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Wasabi standing at the ready in your refrigerator is one of those little food joys we can indulge in to put a smile on your face and a tweak to a healthy feeling in your nostrils!

One of the great things about ingredients is that we always have to taste-test before we share them with you. And often, we have to test them more than once to ensure that they are as good as the first impression.

First impressions are so important and are often why one falls in love. In this tube, the love continues, even though it makes my inner being pucker up and sometimes even tear up in pain. It's a good pain, and that's why I keep going back for more!

Ever wonder why Wasabi, that fiery green paste and indispensable sushi accompaniment, tastes so much like horseradish?

Here's why: because it IS horseradish!

Although we've learned to call it Wasabi, what we're served in sushi restaurants in North America and largely in Japan, as well, is nearly always a mixture of horseradish and green coloring, with perhaps a little dry mustard, or possibly, a very little real Wasabi added in.

Why not offer the real deal? Because real wasabi, Wasabia japonica, is very rare and super pricey. Even in its native Japan, demand constantly outstrips supply, and it's expensive to import and notoriously tricky to grow.

Some of you might remember we had Northwest-grown Wasabi for a short period of time. That experience gave us insight into what freshly harvested, freshly ground wasabi can be! Nothing like it!

If you get the chance to grind some freshly harvested wasabi, do it! Nothing replaces a good grind of fresh Wasabi. It is special!

Way back then, I shared some of our fresh Wasabi with Chef Morimoto, and he was impressed by the much smaller and younger rhizomes than what he was used to by the aromatic fundamentally fresh flavor of fun found in this food!

So what is one to do when fresh is not an option?

We found some in a squeezable tube! The paste is made from fresh wasabi from the mountainous terrain around Izu in Shizuoka Prefecture where there is a plethora of clean, flowing water which is essential for cultivating the rhizome wasabi.

The process to create this gem of containment took more than 3 years to develop. And we have spent over half a year taste-testing and testing longevity. Taking this amount of time, we had opened a tube, enjoyed the just opened wasabi.

Then 6 months later I shared some with sushi, and though it had lost some of its punch, the aroma, the volatiles were still present.

And the wasabi had the characteristics that you look for, invigorating, enhancing, a good bite without burning heat, flavor that allows your senses to open up and savor the food that it is paired with!

Our friend Marc goes out of his way to find fresh wasabi and was totally, like, "This can't be any good...", compared it with his wasabi, and was shocked and awed and has been bugging us to get it for him. He told me he doesn't like hot foods and says wasabi makes his mouth come alive.

FYI: When you eat wasabi, a compound called allyl isothiocyanate is released. This compound stimulates the nerve receptors in your nasal passages, leading to a sensation of heat or burning. The reaction can cause your eyes to water and your nose to feel like it's clearing up, almost like a nasal decongestant. Just not the same heat as a pepper.

Click Here To See Wasabi Paste made with Real Wasabi!

This is the Fish recipe - if you are planning Fish and Chips use the same oil.

Fish and Chips is relatively easy to make on your own. And it can be very good made at home.

This guide on making fish and chips is similar to many out there; changing the recipe with different choices of flour and spices will make it yours.

Or find the best Fish and Chips place you can. I plan on heading back to England to find the best.

Making your own tartar is also a wonderful way to really make this meal an adventure!

Or, just have a your tube of Wasabi at the ready for tipping.

See the Fish and Chips Recipe here!

I took this Malt Vinegar to a proper "chippies" place to test it out. And I can tell you it is truly great with Fish and Chips!

Who first "invented" chips? Some think the French did, though they don't seem to like fried potatoes called French fries.

When you think of Fish and Chips you think of England, where there are 10,500 "chippies" (the shops that sell fish and chips), serving 360 million fish and chip meals a year.

When you think of England's most popular national dish, you might think of Fish and Chips - but it's not. Their most popular national dish is Chicken Tikka Masala.

Though there actually is no official dish....

The first and very best fish and chips I have ever eaten came from a chippy window somewhere near Gatwick airport. I was staying in a historic Coach Inn where you still had to wear a coat and tie to eat breakfast, lunch and dinner.

So instead of putting on clothes after a day of shooting in a hangar, I ventured out at the recommendation of the concierge to have fish and chips from the local spot.

It came wrapped in newspaper and I consumed the whole thing in my room. This was over 38 years ago and I still remember the bite, the taste, and the total feel of this meal. It was awesome!

And that's why we have this vinegar and why my memories came swimming back to me.

This Malt Vinegar is made just for fish and chips. Well, not really, but gosh darn it, it is perfect for fish and chips.

This Artisan Malt Vinegar is special. It is made in oak barrels and fermented up to a year using Maris Otter 2-row barley malt (the favored malt of English brewers) and the local Cornish spring water, which are both key ingredients to creating this exquisite Malt Vinegar.

A cool sidebar is that as it ages, the vinegar is protected by really thick walls in a bomb shelter in the middle of nowhere.

This vinegar is dark and full of flavor. It is vinegar and it is malt, it is very smooth with only a little acid vinegar finish. Think of a classic English ale with notes of chocolate, caramel and the hint of oak. It shares the thick richness of a stout, but it is not cloudy.

This is a wonderful vinegar to add to your collection for many dishes; and this Malt Vinegar really shines when shaken over fish and chips!

Shop now for Artisan Old-Fashioned Malt Vinegar!

A secret to deep frying is to use rice flour or a combination of AP flour and rice flour.

Rice flour really helps it get super crispy.

Shop now for Thai Rice Flour!

Delicate yet not very flavorful, rice bran oil just may be the world's healthiest edible oil. Rice bran oil comes from the most nutritious part of the rice grain, loaded with monounsaturated fats & polyunsaturated fats, as well as vitamin E. These are the good fats that help your body lose weight.

Which means that rice bran oil is not only nutritious, but a superior salad, cooking, baking and frying oil that leaves no lingering aftertaste.

Shop now for Essential Pantry Rice Bran Oil!

Make life cooler and microwave capers to a crispy delight!

See the Fried Capers in the microwave Recipe here!

Les Moulins Mahjoub produces these capers in the Mejerda Valley near Tebourba, Tunisia. These are not your typical brined capers—each small flower bud of the Capparis spinosa bush is dried in sea salt rather than soaked in brine. This method preserves the capers' robust, aromatic flavor in a pure, concentrated form.

They are grown using organic and traditional farming methods, no additives or artificial processing, showing their commitment to authenticity, sustainability, and gastronomic heritage.

These capers are dried in sea salt rather than brine, effectively preserving a more concentrated, cleaner flavor and thus less diluted, more textured, and surprisingly aromatic.

Just capers and salt—nothing else!

How to use capers every day:

Capers are tiny powerhouses of flavor. Their salty, tangy, slightly floral taste can elevate everyday meals from ordinary to gourmet with minimal effort.

Breakfast:
Avocado toast:
Sprinkle a few rinsed capers on top with chili flakes and lemon zest.

Scrambled eggs or omelets:
Add chopped capers and herbs like parsley or dill.

Bagel & cream cheese:
Combine capers with smoked salmon, red onions, and a smear of cream cheese for a classic bite.

Lunch:
Tuna or egg salad:
Stir in chopped capers to add a zesty edge.

Salad dressings:
Blend with olive oil, lemon juice, mustard, and garlic for a Mediterranean vinaigrette.

Sandwich spread:
Mix capers into mayo or Greek yogurt for a tangy spread on sandwiches or wraps.

Dinner:
Pasta dishes:
Toss into spaghetti aglio e olio, or mix into puttanesca sauce (with olives, tomatoes, and anchovies).

Roast chicken or fish:
Add to pan sauces made with butter, lemon, and herbs.

Vegetable sautes:
Finish sautéed greens like kale, chard, or spinach with a spoonful of capers for brightness.

Shop now for Organic Salted Wild Mountain Capers!

Gather, mix and you are ready to go! This is a recipe that you need to adjust to match your memory of the tartar sauce you have had. Taste as you go for the best results.

See the English Tartar Recipe here!

Look down from the very top and you will see things that are not quite identifiable. Most likely apricots and cranberries.

If you look at the ingredients list on the side you will see there are many spices, flavors and stuff all put into this little jar. It looks exciting. Reading the ingredients makes it exciting!

The nose gets a tingle and a twitch.

Even if you want to savor the flavors as it enters your mouth you feel compelled to crunch. And there's a lot of crunching going on. With the apricot providing most of the crunch, the finish of the biting is the skin of the cranberry.

There are lots of flavors involved here. There's citrus, there's brown sugar, there's onions, garlic, ginger, and zest, coriander seeds and a hint of cayenne pepper. Not exactly spicy, it's not exactly not.

It's a good bunch of flavors mixed together and it's quite delicious. I think it would pair well with a good hard cheese and a cracker or a very nice pork chop or pork medallions with a side of mashed potatoes.

Even though this chutney is strong and assertive one could eat the whole jar with a spoon!

Shop now for Hawkshead Spiced Apricot and Cranberry Chutney here!

Perfection is part of the challenge!

See the Apricot Chutney Recipe here!

I have these on hand always. A quick snack by the handful or to pop in oatmeal.

If you are making a chutney it is always a great addition.

They are nothing like the ones in the little box we ate as child in school!

Shop now for Organic Thompson Raisins!

Full of flavor and easy to do. Imagine a summer picnic! Perfect!

See the Escargot Bourguignon Recipe here!

Wild Burgundy Snails are a timeless French delicacy. The finest purveyor in Paris, La Maison de la Escargot, has been satisfying the most discriminating palates in France since 1894.

Whether in three-star Michelin-starred restaurants like Paris' Taillevent, Chez Lasserre, or Alain Ducasse's Grande Cascade, Helix Pomatia Linne snails have graced the finest tables in France.

Similarly, consumers who frequent La Maison de la Escargot's shop in the 15th or the fashionable right-bank shops of Galeries Lafayette Gourmet serve only the best in their homes.

The formula is quite simple, frankly. As with all gastronomic delicacies, French Escargots exhibit varying levels of quality. La Maison's snails have maintained an unwavering reputation for incomparable products amid the demands of the culinary capital of the world, because they start with purely wild Burgundy snails - Helix Pomatia Linne - delivered live.

These savory delights from Potironne Company are then hand-sorted by size, washed, and cooked in an aromatic bouillon according to the same ancestral standards used in 1894.

Health Benefits of French Escargots: Snails are good for you. This is an example of how flavor and nutrition go together.

100 grams of snail contain 119 milligrams of eicosapentaenoic acid, or EPA - a long-chain omega-3 fatty acid usually found in seafood. They say an average intake of 250 milligrams a day of this kind of fatty acid may lower your risk of heart disease.

A serving of French Escargots contains 382 milligrams of potassium but only 70 mg of sodium, which means they are perfect for a low-sodium diet.

Snails provide 3.5 mg of iron, or nearly 20% of the daily recommended value. The iron is also in the heme form, which is easier for our bodies to absorb. Other nutrients include Vitamin B12, selenium, Vitamin E, phosphorus, and magnesium.

These French Escargots also contain a glycoprotein, which is believed to have cancer-fighting properties.

And let's not forget that they taste great, especially nestled in their shells with a little butter and lots of garlic!

Wild Burgundy Snails of Henri Maire are produced by Potironne Company, which is owned and operated by a professional chef trained at Le Cordon Bleu in Paris.

Shop now for Henri Maire Escargot - Wild Burgundy Snails!

How do you serve l'escargots without the shell? Well, you certainly can use mushroom caps, and they can be delicious that way. But if you want to stick to tradition, it's snail shells and herbed garlic butter all the way. We've got 12 reusable snail shells for cooking here, and that's the perfect number for 2.

Photos are a representation of what you may get. Actual shells will vary in color and composition.

Shop now for Escargot Shells!

Onions, cranberries, apples, figs, red wine, orange juice, mustard seeds and more! From Maria: Fabulously fruity with fresh Figs, Cranberries and Apples, finished with Pinot Noir red wine adding to depth of flavor, designed to compliment any cheeseboard Onions, cranberries, apples, figs, red wine, orange juice, mustard seeds and more! From Maria: Fabulously fruity with fresh Figs, Cranberries and Apples, finished with Pinot Noir red wine adding to depth of flavor, designed to compliment any cheeseboard, The Cheeseboard Chutney is everything you expect and more. Packed with apples, figs, cranberries, and a good glug of Pinot Noir these ingredients come together to create something wonderful. Created solely with Cheeseboards in mind we can't think of any cheese that wouldn't pair well with this chutney.

Shop now for Hawkshead Cheeseboard Chutney!