Panettone Arriving, Holiday Treats, Shortbread, Panforte and more at chefshop.com/enews
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The smell of the warehouse is changing!
And it's wonderful!
As the pallets of product arrive, the Panettone dominates all! Even when wrapped in stretch film (which we recycle), the boxes smell of the sweet Panettone. What fun!
Each pallet has secrets encased in boxes that we pull off to see what's inside. It almost becomes a guessing game as we anticipate what each box might contain. Shortbread? Panforte? Marmalade? Pistachio Crema? Torrone? Marshmallows? Grappa Pie?
It's fun! If it is an old friend, it brings exclamations of joy remembered, and if it is new, we all want to touch and inspect and can't wait to take a bite!
Not everything has shown up yet; some won't show for a while, others arrive early, and the rest on time, just as expected. It's all part of the shipping game.
In the warehouse, we are moving everything around to make room for the next shipment to arrive. Calmly, in a frenetic pace, we move items into the store to clear the floor in the warehouse for the next wave of inbound pallets.
We hope for no rain, so when the pallets of Panettone arrive, they can sit in the parking lot while we act upon our plan. Otherwise, we will be squeezing our way in between piles of boxes, trying to sort at the same time as shipping out the preorders.
As fast as the holiday comes in, it seems the holiday is flying out the door faster! Only a few Panettone's have sold out so far, so that is good. Some are close, so don't hesitate; there always seems to be a moment when everyone orders at the same time, and then they are gone.
And, we are going to have "Taste-of-the-Cakes" again this year! We are so excited.
This is our annual weekend after Thanksgiving when we open a few Panettone's so we can all try a bite of the delicious cakes at the shop. Mark your calendars!
Click Here To See Everything Featured in This Newsletter!
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The money of honey and pepper.
Panpepato
The origins are unclear, as is often the case with good food history. And when it comes to good foods, often the simplest things are the best.
In medieval times, a cake was called Panpepato, named thus because of the abundance of fresh black pepper and spices, along with cocoa in its dough.
As history is told, the Abbey of Montecelso in Siena required a tax of Panpepato to be paid by the people and the 1000 or so farms that it ruled over. History also tells of Sister Berta of the Abbey, who was worried about the health of the people and made Panforte to boost their energy, including candied fruit of orange and melon.
As time dwindled on, change came to the cake. Spice sellers, the medicine men of the time, made the Panpepato. So, in addition to the candied fruits of citrus, almonds, and walnuts, they added spices to make it a curative food. The cakes traveled well and went beyond the borders of Siena.
Then in 1879, Queen Margherita of Savoy came to visit, and a spice seller created Panforte without melon and added a layer of vanilla sugar on top in place of the black pepper. The people called it Panforte Margherita.
This was a more passive version than the cocoa and pepper style and is softer, sweeter with a finish of goodness. There is something about eating Panforte that is familiar, like an old friend who you have known your whole life. It is not a surprise but instead a joyous comfort.
You only need a little to be happy and satisfied, and it lasts naturally for a long time. It is one of the holiday treats I look forward to every year, and though sweet, it is not overwhelming in any way.
The amount of flour is minimal, used mostly to keep ingredients like almonds, Marsala, cinnamon, figs, honey, sugar, pepper, and cocoa together.
See all the Panforte here!
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Marabissi Panforte Margherita
Classic blond panforte from one of Siena's finest bakers.
This classic Sienese treat is not to be missed. If you like American style fruit cake, you might like this even better. Pressed candied orange and citron peels, almonds, and just enough sugar and wheat glue to hold it all together.
Shop now for Marabissi Panforte Margherita!
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Marabissi Panforte Nero
covered in cocoa powder
Literally translated from Italian to English as, "Strong Bread" Black, there really is no equal to Panforte.
A medieval cake made of fruit and winter spices that creates a tightly-packed, oversized energy bar that tastes really great. A small slice goes a long way. Paired classically with an espresso (no milk added), you'll have a night time Italian Street Cafe right at home. Fantastico Panforte Nero!
Shop now for Marabissi Panforte Nero!
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Shortbread of South Carolina
A higher ratio of fat to gluten = short
This buttery, crisp, but slightly moist, shortbread is handmade by Willow McCrain in South Carolina's Lowcountry region. It's baked to a golden brown and its texture and flavor border on the sublime. Willow uses only the best ingredients and you can tell. We like our shortbread to be crisp when you bite into them, but not hard. And these shortbreads do not disappoint!
Willow uses an old family recipe, passed down from mother to daughter for generations. Although the recipe is not complicated and has just a few pure ingredients, the key secret to the consistent and delicious outcome is clearly the love and caring that Willow puts into every batch.
Think sugar, butter, flour, pinch of salt combined.
Biscuit bread in Mediaeval times in Scotland started with leftover bread dough, baked in a low temperature oven until it dried out into a rusk. Biscuit = rusk = twice baked.
Leftovers of the dough then made their way to the first published recipe for short-bread (in the 1700s?) where yeast was replaced with butter into the "same" shortbread recipe we eat today.
The word "same" is used loosely. Though the recipe is "easy" on paper, great results are not. Heritage Shortbread is an excellent representation of what you want in a "short" bread.
It's crispy, crumbly, and tasty, every time you bite into each biscuit. Not too hard and with just the right feel, they are the best shortbread we have had in a long, long time! It is much more difficult to find a shortbread that makes people say, "That's good!" than you might think. Well, so far, both in the store and in the warehouse, everyone has said, "That's great!"
It doesn't get much better than that! A classic holiday hostess gift in the Scottish/English speaking world.
Click here to see the wonderful Heritage Shortbread selection!
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Heritage Lemon Shortbread
A relationship to hold on to
The attention to detail in the packaging alone tells you that what you are about to have will be delicious!
Have your cup of tea and saucer ready, placed perfectly in your sunroom at your French bistro table.
As you bring the shortbread to your mouth, your nose smells the lemon, subtle and present. The delicious shortbread crumbles, and when you're done, the remaining shortbread shares a lemony goodness.
From your nose to the first bite, the crumble, the taste, the texture, the feel, all play different parts, all while being so cohesive and incredibly enjoyable.
Savor the moment with the shortbread. You only need one cookie to make you happy, though you might want more to make you even happier.
These shortbreads are so expressive. Even with just one bite, their personality lingers, and you can imagine a long-lasting relationship in your mind.
And when you do remember to sip your tea, it doesn't wash away the taste; it only enhances the memory.
I highly recommend closing your eyes for the best experience.
Shop now for Lemon Shortbread!
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Heritage Chocolate-Dipped Shortbread
Heritage Chocolate-Dipped Shortbread
What a glorious smell when you first open the cellophane inside the box of short bread.
In this case the chocolate intermingles with the smell of the butter; it is a wow-wow moment!
Take the best shortbread and dip them in chocolate and you get a treat that is out of this world!
The crumble is magnificent.
Almost even before your teeth touch one another, the shortbread cookie has crumbled apart into a blissful crunch that resonates through the bones of your head. All the elements come together in what can only be described as a blissful moment of cookie eating.
Traditional shortbread lovers will be thrilled. Shortbread has often been considered the traditional hostess gift. In our modern life, this is still a wonderful thank you gift and a treat to yourself!
Shop now for Heritage Chocolate-Dipped Shortbread!
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Butternut Squash Soup with Hazelnut Oil
a recipe from Thierry
Thierry, of Rover's Restaurant fame in Seattle, was an amazing chef. His cookbook, "Rover's Recipes from Seattle's Chef in the Hat", is always a delight to read—and very fun to try. Thierry had a flair for fancy. Either way—his recipes are a delight to cook, and always impress.
This recipe is adapted from "Rover's Recipes from Seattle's Chef in the Hat" (Ten Speed Press).
Thierry made an apple-filled phyllo pocket to serve with this soup. We served it with the creme fraiche and a small drizzle of hazelnut oil in each bowl and it was wonderful. We did not include the recipe for his apple-phyllo packets, you will have to get the cookbook for that. A cookbook you should include in your collection!
See Thierry's Butternut Squash Soup with Hazelnut Oil Recipe here!
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Plum Seasoned Roasted Nori Seaweed Snack
This is crazy crisp and delicious!
If there is one thin bit of Nori seaweed that would blow your mind and convince you it is delicious, it is this little pack of delight!
Thinking of snacking on a Butterfinger leftover from Halloween? Don't do it! Instead, this pack of zero calorie Nori is packed full of enjoyment!
Nori is the perfect relationship of being sweet and salty to the mouth, and crispy sounding to the ear. And the mouth finishes with the ever subtle hint of plum. The plum makes it unique, without detracting from the Nori, Wow! What fun!
It touches almost every sensory food sense you have through your brain.
And one wafer thin piece is super satisfying, realistically all you might want. More than one might make you happier than you already are.
Shop now for Ariake Nature's Plum Seasoned Roasted Nori Seaweed Snack!
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Binchotan
as it is called in Japan, is also known as white charcoal
This binchotan is the same stuff we supply to the James Beard award winners, the Food & Wine Best New Chefs, and more who are using it every day to make the most amazing dishes you can find anywhere.
We now have a smaller box of binchotan, because let's face it, using a case a day just isn't in the cards for us at home. Depending on what you're making, a little bit goes a long, long ways.
Remember, with binchotan, when you are done cooking extinguish the "fire" and use it again the next time you grill. Not like the coals you normally might use....
This could be the best Christmas gift to give to the Shichirin griller you know. That and a panettone, of course.
Shop now for Thaan Pressed Binchotan Charcoal!
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Chestnut Flour
from Italy!
Chestnut flour, known as "farina di castagne", has been a staple ingredient in Italy for centuries, especially in regions with a significant chestnut tree population, such as the mountainous areas of northern and central Italy.
Chestnut trees (Castanea sativa) have been cultivated in Italy for thousands of years. They were introduced by the Romans, who appreciated the nutritional value of chestnuts and the flour made from them. Chestnut flour was used in various forms, including porridge and bread, to provide sustenance to the Roman legions and local populations.
During the Middle Ages and the Renaissance, chestnut trees played a vital role in Italian agriculture. Chestnuts were an important food source, particularly in regions where other grains, like wheat, did not grow well. In these areas, chestnut flour became the primary ingredient for making bread, pasta, and other dishes. It was often referred to as "the bread of the poor."
Chestnut forests, called "castagneti", were cultivated in many regions, and chestnut harvesting and processing became an important cultural tradition. Villages and communities celebrated chestnut harvest festivals, and various tools and techniques for processing chestnuts and making flour were developed and passed down through generations.
The importance of chestnut flour declined in the 19th and 20th centuries as Italy modernized and diversified its agriculture. With the introduction of alternative grains and wheat-based products, chestnut flour saw a decrease in popularity.
Chestnut flour is used in various Italian dishes, including castagnaccio (a dense chestnut cake), necci (thin chestnut pancakes), and various pasta and bread recipes. It imparts a sweet, nutty flavor to dishes and is gluten-free.
Shop Here for Chestnut Flour!
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Maria Vittoria Black Cherry
panettone
A classic Panettone from Udine, Italy...and the special candied Black Cherries inside. All wrapped up in a handsome box and bow.
Buttery and delicious!
"This is now my favorite panattone. It did not disappoint. It was the last maker of the panattone left with cherries but what sealed the deal for me was that it was from Udine. Take it from me, the people of Fruili, Italy know how to eat! I ordered it. It is buttery, oh so slightly dense with delicious black cherries scattered in the right balance."
-- Marian
Shop now for Maria Vittoria Black Cherry Panettone
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This Week's Recipes |
Sweet Potato Soup recipe
Sweet potato (not yam) may have properties that can help combat viruses like shingles. This is an easy way to get those nutrients into your body. Make a potful and reheat small portions everyday.
This is so simple and very little labor is involved to make. Be sure to cook the onions before you add the sweet potato and you will have success. Save salting until plating. Then you can or your guests can add the amount of salt they want. Maple Syrup or balsamic is a nice drizzle addition. Sugar is not good for certain viruses.
Roasted Potatoes and Goat Cheese Recipe
This recipe is about as easy as you can get. Oven-roasting potatoes is one of my favorite ways to cook them and using rice bran oil helps them become nice and crisp. You can also use olive oil or butter.
Whole Sockeye Salmon with Garlic & Preserved Lemon Salsa Recipe
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