Looks like Caviar... Tastes like Truffle
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| Supporting Family-Owned Artisan Producers of Hard-to-Find Ingredients since 1999 |
Looks like Caviar... Tastes like Truffle
With the look and feel of caviar, but the distinct taste of black winter truffle, this “caviar” rocks! Not salty in the way traditional caviars can be, its delicate, smooth-feeling black bubbles are a great surprise as the truffle flavor peeks its head up and says “hello” to your taste buds.
Like penny candy, these little spheres float in your mouth like a topping on ice cream; a savory treat that puts a smile on your face like a memory from the candy store. The ultimate savory candy treat!!
Be brave and pair with almost anything. Use on a cracker, or a dollop in a white squash soup, or spread on cheese with a touch of honey. With fish and maple syrup? Mix the flavors and the textures - don't be shy!
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It’s Fruitcake Time … Already? |
I am afraid so… Drew and I traveled south of Portland this past weekend to the beautiful Willamette Valley – Oregon’s wine country. We wouldn't normally drive the extra hour just to take in the scenery – but we were on a mission. We were picking up our holiday fruitcake order. I had been to visit Father Richard a few times before, and knew it was a place worth going out of your way for. Plus, it’s always a great reminder to us of where the fruitcakes are crafted.
The Willamette Valley is an absolutely beautiful part of Oregon, with rolling hills capped with evergreens and deciduous trees, passing small wineries here and there. I trespassed amongst the occasional fruit orchards and wide-open fields; some harvested, some still waiting for the next crop. The Oregon countryside is so beautiful – it is an experience to behold.
The Trappist Abbey’s abbey is nestled at the foot of a hill covered with a small forest. It turns out the brethren of Our Lady of Guadalupe Trappist Abbey do more than tend to their daily chores – they also bake. To help pay the bills, the Trappist monks, many in their eighties, put out hundreds of award-winning fruitcakes from scratch, year after year. Dark and dense, and loaded with fruit and nuts - and not with the typical maraschino cherries and green citron - they use raisins, candied pineapple, and candied cherries. Baked for almost three hours, the cakes are then soaked in fine brandy. Most of the alcohol evaporates and the rich brandy flavor is absorbed. The cakes are then aged for three months to develop the flavor, a unique balance of the sweet fruits and moist walnuts and pecans, with a pleasant finish of spices and brandy.
 It felt a bit like winter that day, overcast and spitting rain, seeming like the perfect weather to pick up a load of fruitcakes. Up a long, narrow driveway, it was hard to imagine semi-trucks going up and down that road daily delivering and picking up wines. It was mid-morning when we arrived and the cake cases were sitting in their simple lobby waiting for us to come and transport them to Seattle. After loading up the truck, we took a moment to take a gander around the grounds. Simple, calm and quiet. It was easy to understand why modern-day pilgrims go there - to visit and spend time pondering life’s mysteries. It would make believers out of even the most ardent fruitcake skeptics.
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Time to Order Your Summer Milk Parmigiano-Reggiano |
 Wondering what happened to the “Aged” part of last week’s newsletter? Well here it is…
“Summer” means that this cheese is made from milk harvested during the summer months. Summer cheeses are often the headiest and most dense in flavor - due to the concentration of strong summer grasses where the cows forage during that time of year. This cheese is from a hand-selected mountain cheese house high in the Apennine Mountains. The wheels are now 38 months old.
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ChefShop.com Cooking Series |
 Looking for a new way to bond with your work-mates? Cooking classes just might be the thing. Cook a healthy meal, drink a little wine, taste some awesome ingredients. Why not? Classes are $45, and they are all inclusive. Space is limited to 10 people per class, so don't wait ... gather your work-mates, get your calendars out, and have a culinary experience you won't forget. Taught by chef and professional cooking instructor, Lauren Feldman (pictured at right with Chef Jacques Pepin).
(Note: The Beans and Grains workshops are not specifically for vegetarians. Beans are a great source of protein, and whole grains make a delicious and nutritious side – so why not use them instead of white rice or pasta? Add a little color – and nutrition – to your plate at the same time. How many times have you said, “Those beans look so beautiful, but I haven’t a clue how to cook them.” So, now's your chance.)
Heirloom Grain Workshop (Wednesday, October 27th)
Bean Workshop (Wednesday, November 3rd)
Holiday Workshop (Wednesday, November 10th) |
Truffle Caviar
A perfect caviar substitute; looks like caviar, tastes like truffles. A party conversation starter, if there ever was one.
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Pianogrillo Olive Oil – 5 liter tin
Our favorite Sicilian Olive Oil, Pianogrillo, is sold out for the year – but we can still get this food service sized tin. Five (5) liters of Piangrillo is less than half the price per liter compared to their regular bottle. Perfect for sharing with your friends between now and when the new crop comes in, in January - or taking an olive oil bath…
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San Marzano Tomatoes – Food Service Tin
Have a pasta party! Is one regular tin just not big enough? We now have 90oz tins of DOP San Marzano Tomatoes. It’s more than 3 times the size, for only about 2 times the price. Manga!
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We have selected the dates for our two annual tasting events. They are free, and they are “open house” style – so just drop on by, take a taste, and go home with something wonderful.
10th Annual Holiday Tasting (Friday, November 26th and Saturday, November 27th)
10th Annual Olio Nuovo Open House (Saturday, December 4th)
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Time to Order Your Holiday Ham & Turkey |
Newsletter Subscriber Discount Code
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Enter this code in the "coupon code" box during checkout (see below). Our thanks for subscribing! (Valid through Tuesday, October 19, 2010. Discount not valid on fresh/perishable items or already discounted products.)
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This Week's Recipes
Or you can try making your own. These recipes do not call for aging the cakes – like the monks do at the Trappist Abbey. But they are still yummy. If you are really industrious, you can also candy your own peel and fruit. But we will leave that for another day…
BLONDE FRUITCAKE
TRADITIONAL DARK FRUITCAKE
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