French Virgin Walnut Oil!

This oil is very quiet. Reserved, subtle, and delicious, it's an oil that will knock your socks off in a very quiet way.

Inhale, and you get a wonderful aroma unlike any other. Wow! The whiff alone is spectacular!

On the tongue, this huile de noix is only "oily" for a moment before it disappears into a light vapor, imparting an intense, pure, eye-popping, walnut-filled clean flavor.

This pure virgin walnut oil is tops in class, winning Gold multiple times! Filled with polyunsaturated fatty acids in the form of omega-3s, like most nut oils, this is good for memory and cardiovascular health.

It's an oil for flavoring and for finishing a dish, but not for cooking. Use it in dressings for salads, from lentils or beans to any and all greens. Swirl it into soups and blend it into dips for a nutty edge. Or, simply drizzle some over a rare tuna steak or a bowl of fresh pasta with goat cheese and asparagus. Or, simply top a fresh plate of pasta!

How ever you try it, this oil is a wonder and a joy!

Shop Now for French Virgin Pure Walnut Oil!

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This walnut oil vinaigrette salad dressing is perfect over oven-roasted beet wedges, oven-roasted asparagus, or wild greens and chopped walnut pieces. Consider making a salad with radicchio and spinach and include apples, pears, nuts, and cheeses.

See the Walnut Oil Vinaigrette Recipe here!

In the beginning of time, at least for this Katz vinegar, it was named Champagne, as was all vinegar of this type which came from a wine with bubbles. And then Albert had an epiphany—the sparkling wine didn't come from Champagne, France; instead, it came from great sparkling Chardonnay wine in Napa/Suisun Valley, and voila!—his vinegar was renamed Sparkling Wine Vinegar. And the rest is history!

The result was a vinegar that took off! Chefs all around the region swooped it up. This is a wonderful, versatile, and full-flavored vinegar.

Champagne or Sparkling Wine Vinegar is considered the lightest of vinegars, and that usually means a bit more acid on the tongue, and a light flavor of the base "champagne" remains after production. This delicious sparkling wine vinegar is made slowly, the old-fashioned way, and that means it's full of flavor.

Katz & Co.'s Sparkling Wine Vinegar is made in Sonoma from high-quality sparkling wine stock, Chardonnay—so technically, it's a 'sparkling wine' vinegar. It offers crisp and pleasant acidity, hints of vanilla from the oak, and subtle nuances of sweet melon and cucumber in the finish. It is perfect for salads with fresh greens and marinades, as well as a cooking/deglazing liquid.

Shop Now for Sparkling Wine Vinegar!

Iio Jozo is a family-owned vinegar company that was founded in 1893 and is located just outside the seaside town of Miyazu, Japan.

They are known for producing the highest-quality rice vinegar in Japan, which they achieve by using the best ingredients and time-tested traditional methods.

Iio Jozo controls the process from start to finish, even growing some of their own rice, and they use only 100% new-harvest, pesticide-free rice to make their vinegar.

Iio-san, the third generation of the Iio family, noticed 50 years ago that the pesticides used by local rice farmers were killing every living thing in their paddies. He convinced some of the local farmers to grow their rice without using pesticides, and to this day, Iio Jozo continues to use only pesticide-free rice in their vinegar.

Today, Iio Jozo is run by Akihiro Iio, the fifth generation president, who has maintained his family's commitment to traditional vinegar making while keeping an eye on the future. They produce amazing vinegar by controlling and perfecting every step in the process.

To make rice vinegar, Iio Jozo ferments the premium rice using traditional methods to make sake. They use a hand-powered wooden press to squeeze the sake out of the fermented rice.

It takes about 100 days on average for the living "good" bacteria in the vinegar mother to ferment the sake into vinegar. However, Iio-san ages this vinegar for 8 months to give it a more rounded and appealing flavor.

In total, it takes about a year for Iio Jozo to make rice vinegar, which is significantly longer than the huge vinegar companies, which can produce a batch of their rice vinegar in a day.

Iio Jozo also uses a larger quantity of rice in their vinegar compared to other producers. According to Japanese law, to call a product 'rice vinegar,' you have to use at least 40 grams of rice to produce 1 liter of vinegar.

However, Iio Jozo uses 200 grams/liter for their 'standard' rice vinegar and 320 grams/liter for their 'premium' product, which results in a superior quality rice vinegar.

Shop Now for Iio Jozo Premium Pure Rice Vinegar!

The basics are here. Add and switch elements to the core recipe and make it your own. Dip dumplings and potstickers or even spoon over rice.

See the easy Dipping Sauce Recipe here!

Not all shoyus/soy sauces are the same. They can go beyond just a salty flavoring liquid, and even when they seem to taste the same, a soy sauce can transform even the simplest of dishes, like a bowl of rice, into something magical! And, like a fine wine or an excellent estate olive oil, aged shoyus are special and unique!

There are, of course, many artisan soy sauce (shoyu) producers all across Japan. But the finest and most unique Japanese kishibori shoyus are produced by small- and medium-sized, family-run shoyu breweries that use traditional ingredients and labor-intensive production methods.

JAPANESE KISHIBORI SHOYU is manufactured by the Takesan Company. Takesan was established in the early 20th century by Yoshiji Takebe. It is located on the small island of Shodoshima in the Seto Inland Sea, one of only 14 artisan brewers like the Shodoshima Island-based, family-run shoyu brewer featured in the Netflix series "SALT FAT ACID HEAT."

Shodoshima is located between the main Japanese island of Honshu and neighboring Shikoku and has a 400-year-old history of artisan shoyu production. Takesan is one of only 14 traditional shoyu member brewers of the Shodoshima Shoyu Association.

Shodoshima, which is a 60-square-mile island, is the second-largest of the more than 700 islands in Japan's Seto Inland Sea. Since the 14th century, the Seto Inland area has been known as a salt-producing region. As a result, many shoyu brewers began production there in the 17th century, using the island's high-quality salt.

Shodoshima is the fourth-largest shoyu production region in Japan, with over 30 factories on the island, but only 14 are established members of the Shodoshima Shoyu Association.

Takesan Company only uses the finest quality whole soybeans, wheat, and sea salt. The steamed soybeans, toasted wheat, salt, and mineral water are left to ferment in traditional and well-seasoned cedar barrels for one year. The barrels themselves have been in use in the production of artisan soy sauce for more than 100 years.

Because of the mild winters in the region (the temperature does not go below 50°F), the shoyu continues to ferment all year round. The end result is a delightfully complex shoyu teeming with organic acids and a wonderful flavor. Unlike mass-produced shoyu, KISHIBORI SHOYU soy sauce is not treated with additional alcohol or preservatives and does not have any additives or preservatives—it doesn't need it. The filtered shoyu is just pasteurized and bottled, leaving all its natural umami intact.

Shop Now for Japanese Kishibori Shoyu!

I love these olives! A mouthful for me while some have to bite them in half first! The firm, tasty flesh is truly glorious! Eye closing delightful. The pit is pointy and as big as some of those wimpy olives you used to have in college. This is what a mature olive should be!

Olives are old. Cultivated olive trees spread from Asia Minor to the Mediterranean basin 6,000 years ago and predate written language.

Many of us grew up knowing olives by color or by whether they were pitted or stuffed. We knew them as this delicious, soft vegetable placed on salads or pizza.

As our culinary knowledge has expanded, we have learned that olives, by the time they arrive in the palm of our hands, come in many colors. These colors are based in part on when they are plucked from the tree: green is sooner, black is later or riper. Riper is not better, just different.

There is no such thing as a green olive tree—or a black one for that matter. Like humans, olives all start the same, with the same structure; they just look different when they ripen, and depending on the brining, they taste different, too.

And then there is variety. The big four—green, black, pitted, and stuffed—are not varieties. In fact, there are over 2,000 varieties of olives grown in warm climates around the world.

We have learned that the mighty olive is a drupe, a fruit (not a vegetable) with a single pit, like a peach or a cherry.

Unlike their sweet brethren, olives contain a compound called oleuropein. This is the bitterness that fills the olive. Olives off the tree are not filled with joy; instead, they are filled with bitterness from the oleuropein.

To achieve the desirable love you know, you have to cure them, a fermentation of sorts.

Curing removes the yucky taste of oleuropein and phenols from the olives, resulting in quite a tasty treat!

Understanding the curing process may result in knowing which olives you prefer. The curing of olives can happen in the sun, in salt, in lye, water, or brine. Lye is the fastest and water takes the longest, and brine-curing can take up to a year.

In the end, olives should never be mushy; soft can be okay, firm is good, and color will vary. Stuffed olives are delicious and have a dedicated shaken and stirred following.

These large green Italian olives are from Cerignola, Italy and have recently become incredibly popular! They are big and beautiful! If you have a small mouth, you might have to bite off a little at a time. The pit itself is as big as some olives. The saltiness of the brine and soft, firm flesh is delicious and satisfying, so much so that one olive, plus sucking on the pit, lasts longer and is more satisfying than a bag of potato chips!

This is one of my all-time favorite olives. The big, mouth-filling olive is firm, with a great crunch, lots of meat to eat, and just the right brine; they are soooo good! Get some giant green olives here!

Shop Now for Fratepietro Bella de Cerignola Green Olives in Brine!

This version of a vinaigrette has the perfect amount of sweetness, contrasted with the unusual citrus flavor of the sudachi. Without the addition of mustard it is more clear in its presentation. This recipe has five of my favorite things!

See the easy Sudachi Citrus Vinaigrette Recipe here!

Take the wonderful flavor-rich yuzu peel, candied with beet sugar and millet jelly, put it in a package that easily fits in a purse or jeans back-pocket and you have a treat that is real!

Shop Now for Kankitsu Labo Dry Candied Yuzu Peel!

"Made for me originally by a friend, in a wonderful cottage on the lake. We sat with friends and ate the nuts along with a cool drink. Who would think that nuts, as simple as this, would be so perfect on one summer afternoon! Cheers!"

See the easy Best Bar Nut Recipe here!

Kampot is a province in Southwest Cambodia where pepper is grown. This land has a wonderful exposure to the sun, great air from the neighboring sea, and plentiful rainfall.

Peppercorns have been grown in this region since the 13th century, planted by the Chinese. When the French occupied the region in the 19th and 20th centuries, they turned pepper into an industry. At the time, the majority of the eight thousand tons of pepper produced were shipped to France.

In the 1970s, the civil war in Cambodia disrupted and all but stopped the production of Kampot peppercorns.

Ten years ago, Kampot peppercorns were revived by generational family farms. The Ministry of Trade and the French Development Agency established the PGI (Protected Geographical Indication) label. Kampot Pepper is the first PGI designation for Cambodia.

This designation has strict requirements that must be met, including the use of natural fertilizers, natural pesticides, and traceability. Only plantations accredited as members of the KPPA (Kampot Pepper Promotion Association) are allowed to sell pepper using the Kampot Pepper certificate of origin.

In September, bunches of pepper start to develop in a show of intense green color. They continue to grow into January as they mature.

To create this salted green Kampot pepper, they first harvest the green peppercorns by hand while still young, which are then fermented to enhance their flavor.

This salted pepper is the first we have tried from the Kampot region in Cambodia, and it is awesome! The drupe is small, light in weight, dark in color, salty and tingly spicy, maybe even hot to some.

Literally pop some salted pepper in your mouth and bite down. It's not hard or solid like other peppercorns, in fact, it is like a hollow kernel. One little Kampot peppercorn delicately covered with fine ground salt is a flavor powerhouse!

Holy Mackerel! This salted pepper is a super treat of epic proportions! Flavor, spice, and everything nice, it is indeed a stunner for the taste buds!

Shop now for Salted Black Kampot Peppercorns!

This recipe is adapted from Joan Namkoong's cookbook, "Go Home, Cook Rice." A fabulous cookbook!

Portuguese bean soup is an Island favorite, unique to the Portuguese community which adapted their recipe to the local ingredients of Hawaii.

Although the recipe has amounts listed—there are no exact amounts—Joan recommends using whatever you have in your fridge or around the house, in whatever quantities you like. Kale, chard, watercress, macaroni, chili flakes...whatever. The only well-defined ingredient is the Portuguese sausage. And it is wonderful with Tiger Eye Beans.

This recipe freezes well.

See the Portuguese Bean Soup Recipe here!

The original bean from South America, the Tiger Eye Bean has a buttery-smooth texture, and a rich and hearty flavor. It lends a tender melt-in-your-mouth appeal to your plate. We love these beans as a creamy soup, refried or in a bean casserole.

Shop Now for Organic Tiger Eye Beans!

These Stem Ginger Shortbread Biscuits are handmade by the House of Edinburgh, a family-owned bakery based in Edinburgh, Scotland. These biscuits are made using a traditional Scottish family recipe that creates one of the best bites of Shortbread you will ever have.

Made in small batches using only the finest natural ingredients, without any artificial colors or preservatives. Packaged in a wonderful metal round tin. Each tin contains seven round shortbread biscuits, sealed in a bag within the tin.

The first bite is wonderful. The stem ginger adds the warmth and a distinctive touch to shortbread!

These cans have a date of July and are discounted 30%. While supplies last!

Shop now for House of Edinburgh Ginger Shortbread Biscuits!

Picked-at-their-Peak fresh cherries are harvested and shipped between early-June and late-July.

Reserve your Quintet of Cherries today.

All five fresh, sweet cherry varieties - for a grand total of 23 pounds of organic cherries delivered.

Early Robins - 4 pounds - Currently estimated to ship in JUNE.

Bing - 5 pounds - Currently estimated to ship in Mid to Late JUNE.

Rainier - 4 pounds - Currently estimated to ship in Late JUNE/Early JULY.

Lapins - 5 Pounds - Currently estimated to ship in Early JULY. 

Sweethearts - 5 Pounds - Currently estimated to ship in Mid to Late JULY.

Preorder your Sweet Washington Cherries Now!