Richard before heading back to the “real world.” It has been many years since we visited Father Richard that first time. And after all these years we still love the fruitcake from Trappist Abbey, and eat slivers of fruitcake all season long! Shop Now for Trappist Abbey Fruitcake! |
No No Nonnettes! A wonderful treat of wheat and honey These moist (not moist) cakes are soft to the poke, whilst being firm to the touch. Some consider them dry, but they are not. Les Nonnettes are not a cake nor even a cupcake (which after all is really just a small cake), nor a bread at all. Nonnettes are more like a sugar iced gingerbread, which is not a cookie, but a bread. Actually Les Nonnettes are closer to Pain d'épice, a spice bread (which when translated is gingerbread). Pain d’épices is a sourdough that is left in a wooden trough for months while the honeyed rye flour ferments and then shaped and baked into loaves. Les Nonnettes have a similar process with a shorter fermentation time. Though that isn’t really a correct comparison, either. Originally from the Burgundy region (there is no mustard in these), they were made by the nuns (at the local nunnery) to hand out, share and sell to the visitors. And that is where the name, Les Nonnette, "little nun", comes from. With no fat and with the natural preservative of honey, these little bundles of joy keep well and keep you well, too. From snacking to a meal, you can indulge anytime of the day, at home or on the road. I absolutely love these nonnettes! And I look forward to seeing them show up in the shop for the season. This year I snuck a roll (it’s a pack of 6) out to make sure they are as wonderful as I remember and to “photo” them along with a cup of tea. These palm-sized spiced breads with a delectable jam center are just perfect for a bite of joy! I have no single favorite, I am happy with all of them. For Tea for Two. Shop now for Les Ruchers De Bourgogne Honey Nonnettes! |
Cherry and Chocolate Flamigni Panettone It has never been my favorite, until last year. when for some reason, it was. This year, we won't know for awhile if we can even have one. Just about the perfect taste combination - cherries and chocolate. Perfect for French toast or bread pudding -- or just plain toasted. You can't go wrong. Started by three brothers in the 1930s, Flamigni continues to make their panettone in the main square of Forli, in the Romagna region of Italy. Flamigni has a knack for not only making classic panettone, but putting scrumptious taste combinations together that are hard to resist. All their cakes are made the traditional way, with the original mother yeast, along with quality, all natural ingredients. I never pass up having a sample when no one is looking. Shop now for Cherry and Chocolate Panettone! |
Three Cheese Mac and Cheese recipe Make this recipe yours with any pasta shape! Not all pasta dishes are Italian...well, actually Macaroni (as in the shape) and Cheese (as in Parmigiano-Reggiano) might have been the original one in the 13th century "Book of Cooking" - "Liber do Coquina". It was in 1937 that Kraft Foods launched Macaroni and Cheese in a box. With rationing in effect during the war, Mac and Cheese became a staple and an all-American dish of sorts. Since then we have been making our own mac and cheese using Velveeta and cream of mushroom soup. You can't go wrong making your own variation! Change the pasta and change the cheese. If it's a bust give it to your neighbor as holiday cheer! This recipe is from Food and Wine magazine. Three types of cheese, sour cream and egg yolks make it ridiculously rich and delicious. The recipe was created by Ben Vaughn of Restaurant Grace in Memphis, Tennessee. Click here to make this 3 Cheese Mac and Cheese recipe |
Pasta You can never have enough pasta in the pantry! Rarely is a shape of pasta as important as it is to a memory. A good memory, certainly a good food memory, can often come down to just one bite of pasta. And that is when the shape matters. Spaghetti, a long straight pasta, is really a very curvy pasta that changes with the tide, with the times. Boiling water makes change, and a rigid thought (like spaghetti) changes when you add it to a boiling pot of hot salty water. And then, when you add sauce to the mix, from a heavy tomato-based meatball to a simple salt of the sea and excellent olive oil from any country, you have a memory worth keeping! Pasta is about sharing, breaking bread, if you will, it is a wonderful family food. Shop now for Pasta! |
Fleur de Sel Salt of the sea! Sea salt is, in fact, salt from the sea. From around the globe there is salt from every ocean available. Some are good and some are less so. Though it is really hard to do, tasting salt is eye opening! Gourmet sea salts can taste completely different from one another. Without the additives some companies put in salt so it will "flow" without caking, the salts can have distinct flavors. One salt tasted like the water that one used to swallow as a child, others are truly "salty" and others, like those from the Guérande, are the sweetest salt you will ever have. Browse our collection of sea salt for cooking Here! |
Love Story #1 I want to tell you a wonderful love story... Well, not really. I wish I could tell you that it was a romantic summer evening in a wonderful café in Paris. But really, the best part of this business trip so far had been the long plane flight from Seattle to Charles de Gaulle. It wasn’t summer but winter, and though Paris is a wonderful city of store windows and lights in December, I was alone and very, very cold. I stepped into a little café and had a bite of something to eat and a cup of coffee, French-style. The food was good, though not memorable, and the coffee was hot and strong. What was memorable was the treat that arrived with the coffee: two wonderful little chocolate cordials, one filled with Armagnac and a cherry, the other with rum and a whole seedless grape. They were the perfect complement to the coffee, and the perfect antidote to a dull and lonely trip. A lovely surprise, but really, what else would one expect when traveling to one of the most romantic cities in the world? These are not mere candy, they were rather a fine dessert to be savored (and inhaled). We invite you to bring the romance of France to your home and your holidays with a box of Mademoiselle de Margaux. Shop now for Mademoiselle de Margaux Cherries! |
Antica Torroneria Piemontese Dark Chocolate Quadrotto with Hazlenuts! These favorite chocolate "squares" are packed with flavor! Yes, it is chocolate, this one is laced with hazelnuts, and full of the chocolate flavor you want. I love that when you eat it, it satisfies the craving you have. They don't try to be fancy or "special". Instead it is just chocolate. And it is wonderful! Shop now for Chocolate Quadrotta with Hazelnuts! |
Chateau Virant tasting notes Amazing Gold Medal Award winning French Olive Oil! To the nose, it is wild and full of olive and is super tingly to the inner nostril hairs. The color is a light yellow green, without any dark shadows or edges on the spoon. To the tip of the tongue, there are some great wonderful soft touches. It feels good. The flavor of the oil is distinct and you can taste it here with just a touch. Full of richness, a mouthful will surprise you. It starts like a nice French oil, buttery and vapory and just as it disappears there is an explosion of olive and just before, if you pay attention, your nose will tingle again, and then you will get this, almost an assault, a large push of tickle, actually a massive tickle that makes you cough. Some might think it is a peppery finish, which it is, yet it is not an Italian peppery kick. It starts so round and finishes with a great olive cloud. The punch is the surprise and the flavor is so special. This is the best this oil has been in forever! Chateau Virant Famille Cheylan, AOP Huile d’Olive D’aix-en-Provence, is the Concours Général Agricole, Médaille d’OR (Gold Medal) winner, Paris 2020! Shop now for Chateau Virant AOP Olive Oil! |
This Unassuming Little Bag Is packed with true Holiday Cheer A small handful of Antica Torroneria Piemontese Hazelnut Pralines eaten one at a time is just about right. These hazelnut pralines are wicked good! Let’s face it, take fabulous nuts, these hazelnuts, boil them in sugar until crisp and brown and how could you go wrong? Pour them out and enjoy! Shop now for The bag filled with nuts! |
Beaufort Cheese! A summer cheese from the Alps! 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 Shop now for Beaufort Cheese! |
Cherry & Hazelnut Torrone "...I reveled in the ambrosial food that fructifies the soul, the mind, the heart." Mark Twain The first bite is hard and soft, a bite that is not too sticky (like you might expect) and, if you're lucky, you will cross through a hazelnut on the way adding just the right nut crunch. As a gift it makes the perfect statement, one of respect, and caring without going overboard. It’s understated in size and flair, though the red box says a lot, it’s what’s inside that counts! And this is one great red box of holiday sweetness! (Tina, your red box of Torroneria is on it’s way!) Shop now for Cherry and Hazelnut Torrone! |
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Katie's Fudge Sauce! with Orange Bitters Recipe! It's one of those "stir the pot" recipes. Really quite easy, super rewarding and you really can't mess it up! Those are the best! Click here for Katie's Fudge Sauce with Orange Bitters Recipe! |
Flamigni Contadino Panettone A wonderful bright cake! It has fruit. Mixed Fruit, though this year I don't view it as mixed, more like the perfect match of Pear, Apple, Peach and Apricot in the wonderful cake/bread of Flamigni Panettone. Not too much of anything, just about the perfect amount of everything. I never pass up having a sample when no one is looking. It is one of my favorites every year. Spectacular "The texture of this panettone was airy; and the flavors were unbeatable. Truly a treat to enjoy!" -- beatrice Order now your Flamigni Contadino Panettone! |
ChefShop Cocoa Powder! Speed is one of the true benefits of having cocoa powder on hand. Making hot chocolate? Add a little chocolate to your morning oatmeal? Cocoa powder is a no brainer.... Have cocoa powder on hand, always. And you can add the sugar as needed. Shop now for Cocoa Powder! |
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Got questions? Call or email and we will do our best to answer your questions! We love sharing our taste opinions about all our products. We moved a ton of stuff around. The warehouse is packed to the gunnels and there is barely room for 2 feet to walk. The store is close to finished, all we need to do is stock the shelves and find places to put all the panettone, the new chocolate, torrone, fruitcake and cookies! Local customers 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. And if you want a private store shopping time, before or after normal hours, please let us know and we will do our best to accommodate your request. | |
Last week's #1 seller! Panettone from Italy! No surprise here. It is Panettone season and the early birds have been scooping up their faves. We have 5 panettones sold out already. Don't worry, there are still 30 varieties to choose from! Just to be safe, if you see something you like, you might want to order it up now! We are shipping as soon as we can, and still waiting on shipments to arrive, as well. Shop now for the Italian Panettone! 
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Store Hours - Monday Thru Saturday! If your order has been confirmed as "ORDER READY FOR PICKUP" 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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Traditional Fruitcake Recipe When I was looking for fruitcake recipes, I wanted one that was jam-packed with dried and candied fruit -- like the Trappist Monks make in Oregon. This is the closest one I could find. This one come from JoyOfBaking,com, who apparently got it from Nigel Slater's 'The Kitchen Diaries'. I made a few adjustments to this dark Christmas fruitcake recipe, but pretty much it is perfect the way it is - if you like fruitcake, that is. 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. Traditional Pain d'Epice (Honey Spice Cake) Recipe Not the grocery store variety Pain D'Epice - this classic French tea bread, when made right, is moist and delicious. Make it a day ahead to give the spices a chance to bloom. When you are cooking with honey, you want to focus mostly on flavor - as opposed to the health benefits of the honey which will largely be lost in the cooking. For this recipe, we recommend a more floral honey, like a traditional Lavender Honey or Ohi'a Lehua, or a more citrus-y honey, like Citrus Blossom honey. I would avoid the more powerful honeys, like Chestnut or Oak Tree Honey, as they can overwhelm the flavor of the cake. Then again, if you like those flavors, you might want to experiment with them. It's really up to you. |
| See what you missed in previous Newsletters |
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Panettone! Capers, Cherries, Flakes, Luxardo Buttate La Pasta, Fermented, Pollen, Blossom Apple Pie, Sorghum Sweet, Salami, Farrotto Recipe |
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