Tales from the Hives, The Legend of Le'Hua, Ideas for summer add ons and more at chefshop.com/enews EXCLUSIVE SUBSCRIBER 5% OFF CODE icecream  Recipes | Chef's Pantries | Shop for Food & Ingredients | Food Blog Tales From the Hives Walking Among the Mac Nut Trees on the Big Island Sometimes we forget how great our work can be. As the holiday passed, and as we prepped for the unknown of the year to come, we were able to take a quick trip to The Big Island of Hawai'i. This is where our friends who make Big Island Bees buzz, Garnett, the beekeeper, and Whendi, the artist who fills the jars with island wonder, reside. click here to read Tales from The Hives (from our archive) The Legend of Le'Hua Legend says that Pele turned the warrior, O'hia, into a tree when he refused to marry her because he was in love with Le'hua. Le'hua was so sad at the loss of her lover, that the gods turned her into the blossom of the O'hia tree so that O'hia and Le'hua would be together forever. The legend states that if you pick a flower from the O'hia tree, it will rain - the tears of the lovers. Most interpret the legend to mean that rain will fall from the sky. But, the amount of nectar that fell from that blossom that day, I wonder if the legend really is referring to the copious nectar falling from the blossom - like sweet tears. Soon after we picked that blossom, it started to rain. Read more here about Big Island honey. Shop now for Big Island Bees honey! * Salted Cherry Blossoms Japanese are wild about any kind of product made with cherry blossoms (called sakura). Cherry trees bloom in April, and represent the first signs of Spring. For centuries, cherry blossoms were pickled in order to preserve them for occasions during other seasons of the year. Fresh cherry blossoms are picked and washed in a combination of fresh water and Ume plum vinegar in order to preserve the delicate pink color, Then they are pickled in layers with salt, and left to pickle for 3-4 weeks. This method of preservation was developed over generations in order to preserve the unique flavor of cherry blossoms throughout the whole year. Shop Now for Salted Cherry Blossoms! * Grenadine Syrup By taking the old formula of pomegranate (from a single family farm) and cane sugar, along with a few ingredients, in a procedure that is undoubtedly a secret, Jack Rudy Cocktail Company makes a great grenadine that is not only new but also harkens to the past. From Medieval Latin, pomum granatum, describing apple with many seeds, and grenade in old French meaning pomegranate. It is thus deduced that Grenadines etymology comes from its main ingredient, pomegranate juice. The most modern of grenadine ingredients have changed from these three basic ingredients, to replacing grenade with red currants and other fruit juices. And then, to lower the cost of production even more, manufacturers have turned to a high fructose corn syrup, citric acid, sodium citrate, sodium benzoate, and the addition of flavorings & food coloring number blue, skipping fruit altogether, Not exactly true to the name! Unlike pomegranate “syrup”, which has a tendency to be sour and tart, and sometimes even bitter, Jack Rudy's grenadine is the perfect mix of sweet, flavor–rich and sour. It’s so good that you can eat it with a spoon! Shop now for Grenadine Cocktail Syrup! * Rainier Cherries Tillen Farms Cherries in sugar syrup are perfect for plopping into your summer mixed drink. A wonderful sweet crunch, it feels like a cherry in your mouth and really, one is not enough. The good news is that a whole jar is (about 16 cherries) only 160 calories, far short of any candy bar! Add it to any mixed drink, especially ginger ale and grenadine! And, really, the cherry becomes the best part! These cherries are awesome! Shop now for Rainier Cherries in Sugar Syrup! * Westmorland Chutney! The daddy of all chutneys, this very traditional dark fruity chutney goes with everything from cheese to cold meats to shepherds pie. No cheese sandwich should be allowed to go out undressed with Westmorland Chutney, and no order would be complete without a jar of this. We think that this is one fancy dancy chutney. Deep, rich, flavorful, perfection for meats of all kinds. This is a condiment worth having, always! This deep rich taste goes with your proteins. Shop now for the Daddy of all Chutneys! * Organic Spelt The softest of the trio of these ancient grains, it is still hardy and will last all dinner service. The genetics of Lentz' Spelt (Triticum spelta) and Lentz Emmer Farro (Triticum dicoccum) were vital to agriculture long before wheat. Today these two ancestral hulled-grain varieties rank as superb not only nutritionally, but also as gourmet alternatives to commodity wheat. They're natural grains, wholesome, and not bioengineered (they're "GMO-free"). Shop now for Organic Spelt! * Balsamic e Fragole As the summer reaches it highs this cooling joy matches so well with grilled meats and the fruit of this time of year! It's so good a drop goes a long way. Drizzle your way to joy! This juice-packed strawberry vinegar has a typical Italian nuance: it’s very fruit forward, like eating strawberries covered in a thick balsamic vinegar. Noteworthy for its fresh strawberry impression at first taste and lingering final notes, La Vecchia Strawberry vinegar is a natural compliment to sweets. It’s fabulous swirled into a creme Anglaise, pooled under a slice of chocolate torte, or simply drizzled over fresh seasonal fruit. Shop now for Strawberry Balsamico! * Fragrant and Exotic Sichuan Peppercorns (Z. piperatum) of the Rutaceae (citrus) family are the dried berries of a deciduous prickly ash tree. Their reddish-brown shells are split open and the bitter black seed inside is discarded. They are not as pungent as black peppercorns and have an unusual lemony flavor, very appealing to brighten up sauces and meat and chicken dishes. Shop now for Sichuan Peppercorns! * Wild Burgundy Snails Wild Burgundy Snails, a timeless French delicacy, are finally available to gourmets in the United States. The finest purveyor in Paris, La Maison de l’Escargot, has been satisfying the most discriminating palettes in France since 1894. Introducing Wild Burgundy Snails of Henri Maire. Whether in three-star Michelin-rated restaurants like Paris’ Taillevent - #1 dining destination in the World, 2001 Zagat’s survey - Chez Lasserre, or Alain Ducasse’s Grande Cascade, Hélix Pomatia Linne snails have graced the finest tables in France. Similarly, consumers who frequent La Maison de l’Escargot’s shop in the 15th, or the fashionable right-bank shops of Galeries Lafayette Gourmet, serve only the best in their homes. Shop now for Wild Burgundy Snails! * Escargot Shells How do you serve l'escargot 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 re-usable snail shells here, and that's the perfect number for 2. Shop now for Escargot Shells! * Mina Green Moroccan Harissa A green version of the popular red Mina Moroccan Harissa. Just like Mina's red harissa, the green is comprised of just a few ingredients. And the Green Harissa uses green bell and chili peppers, instead of a red ones. Ingredients are Green Bell Peppers, Green Chili Peppers, Garlic, Extra Virgin Olive Oil, Vinegar, Salt, Cumin. Some say it's tastier than the red but you should try both and decide for yourself. Shop now for Green Moroccan Harissa! Cooking Classes A Persian Repast Cooking Class Thursday A Persian Repast–From one of the oldest civilizations in the world, Persian cuisine exhibits all that is refined and beautiful about food. Delicate scents, surprising pairings, rich flavors and lavish decoration are part of even the simplest dish. Watch chef Lesa prepare and discuss this elegant dinner: Egg and Herb Frittata, Beans and Greens Soup with Pasta, Spicy Eggplant Dip with Pita Bread, Chicken stewed in Walnuts and Pomegranate Molasses, and Saffron Rice Pudding with Rosewater Syrup. Persian Repast Cooking Class! Special Pricing for Newsletter readers. Store Hours Monday thru Saturday 10AM to 5PM. Come by and taste the honeys. You won't believe the different flavors! It is natures amazing sweets. ChefShop.com 1425 Elliott Ave W Seattle, Wa 98119 206-286-9988 Store Parking The big one is much easier to park in. Click here to see the map.   This Weeks Recipes Grilled Peaches with Honey Creme Fraiche Recipe Perfect grilling party topper. One of our absolute favorite desserts during grilling season - which also happens to be peach season. Fast, easy and fresh-tasting. Light and tangy. Perfect. BTW - the honey creme fraiche works well on all sorts of fruit - include blueberries and fresh strawberries. Broccolini with Garlic, Anchovies and Hot Chili Pepper Recipe Super simple dish, yet super flavorful. There’s nothing like a little anchovy or two to add some umami to a dish, and bring out all its natural flavors. Recipe adapted from “Essentials of Italian Cooking” by Marcella Hazan. Grilled Steak with Saba Recipe There’s no question that really tasty beef is required here. I like top sirloin or skirt steak for a good meaty flavor. You can also try this with a nice cut of tri-tip or even eye of round, and slice it against the grain in small strips when it’s done. See what you missed in previous Newsletters Black Garlic Molasses, Black Caviar in Name Rita's Alsatian Cake Recipe! Summer Fare A Giant Among Avocados, Recipes ChefShop.com Toll-free: 1-800-596-0885 You've received this email because you have purchased from us or subscribed. We respect your privacy online, and will never share your email address. Help | Contact | About | Terms | Privacy Policy | Search | My Account DESIGN: JODI LUBY & COMPANY, INC. NEW YORK CITY, NY; EMAIL STRATEGY: CRM Group USA, SEATTLE, WA