ChefShop.com was on Seattle's #1 morning talk show, New Day Northwest, where Eliza did an olive oil tasting. Eliza was fabulous, and it was her first time on camera!

Her passion and opinions came through! Check out the show using the link below.

This show happened to coincide with the reopening of our olive oil tasting bar! As many of you might remember, we used to offer tastings of almost everything in our shop. When COVID hit, we stopped the sharing.

But now, we are bringing it back! The Olive Oil Tasting Bar is open! So if you're in town, nearby, or going on a cruise to Alaska, come on down to taste some olive oil and maybe a vinegar or two.

We look forward to having another great reason to chat about what we all love—food!

Click Here To See Eliza talk about Olive Oil!

Click Here To See Everything Featured in This Newsletter!

With a distinctly different visual, this oil has some very dark tones making it quite intriguing, and though there aren't any bits in the oil, you'd swear there are!

Very similar to its brother, it rolls into your mouth, but with a thicker heavier feel in a pleasant way.

Though it may still have the same buttery feel across your lips you don't really pay attention to it.

The pepper one might look for in an olive oil is present but not really an in your face kind of kick.

Instead, it's a high frequency tickle in the back of the throat that makes you cough, but even more surprising is the tickle that went all the way up inside my nose. Wow!

Be careful if you take a big swig. It could surprise your system and make you tear up like I did.

This is an amazing oil.

This is a very rare olive oil. Packed with phenolic compounds that are rarely found at these levels in the olive oils in the world.

ZOI is made from a specially selected, early harvest of Kalamon variety olives, known for their very high phenolic concentration—in particular the phenolic compounds oleocanthal and oleacein.

Only 51 olive growers out of thousands of submissions to be tested produced over 1,250 mg/kg of polyphenols.

ZOI measures 1799 mg/kg of polyphenols with 946 mg/kg of oleocanthal.

Less than a handful of olive growers produced olive oil that contained over 700 oleocanthal.

"The health benefits of olive oil are 99 percent related to the presence of the phenolic compounds, not the oil itself," says Nasir Malik, research plant physiologist at the U.S.D.A.

Kalamon is the olive, Kalamata is the region in the southern Peloponnese of Greece. They are among the most famous and prized table olives in the world due to their distinctive flavor and firm texture.

Harvested at just the right time and then immediately milled and pressed at a specific low temperature to achieve and maintain the highest Phenolic EVOO on the planet helps create the amazing properties of this oil.

Stored at the optimum temperatures and bottled in small batches as needed to maintain the special quality of the oil. Our first shipment has arrived. Extremely limited Estate oil.

The family recommends 1 to 2 tablespoons a day added to your favorite smoothy. Remember, this is an oil you do not want to heat in anyway!

Shop now for Laconiko High Phenolic Zoi Olive Oil!

So incredibly simple and easy to make. Boil water, cook the pasta, heat the oil and capers, add the pasta to the pan, toss to coat, and crumble the tuna on top. Perfect when it's just you and a good book, or at a table for two.

So simple!
"I had to read it twice to make sure it was as easy as it sounded. This is so good, so simple and clean up is as easy as prep and execution. I added a squeeze of fresh lemon, and a dash of ground bacon. Delish!"
-- Ali

See the easy and delicious Pasta Tuna Capers Recipe here!

Traditional Italian farfalle (bowtie-shaped) pasta is drawn through bronze so that the surface is rough and ready to take on whatever sauce you throw at it, just like when you were a kid, but way, way better. It is made only with locally grown, certified Italian Grown Durum wheat.

Shop now for Sgambaro Farfalle Bowtie Pasta!

1. Cook the farfalle and broccoli together in plenty of well-salted water.

2. In a wide pan, fry the garlic in olive oil until starting to color, then turn off the heat and add the red pepper.

See the Farfalle with Broccoli and Anchovy Recipe here!

Scalia is known for its anchovy fillets packed in extra-virgin olive oil - yes, extra-virgin! Many companies, especially those available in the grocery store, use second-press or less flavorful oils, like sunflower or soybean. In addition, these anchovies have been aged for at least 12 weeks, which means richer, more complex flavors. The added chilies give these jarred anchovies just a kick of heat. Salty, hot, and umami. Perfect!

Shop now for Scalia Anchovy Fillets in Olive Oil with Chile!

This is one of the ingredients I get very upset about when I don't have it on hand! There is nothing that can replace it! It is a woos-t-er-sure sauce like no other!

Shire is sure, like New Hampshire (new hamp sure, in case you didn't know)

The secret recipe for Worcestershire Sauce was concocted by John Lea and William Perrins, two chemists, in Worcester, England in 1837.

The original is still well, real and tastes original.

The BBC says that there have been over 30 variations of the original Worcestershire sauce sold. As the saying goes "Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery".

And sometimes you can make something similar but not the same and even make it better.

Col Pabst All Malt Amber-Lager Worcestershire made in Milwaukee, Wisconsin is better. Way better!

Starting with fresh Milwaukee Amber-Lager and then blending in 21 all-natural ingredients along with Tamarind and Anchovies, Col Pabst adds Grenadine, Ginger and Madras Curry. Aged in small batches this Worcestershire sauce is more like a fine balsamic than an ingredient.

To the nose, it has a sweet hint of anchovy fish sauce, with twists and turns that are hard to identify. It twinkles in the nostrils and is very enticing.

To the mouth, the sauce has a saltiness, a sweetness and this wonderful complex flavor that rolls around, begging you to taste a little more. You can sip this and sip some more. It is pretty gosh darn good! Try sipping those other sauces and feel the burn and not in a good way.

Of course, you can use Col Pabst anywhere Worcestershire sauce is called for and more. Pretty much where you think it will work, it will!

Shop now for Col Pabst Malt Amber-Lager Worcestershire Sauce!

My love for this dressing comes from the rare, super thin slices of roast beef on rye I used to get on Saturdays with my Dad. It was covered in this wonderful dressing that I looked forward to after spending the morning with him. Elsie's Sandwich shop in Harvard Square is a memory that anyone who ate there will always remember.

Top your next hamburger, roast beef, or? It's not just for lettuce! Thank you Elsie and Henry Bauman for making great sandwiches and feeding so many students.

See the Russian Dressing Recipe here!

This is most likely the hot mustard you have at a restaurant for your BBQ pork. Dry mustards can be, and usually are, super hot to the nose, giving you a nice nostril flare!

Store in your essential pantry to pull out when you need it. Keeps a good long time, actually almost forever, though it will lose its punch eventually.

This is a great mustard to take camping!

Shop now for S&B Oriental Hot Mustard Powder here!

I have been eating a lot of beans recently. They might be the most common denominator amongst all the people who live a long time happy.

These aren't really Boston Baked beans, these are more like a combination of southern (add yellow mustard), cowboy (add ground beef), beans...classic baked beans are cooked many hours (8) to caramelize them into a wonderful blended baked dish.

Originating as a blend of beans, a little salt pork and maple syrup the "recipe" and/or methods changed as salt pork became more difficult to get during the second world war.

In 1895 Heinz brought baked beans to England and they became a staple of the English diet. For breakfast!

The requirement was a not quite baked pork and beans and not a chili. Depending on how you long you bake for, the results will differ in its consistency.

See the Bacon Baked Beans Recipe here!

The most simple recipe that celebrates each individual ingredient in your mouth!

See the Pasta with Olive Oil and Capers Recipe here!

Wash or soak before eating, carefully place or toss with a flourish, these little buds add so much!

Recca capers are grown on the island of Pantelleria and preserved in 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.

These are small "non-pareil" Pantescan capers, full of flavor. Being preserved in sea salt means that none of the aromatic flavor has been lost. These Agostino Recca non-pareil Pantescan capers are a fabulous find indeed!

Shop now for Recca Pantescan Salted Capers - Non-Pareil!

The spaghetti Bigoli Nobili Mori pasta is absolutely fabulous! How is it possible that a pasta can taste this good? We don't know, but we love it! If you can have only one pasta, it might have to be this one!

Bigoli is a traditional pasta from the Veneto region of northeast Italy, and references to Bigoli date from the mid-1400s.

In 2002, Pastificio Sgambaro reintroduced its bronze-drawn Bigoli in three versions: Mori, Bianchi e Sottili, and al Radicchio Rosso. They gave these amazing pastas the name "Bigoli Nobili" to pay tribute to the best culinary traditions of the Veneto region.

Sgambaro "Mori" (dark) is made from the best durum semolina grown in Italy. The spaghetti Bigoli Nobili Mori pasta is slightly darker and denser than most pasta, and its surface has a rougher texture, perfect for encouraging sauces to cling - and the taste is special!

Shop now for Bigoli Nobili Mori Pasta!

This might be the very best tomato on the planet to make a sauce from! I always have cans in the cupboard at the ready! Proof that an ingredient can make your life better.

We love these. The tomatoes are whole and nestled beautifully inside the can. The taste is pure tomato, the way a canned tomato should be, with no added elements, allowing you to be in control of how they're flavored.

They have just three ingredients: tomatoes, tomato juice (juice from processing), and citric acid. No salt added, Non-GMO, Gluten-Free, BPA-Free, Pesticide-Free. 100% Pomodori Sardi Tomatoes from Sardinia. Like all great ingredients, there is a difference from one brand to the next!

These are truly exceptional tomatoes.

Shop now for Posardi Sardinian Whole Tomatoes!

Though there is not a lick of meat in here, the instant memories evoked are of every great smoked, grilled or BBQ protein you have ever had! What a masterpiece of delicious flavor!

And as your flavor mind comes up with a zillion ideas of what to do, your confidence soars and you feel perfectly in control of your next masterpiece!

To the nose, Moroccan chermoula reminds me of an olive tapenade with a twitch of tomato and a myriad of spices including cumin.

And to the mouth, wow, this Moroccan chermoula sauce is not what you expect. The spices mix together, and to your palate the cumin and the paprika stand up. On the outside of the inner walls of your mouth is the garlic. With a smoothness of a delicious sauce there is the preserved lemon that is just right, providing a little chew. Complexity revolves in your mouth, but the finish is complete & simple!

Think tomato as the carrier or support, then the olive oil washes through with the olive flavor bringing with it the cumin & paprika. And topping it all, like any good herb, parsley and cilantro open up and bring the garden. The preserved lemon is identifiable, yet not overpowering at all! What a mix! As the flavor finishes, you feel like you are eating all of Morocco in one spoonful! This red chermoula sauce is easy to use and spoon-ready!

Chermoula (cher moo lah).

What is Chermoula? So many things, it is, and its uses vary from a marinade, to a sauce, to a dip. And from the many unlimited uses it evokes, it has exponentially more recipe variations!

Chermoula is a marinade, sauce or dip that originated from North Africa, particularly Morocco. It is usually made with a blend of herbs (such as cilantro and parsley), spices (like cumin and paprika), garlic, lemon juice, and olive oil.

Every cook, chef, home, and region has their own version in North Africa.

With Moroccan roots, it is full of a flavorful fun, not spicy and not offensive at all! One taste and it will remind you of some dish you've had before. Chermoula evokes the best from your fish dish, pimp up your Pil-Pil shrimp recipe, or simply join hands with your favorite tunafish sandwich! Add it to your favorite vegetable tanjine or dip your cold veggies! It is so easy to use!

Shop for Chermoula here!