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Sugar, Grenadine Syrup, Kala Namak and More Recipes at chefshop.com/enews |
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| Recipes | Chef's Pantries | Shop for Food & Ingredients | Food Blog |
Unrefined Jaggery Powder from Jaipur Avenue - Seattle! There are all kinds of sugars on our kitchen counter at home. We have dark and light muscovados, organic cinnamon sugar, a small Pyrex of vanilla sugar, and a jar of mixed leftover sugars consisting of “not enough of anything to keep”. We have loved sugar since we started and like many of you, I personally have loved anything sweet my whole life. As we have gotten older our tastes have changed and our sugar desires changed, too. Is it sophistication or experience that directs our desires and moods? For me, sugar needs to be more than sweet; sweet is good of course, yet sweet alone is not everything. You really want the sweet to be multi-dimensional, to have some spunk, a flavor variety, a twist, like something new that you recognize, yet still is different. Is it better? Yes, in many ways a good sugar has a sweetness that is something totally new. It brings on new flavor, excitement if you will. When was the last time you took a spoonful of sugar and put it in your mouth? I bet it has been a longtime...perhaps since you were first able to sit on a chair and be able to see over the edge of the dining table with the family. If you were to try this now, like I did last week, you might be as surprised as I was. That old sweetness, just sugar, really has no flavor. Boring, kind of repulsive actually. So when we discovered Dark Muscovado sugar 20-some years ago, we thought we had discovered a new life! And to this day we still love Dark Muscovado and think you really should have some in your essential pantry to do the duties that a brown sugar might, yet it is not for everything. Perhaps it has a little too much personality to be used as an all around sweetener. Murakami Syouten Crushed Brown Sugar from Hateruma Island is a sugar we have met recently and it is spectacular. And though it is “sugar”, as it is made from sugarcane, it is more sugarcane, the whole plant if you will, and is way less processed than white sugar and with that process comes amazing healthy properties. Steen’s pure cane sugar or Sorghum are liquid sweetness with flavor and a taste all their own. Jaggery (which you may know as Guda) is a whole, unrefined sugar that is as pure as any sugar from sugar cane can be. Compared to most sugars, especially refined white sugar, Jaggery has good properties. According to Ayurveda, Jaggery has Ushna (hot) properties and eating some daily after meals improves your digestion and can prevent constipation. Jaggery is made from the juice of sugarcane and sometimes from the sap of the date tree and is formed into a block. From there it takes on different forms. At ChefShop we have a crushed form, that has some little round globe-like pieces and finer granules, as well. Eat the little globes with your fingertips to get a shot of adrenaline and a hit of flavor, even regularity. With the rich aroma of molasses, Jaggery is like a wonderful perfume of sweetness. If you like sweet like I do, you have to have some jaggery in your life! Use as you would white sugar and eat it with abandon, just like you would like life to be. All out! Sweet and with a happy smell! This is a sugar I have to have in my personal essential pantry! Shop Now for Unrefined Jaggery! |
Nut Chikki - Brittle recipe Brittle is so easy and so fun to switch when you switch it up with jaggery. Check out the Nut Chikki recipe! |
Picked-at-Their-Peak Sweet Washington Cherries! We can't wait for summertime fruit! Here in Washington, cherries are at the heart of our local farmers' markets all through July. At ChefShop.com, we work with the Stennes Family, a fourth generation family of farmers in the fruitful Wenatchee Valley. Every year we wait impatiently for the Picked-at-their-Peak cherries to arrive at the warehouse. And now we are just weeks away! With great anticipation, we will open the boxes for a first peek at all those impeccable beauties, we can hardly wait to taste, and once we do, we launch right into the nuances of this year's crop. Is it better than last year's? What about the ones we had three years ago? We talk about the way the cherry crunches, how much juice spurts out when our teeth break through the skin, and how unbelievably sweet and fresh they are. Though the cherries are hand selected during picking of the tree and then hand sorted on the line, they will get one more sort, where we hand choose the very best we can cull from the boxes, all with the stem intact. As the locals know, our rejects are awesome! And if we aren’t careful, too many can go too far! Preorder now for Picked-at-their-Peak Sweet Washington Cherries! |
A Key Ingredient to Make a great Shirley Temple Jack Rudy's Grenadine Syrup Taking an essential component, in this case grenadine, and making old new again. It's about going backwards in time and making a grenadine that is absolutely splendid'ish’esh for our taste receptors, and not just for them, but also for our memories. Taking the old formula of pomegranate (from a single family farm) & cane sugar, along with a few other ingredients, in a procedure that is undoubtedly a secret, is to make a great grenadine that is not only new, but also harkens to the past. From Medieval Latin, pomum granatum, describing apple with many seeds, and grenade in old French meaning pomegranate, it is thus deduced that Grenadine's etymology comes from its main ingredient, pomegranate juice. The most modern of grenadine ingredients have changed from these three basic ingredients, replacing grenade with red currants and other fruit juices. And then, to lower the cost of production even more, manufacturers have turned to a high fructose corn syrup, citric acid, sodium citrate, sodium benzoate, and the addition of flavorings & food coloring, skipping fruit altogether, not exactly true to the name! Unlike pomegranate “syrup”, which has a tendency to be sour and tart, and sometimes even bitter, Jack Rudy's Grenadine is the perfect mix of sweet, flavor-rich and sour. It’s so good that you can eat it with a spoon! If we still had the direct flight on Piedmont Airlines from Seattle to South Carolina it would be worth hopping a plane just to get this Grenadine (and a bottle of Tonic Syrup), that's how good it is. Good thing we have our own supply! Shop now for both Tonic and Grenadine! Enhance your life with a Roy Rogers (cola & grenadine), or a Shirley Temple (ginger ale & grenadine). Either way, with a good ginger ale or cola and using the original maraschino cherry, you can definitely go back in time! Shop now for Jack Rudy's Grenadine Syrup! |
My love affair with cornmeal by Ann E Cornmeal or Polenta? I have always heard that Italians use the word polenta to describe both, the ground corn (a.k.a. cornmeal) and the delicious cooked porridge made with cornmeal. When I decided to consult my Dizionario Garzanti, I found polenta defined as a “food made with farina di granturco,” i.e. cornmeal, or literally, “flour of corn.” In most cases, products called cornmeal or polenta can be used interchangeably, but some American cooks find that the cornmeal available in supermarkets is ground too finely for a successful polenta, while they dislike the coarser texture of traditional polenta in baking. My love affair with cornmeal began with corn muffins. I grew up in Rhode Island, and in New England, corn muffins are available in every bakery and in every supermarket, and they’re on many restaurant breakfast menus. You order them “toasted” - aka slapped on the short-order grill and slathered with butter. When I moved to Seattle, I experienced many food-related shocks: no decent bagels; yellowish potato salad pre-packaged in little plastic tubs; no iced coffee (really) and no corn muffins. Thank goodness I had my Fannie Farmer along and was able to bake my own. Happily, I’ve passed on my love of corn muffins to my daughter. I’ll often drop a dollop of honey or jam into the middle of each one before baking, but my favorite addition is a really wonderful Five Fruit Marmalade – but kids are more likely to enjoy strawberry or blueberry jam. Raisins, dried or fresh chopped cranberries, pecans and fresh blueberries all taste really good and add pleasing texture. Molasses and cornmeal are a classic pairing, particularly delicious in Indian Pudding, that uniquely New England treat. My dad was a huge fan, and though I usually prefer a chocolate dessert, I still think a bowl of warm Indian Pudding topped with vanilla ice cream is simply wonderful: homey and satisfying, and even relatively healthy. Until I made a batch for this article, I hadn’t tasted Indian Pudding in years. Another famous New England pairing of cornmeal and molasses is Boston Brown Bread, a dense, moist, sweet bread that steams slowly in the oven. It’s almost sweet enough for dessert, perhaps topped with hard sauce, but spread with cream cheese it makes a very satisfying breakfast loaf, with enough fiber to keep you satisfied throughout the morning. Moving from sweet corn muffins towards the savory side of the spectrum leads to cornbread, often served with stews or chilis or as a stuffing for turkey. There are many, many variations of savory cornbread, some with traditional Thanksgiving herbs like sage and thyme, and others made with cheese, chiles and other Southwestern flavors. Shop now for Yellow Polenta! |
Corn Muffin Recipe! A corn muffin is a treat. It is simple and it is a wonderful food. See the Cornmeal Muffin Recipe here! |
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Indian Pudding Recipe From 1896, the Fannie Farmer Boston Cooking-School Cook Book. See the Indian Pudding Recipe here! |
Ground Ginger Organic Ginger has great health qualities and packs a wonderful distinctive punch of fragrant flavor. During the grilling season, be sure to add fresh ginger to your favorite marinade. Or, if you are like me and never have fresh on hand, use this ready-to-go ground ginger! Add a couple of pinches to stir-fries, sauces for meat or chicken, or stewed fruit or applesauce. Ginger is also a common addition to savory Moroccan dishes. Ground Ginger is perfect for your essential pantry. Shop now for Organic Ground Ginger! |
Saigon Cinnamon ground This cinnamon packs a healthy of vibrant punch! Vietnamese cinnamon is invigoratingly potent, with a rich, spicy flavor. You may need less than you're accustomed to! An excellent choice for dishes sweet and savory, from cookies to pie to stews. Shop now for Saigon Ground Cinnamon! |
Back-in-Stock Wild Smoked Salmon Chowder! I can't wait to get out and go camping this year! It has been a very busy year so far, and though the call of the wild has been calling, I just have not been able to break away, though in my free time I gather and organize and unpack and repack and spend an inordinate amount of time on the cooking tools. And a lot of mindshare is spent thinking about what to eat...this year I am thinking minimalist cooking. I am thinking classic camping choices like open cans of beans and dress them up. I have 5 different types of canned beans to mix together in one pot...or I will make a s'mores crumble, crushed graham crackers with melted chocolate mixed in, then topped with flaming marshmallows. And Wild Smoked Salmon Chowder. These pouches of chowdah are perfect for camping. Empty into a pot and heat, or boil some water and drop a couple of pouches in over the fire and your dinner work is done! The result is delicious and rewarding. It is fabulous to eat, and warming after the sun sets, whether you are sitting around the campfire, in your tent, in your RV, or your home! Shop now for Wild Smoked Salmon Chowder! |
Butter Beans from Italy Canned beans from country to country are as different as canned tuna from country to country. The great quality from Rega Rega goes into every can of beans. These Italian canned butter beans are easy to use; open a can and eat, though, rinsing them with a little water is best. Add to a pasta like the Italians do, or to make quick salad a hearty meal. Perfect for your essential pantry. Shop now for Butter Beans! |
Rigatoni Sgambaro Pasta Traditional rigatoni pasta - large tube pasta - drawn through bronze, so that the surface is rough, and ready to take whatever sauce or stuffing you give it. Just like when you were a kid - but better. Shop now for Rigatoni Pasta! |
Green Yuzu Kosho Awesome, hot, but not hot like you have had before.... Yuzu Kosho is a fresh, herby Japanese sweet and spicy relish. It's great for adding a delicious dash of flavor to fish, vegetables, even a turkey sandwich. You may already have seen it at your favorite sushi spot or noodle house. Occasionally tucked in with the soy sauce, oyster sauce and garlic-chile paste is a jar of a mysterious, pea-green-colored condiment. If you're an intrepid eater, you may already know this culinary charmer...but if you haven't yet, it's time you met Yuzu Kosho. What is Yuzu? Yuzu Kosho Japanese hot sauce is a blend of the rind of yuzu (a citrus fruit with notes of grapefruit, lemon and lime) and kosho (a spicy green chile), mashed together with a good deal of salt: three powerful flavors colluding in a ravishing Japanese sweet and spicy relish. A simple combination, but the flavor is so savory-sweet-pungent that you might be tempted to slather instead of dollop! Use a little restraint, though; the stuff packs some intense heat. Originally a specialty of the Kyushu area - where it's often paired with yakitori, a dish of skewered meat cooked over charcoal - yuzu kosho's popularity spread throughout Japan and is now making its way into the international culinary scene. Its versatility and persuasive flavors work well with so many dishes. Stir it into a bowl of udon noodles and top with some cooling shiso, a Japanese herb in the mint and basil family; toss it with sautéed eggplant, onions and tomatoes mellowed with purple basil; use it in place of, or alongside your ginger and wasabi with sushi. For an international take, try combining it with oil and marinating some flank steak for an out-of-mind fajita filling; add it to a garlicky aioli for a twist or stir it into a dried-fruit-and-nut-spiked pilau. Shop now for Yuzu Kosho Green! |
Five Fruit Marmalade from the Lake District in England This is one of our all time favorite marmalades on the planet. The use of five fruits make this special marmalade full of fun. Every bite is a bit different and yet bonded to the previous bite. The marmalade is handmade with carefully selected, perfectly ripe, orange, lemon, grapefruit, lime and satsuma citrus. The result creates this terrific, chunky marmalade (nothing else is added except sugar and water) for your eating pleasure. Five Fruit marmalade is a morning charmer on toast, but it also lends itself well to baking - marmalade muffins are a fresh, fun take on breakfast! Shop now for Hawkshead Five Fruit Marmalade! |
Ginger Chai Seattle - Mumbai Ginger is one of my favorite Jaipur Chai flavors - warming with a little ginger kick. It awakens you with a zesty zing. Since the occupation, chai has been a daily tradition shared with friends and family. Chai is traditionally a freshly-brewed black tea with added milk, spices and sugar. With Jaipur Chai, you can make the perfect chai elixir by simply adding hot water. Each packet has just the right amount of tea, real milk powder, sugar and spices to create an authentic chai beverage instantly. It's a perfect, soothing combination, which not only gives us a little pick up, but settles our spirit and calms our nerves. Shop now for Ginger Chai! |
Kala Namak This is the most interesting salt Though it finishes with saltiness, this salt starts with egg. That’s right, egg, or more correctly the sulfur (iron sulfide) compound transforms the salt. And if you don’t know that's what's coming, your taste buds instantly will, and they send emergency alerts racing out the back of your mouth on an impulse nerve to your gustatory cortex to panic you that what you are tasting is spoiled... ...but then something else happens and you reach for another crystal to taste, just to confirm what your gustatory cortex is telling you. This time though, because you expect an eggy taste, you also taste an explosion of vapor, if that makes any sense at all. And the salt comes alive, as a partnership of elements which comes out and surprise and please, yes please, your palate! This is one palate pleasing, pleasantly performing salt! Kala Namak is also known as Indian black salt, kala loon. himalayan black salt, sulemani namak. The color of the salt ranges from brownish-pink to dark purple after it has been ground. Kala namak starts as a halite, commonly known as rock salt, and is mined from the Himalayan salt range. The halite is put through a reduction–oxidation reaction; this is any chemical reaction in which the oxidation number of a molecule, atom, or ion changes by gaining or losing an electron. Our Himalayan Black Rock Salt is mined in the Indian subcontinent and is in its purest form, without treatment or any refinement process. Packed with 84 essential minerals, it is black after the reduction–oxidation reaction and turns the red-purple color when it is ground into a finer salt. Long considered a cooling element in Ayurveda medicine, it is used as a digestive aid and for heartburn. Lower in sodium than many other salts, it is a good option for those who need to watch their intake of sodium. Used in chutneys, chaats, salads, and fruits - in almost any dish. The salt can be used with tofu to mimic eggs for your vegan friends or mixed in (or sprinkled on top) of an avocado (which is delish!). Kala Namak (despite its egginess) is quite versatile. Use it almost everywhere you salt today (including your bath water!). This is one palate pleasing, pleasantly performing salt! Shop now for Kala Namak - the eggy salt! |
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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. STORE HOURS: Monday thru Saturday: 10 to 5 Closed Sunday. Please let us know if you would like a private shopping time and we will do our best to accommodate you. We now have multiple HEPA medical grade air filters running 24 hours a day in the shop. Please keep in mind we are limiting the number of people in the shop at one time and masks are required. If you are feeling sick for any reason please choose a different time to visit. We may perform random temperature checks. | |
Sweet Washington Cherries Picked at their Peak! Perfect Bing cherries ... large, crisp and sweet! "I love cherries, and have traveled to purchase them just picked, and to taste different varieties. I hate the mushy cherries available in supermarkets in Los Angeles. These Bing cherries were the largest I have ever seen, dark, with a pleasant snap to the skin, and sweet flesh. They arrived in perfect condition, ready to eat, and with instructions on how to preserve them for a week. We ate every one." -- naomi amazing! "Super huge! So sweet, fresh and great flavor! I love them so much. I'll definitely order next year again:)" -- sayaka Preorder your Fresh Sweet Washington Cherries now! 
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Store Hours - Monday thru Friday 10 to 5, Saturday 10 to 5 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 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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Double Dark Chocolate Oatmeal Cookies Recipe These rich treats get their name and richness from the double dose of darkness - cocoa powder and bittersweet couverture chocolate chips. They get their chewy-crunchy texture from Scottish pinhead oats, and it's a mélange a trois made in heaven. Quinoa and Avocado Salad Recipe This recipe was adapted from the Feb/Mar, 2010 issue of Fine Cooking Magazine. We had the magazine open in our store, because the issue included a nice article about avocados -- and they talk about Reed avocados (and mention us, by the way). A customer requested we add this recipe to our website -- so that she may add it to her repertoire. I made a few minor changes. Homemade Asparagus Risotto Recipe This is another easy, delicious asparagus recipe that works as a side dish just as well as a main dish. Since this is a showcase for the green spears of spring make sure that you get the freshest asparagus you can. |
| See what you missed in previous Newsletters |
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Order Chocolate Now, 18 Month Su Entu, Recipes & More Barberries - Way More Versatile Than You Thought, Recipes & More Moku Bar, Giant Olives, Recipes & More |
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