I have been thinking a lot about my Mom recently. Is it because Mothers' day is approaching? Maybe. Or, is it because I have been looking at some of the cookbooks she used to live by? She told me when I was five years old, I would never get them and she kept them up on the highest shelf in the bookcase.

That changed over the next 96 years and she was pleased that I still cherished them.

I have rarely, if ever, made anything out of them, yet as a reference they are special. They are a wonderful way of looking back at the history of food—recipes, trends, really everything.

They are a memory of food, my Mom, and the meals we shared as a family. I remember so many of them being special and thus memorable, and it was a way she could speak her love for her children, even if those actual words were never spoken. For her generation, not so uncommon....

If I use my library of taste bud memories, I'm confident that much of what we ate decades ago pales in comparison to what we make and eat today, for me and those around me.

What also brought on all these thoughts about moms is that the Mom of a dear friend of mine, Johnny (a dear friend and not his real name), sent me the most amazing quilt out of the complete blue.

She wrote:
"When Johnny was our chef, he did not like hats. He decided to wear a headscarf. That started out with plain black. Then he decided to celebrate every holiday and any day that was in any way special. D-Day, Arbor Day, National Donut Day, you name it, he had a scarf for it..."

"This quilt is made from the scraps. I've used only food and beverage related fabrics for you, with a few exceptions. You'll find Aspen trees, because that is where you met Johnny. I also included the airmail fabric appropriate to your business of shipping fabulous foods. The binding fabric is a nod to Chef striped pants."

It has a name: "Tim's Foodie Quilt", for me the name will always be "Johnny's Mom's Quilt". It is a piece of American Folk Art.

The emotional response I had as soon as I touched the quilt was visceral! So much meaning comes from the folk traditions of storytelling and this quilt tells the story of a friendship and our shared love of our own mothers.

Thank you.


A brief history of Mother's Day:

It goes way, way, way back to Greek and Roman festivals that honored goddesses like Rhea (Greek) and Cybele (Roman). These celebrations were often tied to spring and fertility.

In Europe, a celebration called "Mothering Sunday" developed during the Middle Ages. It took place on the fourth Sunday of Lent, when people would return to their "mother church" for a special service. Over time, it became a day for honoring mothers with flowers and gifts.

In the 1850s in America, Ann Reeves Jarvis organized "Mother's Day Work Clubs" in West Virginia to improve health and sanitation. During the Civil War, these clubs also helped both, Union and Confederate soldiers.

Then in 1870 Julia Ward Howe (Eliza's relative), American author and poet, known for writing the "Battle Hymn of the Republic" called for a "Mother's Day for Peace", urging mothers to unite against war. It didn't catch on, but it's a key stepping stone.

Then in 1908 Anna Jarvis, after her mother (Ann Reeves Jarvis) died in 1905, campaigned for a day to honor her Mother's sacrifices. The first official celebration was in 1908 in Grafton, West Virginia.

In 1914 President Woodrow Wilson declared the second Sunday in May as a national holiday—Mother's Day.

The origins of "Out of the Blue"

The full version of the phrase was originally "out of the blue sky", which paints the picture of something suddenly appearing or happening in a clear, calm sky—a metaphor for something surprising or startling happening when nothing seemed unusual.

It's likely based on the longer expression "a bolt out of the blue" or "a bolt from the blue," which refers to a sudden lightning strike from a clear sky—totally unexpected and shocking. This version dates back to at least the 19th century.

By the late 1800s, people began shortening it to just "out of the blue." Over time, it became common in both British and American English.

So basically, it's a poetic way to describe life throwing you a curveball, when everything seems normal, then bam, surprise!

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From Tried and True Recipes - c. 1936. This simple recipe is worth looking at...maybe not so much making it.

See the Easy Fruit Soup Recipe here!

Candy that can make you feel better! How great is that!

Though we automatically pop these particular prunes into our mouths right away because they are such a treat, prunes are a special way to naturally sweeten your recipes.

Prunes do especially well with pork in savory dishes. Even simple ones like bacon-wrapped sausages with prunes are super easy to make and celebrate the prune.

California is the source of most of the prunes in this country, but France is the home of the most splendid prune of all—Pruneaux D'Agen from Agen, France.

When you try one of these pitted sun-dried plums for the first time, you realize that not all prunes are the same. Those dried, wrinkly, chewy ones you grew up with are nothing like these, which are a totally different eating experience.

I've been very lucky in my time in the food business to try a lot of food, and in a previous life to have traveled around the world, and there are many foods that are interesting, exciting, delicious and special. But when it comes to food and travel, Agen, France is at the top of places to visit for the prune harvest.

With their micro-thin skins, they are absolutely melt-in-your-mouth delicious, and just as good for snacking as they are for sweet or savory dishes, like Bruce Aidells' and Denis Kelly's Braised Pork with Port and Prunes, or rich North African-style tagines, which incorporate warm spices like cinnamon or allspice with prunes and meat, often lamb.

What's so special about these Agen prunes?

They come from plums that are a hybrid of a local fruit and the exotic damask plum, first brought to France from Syria in the 12th century. The plums are shaken from the trees, dried first in the sun, and then finished in a barely warm oven. The result is a large, plump prune with a deep spicy aroma and rich, lovely flavor--a summer harvest that's ready to be enjoyed all winter long!

Shop now for Favols Pitted Agen Prunes (IGP)!

The red color along with the gentle crunch makes these nuts special!

I love these nuts! And though I eat them out of hand every day, I am really enjoying them the most in baked goods!

Lightly bake and they make the perfect bite, crunch, and the flavor is just that much more than out of hand.

Probably the most beautiful walnuts you've ever seen with a buttery taste to match. All the health benefits of walnuts (Omega 3 fatty acids) with the addition of red polyphenols to match. The California organic red walnuts are a perfect upgrade to your recipes.

Shop now for California Red Walnuts!

Growing up, loafs of all kind, specifically banana bread and meatloaf, were always welcome and wonderful memories.

This gluten-free banana bread recipe becomes your own as you make and adjust it to fit your desires. I like this better than the conventional gluten flour version. I like to toast my slices and then slather them in (more) butter.

We are working on a version with half the amount of butter.

See the GF Banana Bread Recipe here!

Whether you soak them in gin made with juniper for drunken raisins or eat them out of the bag in the palm of your hand, these raisins are so much better than the raisins in the little box you had in your lunch at school!

Just a few are satisfying and good for your brain, and your teeth, too!

Munch on a bag of raisins to curb your candy desires!

When Thompson grapes dry, the high concentration of sugars produces nature's candy, called raisins, which are 70% fructose.

Raisins contain 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, which makes this candy a fighter of tooth decay by attacking the bacteria that causes cavities.

Golden raisins (which, because they are organic, are actually light brown) have more of the above than dark raisins, except for the nutrient 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 NOT treated with sulfur dioxide to keep them light golden in color during the drying process - instead, they are lightly brown. (About 1 in 100 people have some allergy to sulfur dioxide.)

Drunken raisins for arthritis are an interesting "cure", perhaps a bit like the "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 40 degree day in the Northwest, where your skin is warm but your bones ache and there 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 Organic Thompson Raisins here!

What started as a friendship of frequent proximity grew, over many, many years, to an intimate bond between a nut and a seed.

They had met in school. One was sophisticated, refined, inside a hard shell with the other more free-flowing, willing to be a truffle one day and a hard candy the next.

They were friends, often together for events, parties, and most often from September to October when harvest was happening.

It was an accident really, for them to meld together; one after being solid for so long, became more fluid, the other broken out of its shell. But meld they did, and what you see before you is an amazing combination of walnut and chocolate, perfect in nearly every way.

By taste, it is a flavor with a memory that is as strong as it is in the mind.

Shop now for Domaine de Bequignol Chocolate-Covered Walnuts!

Setouchi Lemon (Setouchi Remon) is a prized variety of lemon grown in the Setouchi region of Japan, which encompasses several coastal areas along the Seto Inland Sea, including parts of Hiroshima, Ehime, and Kagawa Prefectures.

This area is known for its mild climate, clean air, and abundant sunshine—ideal conditions for cultivating high-quality citrus.

Setouchi Lemons are less tart and acidic than typical lemons. They strike a beautiful balance between sweet and sour, making them ideal for a variety of dishes and drinks.

The rind is highly aromatic and often used in cooking, baking, or zesting. It has floral and almost herbaceous undertones.

These lemons tend to be extra juicy and flavorful, making them popular in beverages like lemonade, cocktails, or infused waters.

Shop now for Kankitsu Labo Dry Candied Japanese Setouchi Lemon Peel here!

This syrup is made the old fashioned way in open kettles with nothing extracted and nothing added. Just 100% goodness. As in days past, Steen's still harvests ripened cane at its sweetest state of maturity. The cane is then ground and the juice extracted. The sweet juice is then cooked to perfection in open kettles. When it's just the right clarity and consistency, it becomes Steen's Pure Cane Syrup.

The story of Steen's began in 1910 when Charley Steen's sugarcane crop was hit by an early freeze. To salvage his investment, he constructed a small mill and transformed the frozen cane into syrup.

This innovative move laid the foundation for what would become a family tradition.

By 1930, the Steen family established a larger mill in Abbeville, Louisiana, situated along Bayou Vermilion. This mill became a central hub for local farmers, who would bring their cane to be processed into syrup. The aroma of boiling syrup became an iconic part of the city's landscape.

In the 1950s, Steen's Pure Cane Syrup gained widespread popularity in South Louisiana. Its distinctive yellow can became a symbol of local sweetness, and the syrup became a staple in Cajun and Creole kitchens.

Today, the mill is operated by Jimmie and Carole Steen, the fourth generation of the Steen family, continuing the legacy of producing pure cane syrup.

Steen's Pure Cane Syrup is more than just a sweetener; it's a cultural icon in Louisiana. Recognized by Slow Food USA, it was added to their Ark of Taste, a catalog of endangered foods worth preserving.

The syrup is integral to many traditional Southern dishes, from glazing meats to sweetening baked goods, and even as a topping for biscuits and pancakes.

Shop now for Steen's Pure Cane Syrup here!

These are 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...and you might be hooked for life!

You might think that almonds in olive oil would be better, and they might be when freshly oiled and eaten soon after. But we discovered that by the time they arrive from Spain, they taste—well, oily—and we find we prefer the almonds in heart-healthy sunflower oil.

Shop now for Essential Pantry Marcona Almonds!

I have gone from everyday to at least 3 times a week. And this schedule works great!

Every list of "super foods" has oats near the top. You've seen the commercials—eating oats is known to lower cholesterol and improve cardiovascular health. Oats are an excellent source of fiber and they even help stabilize blood sugar at any time of day.

The unusual flavor and texture of these amazing Scottish pinhead oats may be attributed to the final drying process, carried out in the old fashioned 'flat kiln', which is believed to be the only one of its kind used in Britain today. The oats are dried in the kiln for four hours, during which time they're turned twice by hand shovel. It is this very specialized process, perfected by the miller, which makes the flavor and texture unique.

The distinct oat grains are then stone-cut into small pieces, smaller than Irish "steel cut" oats, thus the name "pinhead". Unlike "old-fashioned" oatmeal, they're not steamed and rolled flat.

As part of a low fat-diet, oatmeal can help reduce cholesterol levels, and it is a natural food which contains NO additives, preservatives or colorings.

Oatmeal is gluten free naturally. This oatmeal is carefully grown, harvested, and processed to prevent contamination with gluten-containing grains like wheat, barley, and rye. While oats themselves don't contain gluten, they can become contaminated during these stages, making it necessary for manufacturers to take precautions to ensure a gluten-free product.

Shop now for Organic Oatmeal of Alford!

This homemade meatloaf with Worcestershire sauce and oatmeal recipe calls for adding pinhead oats to a blend of beef and Italian Sausage herbs and spices. The flavor is brightened by Worcestershire Sauce, Hawkshead Black Garlic Ketchup and the pinhead oats provide good texture without being gummy resulting in a satisfying and really delicious combination.

Oatmeal and breadcrumbs have long been used in meatloaf as extenders and to keep the meat moist. Using breadcrumbs will yield a soft, tender texture, while the pinhead oats produce a firmer more interesting loaf.

Important to note, pinhead oats work best, steel-cut work with this recipe. Rolled and porridge do not as the result texturally is not good.

See the Meatloaf with Pinhead Oatmeal Recipe here!

Linguini, which means "little tongues" in Italian, is a type of pasta that originates from the Liguria region in northern Italy, particularly associated with the coastal city of Genoa.

The shape itself is a variation of traditional pasta shapes, resembling flattened spaghetti, but wider and often thicker. The word "linguini" comes from the Latin lingua, meaning "tongue," likely referring to the shape's long, narrow, and flat appearance.

Some other pastas and their meanings include spaghetti ("little strings"), fettuccine ("little ribbons"), penne ("little quills"), orzo ("barley"), farfalle ("butterflies"), vermicelli ("little"worms"), capellini ("little hairs"), fusilli ("little spindles"), and radiatori ("little radiators”).

Pasta is believed to have been introduced to Italy through trade routes from the Arab world in the Middle Ages.

The early forms of pasta were made from durum wheat, which grew well in the southern Mediterranean, including Sicily, and were initially dried for preservation. Over time, Italians began to shape pasta into various forms to better hold onto sauces and to accommodate regional culinary dishes.

Linguini became popular in the Liguria region, where the sea's bounty and olive oil play an important role in the local cuisine.

It is often paired with lighter seafood sauces, like the famous "linguini alle vongole" (linguini with clams), or pesto, another dish famous in Genoa. The thin but flat shape allows it to hold delicate sauces well, making it ideal for these regional dishes.

It's similar to fettuccine and trenette, but has an elliptical cross-section.

Shop now for Linguini #14 Pasta!

In 1634, out of concern for the quality of its mustard, the city of Dijon imposed the first statues on the mustard-making trade. Even before this date the region was well known for the quality of its mustard.

The 18th century discovery of verjuice, juice from grapes harvested in Burgundy, put the finishing touch of quality to this fine product. Adding verjuice to the brown mustard seed and grinding the mixture using traditional grindstones, so as not to damage the heat-sensitive paste, helped to earn French stone ground dijon mustard a worldwide reputation for quality.

Shop now for Fallot Dijon Mustard here!

A handful of mixed nuts are hard to beat. Finding the right mix is harder to do than you think. And that's where Fastachi's Cranberry Nut Mix, which has been with us for virtually forever, comes into play.

This bag of mixed nuts with cranberries is our go-to, always-have-in-hand staple—the best bag of nuts you can find.

This mix, the nuts themselves, hand-salted with sea salt to perfection, double-sifted to ensure whole nuts in your hand, with just the right combination of soft, hard, harder, crunchie, salty--doesn't get much better than this.

A handful of the right nuts is a good mouthful for creating joy in life!

The Fastachi cranberry nut mix is simply roasted in small batches with sea salt for clarity, perfection, and a clean, distinctive flavor. We have enjoyed these assorted roasted nuts for years and they are perfect for an office snack or a party mix. These are good!

From the producer, who describes it best...

"The cranberry nut mix is a one-of-a-kind twist that leaves a tart and salty taste dancing on your tongue. The assorted roasted nuts are chewy and have a crunchy texture with cranberries, salted pistachio meats, salted almonds, roasted unsalted almonds, salted hazelnuts, roasted unsalted hazelnuts, salted peanuts, unsalted peanuts, red skin peanuts, sesame peanuts, and salted cashews. They will keep you coming back for more."

See the Fastachi Cranberry Nut Mix here!