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Easy Tapas recipes, versatile summer ingredients, treats and more at chefshop.com/enews |
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Cool, easy Iced Chai mix, pour, swizzle and sit! Nothing beats a glass of water, really nothing beats an ice cold glass of water when you are really super duper thirsty and it is hot, super hot out. Which seems like now, and "now" seems like more often than ever. But, what about when you are done harvesting the day's crops, reaching the peak of the mountain top, or baking the cake, and you have already had your quart of cold water? That's when you want something more. Your mouth wants taste. Your mind wants flavor. Your body wants cool. Iced coffee. Iced tea. Lemonade. Now all those are good, even mixing them up is good, too, and cool drinks say summer to me. Trouble is, these days remembering to remember to make something in advance, like lemonade and iced tea, seems a lot harder to do. Then there is the storage, the room in the fridge to keep it cool, and the sticky mess that I can never seem to avoid. So my new drink of choice is virtually instant, that means quick, without any advanced prep, you just pour over ice. Perfect for right now! Chai (tea) with the addition of cream (or milk), sweetened condensed milk added to ice in a jar (or a glass). I rarely follow the directions when making my Jaipur Avenue Chai. Often what I make is from a barista bag; I take 2 scoops and add hot water. I never measure the water as it will vary based on my mood. In this case though, I do. The wrong ratio to start with and you will end up with a watered down, melting ice "anything" that is like drinking bad flavored water. So, I followed the first step from the package, and then added some extras and success! It was easy, delicious, flavorful, colorful, cold, and achieved the all important goal of relaxation. Think relaxing on the summer porch with the lake in view as the sun sets and as the moon rises. Shop now for easy mix Jaipur Avenue Chai! |
Simple Iced Chai recipe What could be more refreshing than a cold iced Chai? Well, many things I suppose. How many are as easy as this and isn't something you have had a zillion times before? Not many, if any! See the Simple Iced Chai recipe here! |
Essential Summer Cooling Beat the heat with Sweet! While the heat is on here, with the caveat that 99 degrees to Seattle is like 125 to the Mojave, it seemed like a good time to test some drinks. Cold water, refreshing ice water is always best, but alas, earlier in the day all the ice was used to keep the cherries cool! Next on the list was a root beer float, but the ice cream just wasn’t refreshing. An Arnold Palmer is always good, but in the heat all I wanted was more...and the test kitchen (my office in the sun) was way past 92 now. And then (and finally), cold water (remember no ice available) from the fridge with a jigger (or shot is 1.5 - 2.5 oz., the smaller 1 oz. jigger is often referred to as a "pony shot") of Elderflower Syrup. And you guessed it, it was the cat’s meow, the duck’s quack, eel’s ankles, elephant’s arches, and even the bee’s knees! It was refreshing, calming and it felt cooling. If the bottle has anything left in the fall you can bake a cake, or a muffin or two, but in the heat of the summer Elderflower syrup is the cat’s pajamas to twisting any mixed drink! Shop now for D'Arbo Elderflower Syrup here! |
Marcona Almonds Snacks with salt, crunchy and flavorful, perfect to pop in the mouth These are so good! Like hazelnuts from Piedmont and Sicilian pistachios, Marcona almonds from Spain are prized the world over. Some even say Marcona almonds are the finest in the world. Almost round and very flat, Marcona almonds look different from California garden-variety almonds, and they have a richer, more intensely nutty flavor. Our Spanish Marcona almonds are toasted in sunflower oil and lightly salted, and the result is a crisp, tender and super-flavorful almond. If you haven't had them, try them at least once...we bet you won't be sorry! And before you ask about olive oil roasted nuts, we like these sunflower ones, because they are reliable in taste, in quality of the oil and they don't turn to the dark side like the olive oil ones do. Shop now for Marcona Almonds from Spain! |
Marcona Almonds all dressed up Fried almonds with the skin on! When you take a look, at first they look like someone made a mistake and fried them too long. When you find out that they have their skin on and you taste one, you realize what genius they are! The salt, the almond and the fried skin make just the right combination in this nutty (well actually seedy) treat. Like candy, almonds seem to draw your hand to them. The salty crunch is addictive and good for you. Like the golden raisins, it's a great snack, and better than a bag of candy corn or malted chocolate sport balls. Mix them with salted marcona almonds and you have a delightful appetizer. Just for you! Shop now for Marcona Almonds with their Skin on! |
Deviled Dates a big hit Recipe! Always a big hit in the Spanish Tapas Cooking Class. We made them with Applewood Smoked Bacon, Marcona Almonds and Fra'Mani Salametto. So easy and so perfect. See the Deviled Dates Recipe! |
Medjool Dates One of Natures amazing food gifts! On an acre of land, up to fifty females and one male can grow in harmony. A 15 to 20 year old tree will yield about 200 pounds of Medjool dates a year. Where fossils show they thrived 50 million years ago, humans have been cultivating them for 6,000 years. Hundreds of varieties are grown worldwide, while only twelve are grown in the States. Of those, over 90% of the total US crop are grown in the Coachella Valley. Though they have been in the US since the 18th century when the Spaniards planted them around their missionaries, it wasn't until 1927 that the Medjool variety was brought here to the US. In 1927, when a fungal disease threatened to decimate the entire Moroccan Medjool date industry, 11 offshoots were brought to the U.S. by a horticulturalist. After a seven-year quarantine in Nevada, the nine surviving plants were sent to Southern California. Those original nine plants are the ancestors of the millions of Medjool date palms that grow in California today. With a nickname, "The King of Dates", Medjool dates are a deep amber-brown with crinkly skin and a glow all their own. The sticky flesh melts in your mouth with a perfect mix of sweetness that reminds you of caramel honey cinnamon! Based on taste and melt-in-your-mouth texture, the Medjool date is definitely the "king" of dates - and it is easy to understand why these dates alone were reserved for the Moroccan royalty. To store Medjools, leave them covered on the counter for up to a week or place them in an air-tight container in the refrigerator for up to six months. Shop now for Medjool Dates! |
Salame Salametto from Fra'mani! This Fra'Mani Salametto is a small, coarsely ground, garlic-scented salami. This Italian dry salami is rich in color, full flavored and robust - ideal for snacks and a handy accompaniment on picnics and outdoor excursions. Slice easily to desired thickness with a good knife. Each one is approximately 3/4 pound. Fra'Mani Salametto pork comes from family farmers committed to the well-being of their animals and their land. The hogs are never given antibiotics, artificial growth hormones, growth-promoting agents or meat by-products. They eat only the finest grains and natural feed. This old-fashioned way to raise hogs produces pork of outstanding quality, which is the essential ingredient in all Fra'Mani salumi. Fra'Mani Italian dry salami are made from the finest-quality fresh pork and natural hog casings. Hand-tied with natural twine and slowly mold ripened. Extended aging in the Fra'Mani cantina di stagionatura for highly-developed flavor and aroma. Shop now for Fra'Mani Salame Salametto ! |
Back-in-Stock new shipment of our favorite tuna! We love this tuna! This sashimi-grade young tuna is individually caught with single hook lines and is flash frozen solid at sea right after it is caught, making it a sustainable canned tuna, as well as a tasty one! Averaging up to 50% less mercury than many common store brands, this tuna has more omega 3 fatty acids than most salmon! All of Lummi Island's wild-caught canned tuna comes from one second-generation tuna fisherman, Paul Hill, and his crew, who care about the fish and making sustainable canned tuna. Because of the special gear they use, they get virtually no bycatch. Best Canned Tuna "I’ve tried many canned tunas, and this one is the best. It has a fresh mild flavor, with a firm flakey texture. Most canned tunas are more water than fish; a very fishy waterlogged mess in a can. This problem simply did not exist. With most canned tunas I’ve had, the only way to enjoy them is drain and squeeze out all of the water and turn it into a tuna salad. Lummi Island tuna was so good, I could enjoy it straight from the can. Lummi Island Tuna is delicious and I highly recommend it" -- leah Shop now for Lummi Island Wild-Caught Canned Tuna! |
Piquillo Peppers Stuffed with Tuna and Capers Recipe The ever-versatile Piquillo Pepper is perfect for stuffing - with just about anything - so, why not with the BEST tuna in the world? Click to see the Piquillo Peppers Stuffed with Tuna and Capers recipe here! |
Piquillo Peppers these are perfect for stuffing! These peppers are perfect for stuffing. They are (a little more) thick-skinned compared to others and easy to hold in the palm of your hand while you stuff. Shop now for Roasted Piquillo Peppers! |
Pantescan Salted Capers perfect for stuffing peppers Not just for stuffing, these capers fit the bill for any summer salad or easy pasta dish. These are small "non-pareil" Pantescan capers, full of flavor. By being preserved in sea salt means that none of the aromatic flavor has been lost. These capers are grown on the island of Pantelleria and preserved in the native sea salt by Agostino Recca. The island of Pantelleria is 70 km away from Africa and 85 km from Sicily. It is considered by many culinary aficionados as the ultimate source for capers. Shop now for Recca Pantescan Salted Capers - Non-Pareil! |
Alvear Dry PX Sherry Vinegar 100% Pedro Ximenez Pedro Ximénez Sweet Vinegars from Spain are a step above ordinary sherry vinegar. It all begins with Alvear’s award-winning dry sherry wines of Montilla. There are just a few less than a zillion sherry vinegars out there in the world. We only have two. Well, actually we have three now. And they all are special, worth having and each have chefs who swear by only one! What’s so very special about these two aged (10 and 12 years) Pedro Ximenez sherry-style vinegars is that they start with Alvear’s award-winning, dry sherry-style wines of Montilla. Made using the traditional Solera method of fermentation and aging as a DOP Sherry vinegar. These 100% Pedro Ximenez Sherrys bring the amazing flavor profile over as they transition into vinegar! So many sherry vinegars are sharp, and can barely carry more than one note. These two, dry and sweet, are very special, complex, each with many flavor notes that is more akin to a fine wine than a typical harsh vinegar. With careful sampling, you can taste the wood of the aging barrels and the fruitiness of the grape that makes these PX sherry vinegars very, very special. The dry, aged 12 years, has so much aroma punch it puckers your inner nose and soul. You can taste the wood in the finish, almost like a caramel flavor. A sharpness and an edge to the flavor receptors clearly defines lines, but not so painful that it isn't pleasant and rewarding. The sweet to the nose is, well, sweet. It too, has some distinct notes, well defined but not quite as aggressive; a more rounded edge. The sweet sings too, but perhaps a little less complex, leaving you with a smooth feeling. These Pedro Ximenez sherry vinegars are at the top of the food pyramid. Think a simple Kefta Rub with the dry sherry for a beef or pork grill. The sweet would go well in a fruit cherry compote, a little acidity would make it sing! Shop now for Alvear Dry PX Sherry Vinegar! |
La Dalia Pimentón de la Vera Smoked Spanish Sweet Paprika Pimentón de la Vera is a paprika made from luscious red peppers (pimientos) grown in the La Vera microclimate of Spain's Extremadura region. When harvest begins in the fall, entire families get involved. The mature peppers are placed in drying houses, where they are smoke-dried over oak fires - the mark of genuine pimenton de la vera. The dried peppers are then stone ground into a powder. La Dalia Pimenton de la Vera is D.O. protected - Pimento de la Vera was the first pepper to receive such designation in Spain. Dulce is the "sweet" version of this smoked paprika (rather than hot-spicy); its hint of sweetness flows through its smoky warm flavor. The flavor of pimentón is much more complex than Hungarian paprika and is an absolutely essential ingredient for many Spanish dishes. Shop now for La Dalia Pimentón de la Vera - Smoked Spanish Sweet Paprika |
Drunken Raisins Arthritis fighter?! When grapes dry, the high concentration of sugars produces nature’s candy that are called raisins and are over 70% fructose. Containing iron, vitamin C, calcium, boron (essential for bone health and osteoporosis prevention by helping absorb minerals like calcium and magnesium), kaempferol flavonoid (may reduce your risk for cancer and cardiovascular disease with its anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial agent) , quercetin (antihistamine properties), catechins phytonutrient (may help to oxidize fat and improve your cognitive power!) and oleanic acid, making this "candy" a fighter of tooth decay by attacking the bacteria that causes cavities. Golden raisins have more of the above than dark raisins, except for the one that makes you “smarter”. The difference in the raisins, dark (Thompson) and golden (White Muscat or Thompson), is the drying process. The dark is dried by the sun, and the golden are dried indoors, most often in ovens. These drunken raisins for arthritis are treated with sulfur dioxide to keep them light in color during the drying process. (About 1 in 100 people have some allergy to sulfur dioxide.) Drunken raisins for arthritis is an interesting “cure”. Perhaps a bit like “snake oil” of the wild west, it has a strong following and is believed to help alleviate the pain associated with arthritis. There is a lot of anecdotal evidence showing this to be true, with many people talking about how it works for them. And, there are others that poo-poo it, saying it’s nothing but a placebo. I suppose if it works for you, you might not care how these drunken raisins for arthritis work, right? Arthritis pain is like a cold 40º day in the Northwest, where your skin is warm but your bones ache and it seems like there is nothing you can do about it! Drunken Raisins for arthritis is pretty simple to make, it just takes a little time. In a jar or dish that can be left open, place golden raisins and cover with gin that is made from juniper. Let the mixture sit a week to a month to let all the alcohol evaporate, then eat about 8 raisins a day. I had a friend who was in terrible pain and when he started this process I thought he was joking, thinking it was just a “gin” excuse, until he told me that you wait until the alcohol is gone. Perhaps the benefit is a combination of the ritual of taking matters into your own hands, the golden raisin's health benefits, and the juniper in the gin. Try it and let us know. It’s only golden raisins and gin...either way, it can’t be bad.... Shop now for Golden Raisins |
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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. | |
We love the Lapin Cherry Picked-at-Their-Peak Sweet Washington Cherries The Lapin is almost always the (dimensions) largest cherry harvested on the planet every year. The big crunch and the juicy bite is just so perfect! Not as concentrated a "cherry" flavor as the Bing, and not as sharp as the sweetheart, in a scientific poll of two different orchard men, they choose the Lapin as their favorite. Huge, sweet, delicious cherries "There are huge cherries, as wide as a round measuring tablespoon, and look just like the ones traditionally pictured on slot machines. They arrived in perfect condition and were at their peak for the first week, and they sweetened over the second week. I'm already looking forward to next year's crop!" -- lori Order Sweet Washington Lapin Cherries Picked-at-their-Peak to perfection 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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Almond Cake with Cherry Sorbet & Sugared Cherries Recipe So, this recipe is a bit of a cheat. It uses a premade almond cake from France - but that does not take away from the wonderful flavor of, not only the cake, but the fresh, sweet cherries. Fresh Cherry Dessert Compote Recipe Adapted from How to Pick a Peach, by Russ Parsons. We highly recommend this book! Check it out for down-to-earth advice on finding the best produce -- along with plenty of great recipes. Here's a brilliant way to turn frozen or fresh (but maybe not perfect for eating) cherries into an irresistible dessert. Serve over vanilla ice cream, and you're set. Look for cherry "seconds" at your local farmers' market - still delicious, but less aesthetically perfect than the "firsts." Chicken Salad with Mangos and Argan Oil Recipe This is a very simple chicken and mango salad and can be made with a good olive oil, instead of argan oil. But the argan oil gives it a slightly different, slightly Moroccan taste -- as well as adding lots of health benefits. |
| See what you missed in previous Newsletters |
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Hot Dogs & Hamburgers, 4th of July Ideas Birthday Brunch, Great Ingredients Cherries Now, Balsamic, Cookies |
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