Decorating ideas, Fruitcake is more than a Joke, Cookies are Biscuits and more at chefshop.com/enews EXCLUSIVE SUBSCRIBER 5% OFF CODE time  Recipes | Chef's Pantries | Shop for Food & Ingredients | Food Blog When did fruitcake become a parody? It seems more people know more hearsay as to why fruitcake shouldn’t be eaten than those that actually have tried it in the first place. As many versions there are of deviled eggs (read what Marla says on Facebook), there are versions of fruitcake. Though it seems to be easy to make, clearly hit or miss, good or bad, fruitcake comes in many styles, from wet to dry, to including a plethora of fruits and nuts. Oh, and a good dose of rum. Those who love fruitcake are more than willing to share their opinions about which ones they have adored and which ones that they did not. And we have friends (customers) who come in to say hello and wax eloquently about their favorite foods this time of year. And at least 33% of the people come for a taste of our Trappist Abbey Fruitcake! And to take one home. The trick to eating fruitcake is not to have a giant fat chunk topped with a scoop of whipped cream, like a crusading knight. It is much more refined (and preferred) to (chill it first) slice it paper thin and share with a cup of tea, hot chocolate, and coffee. Read about how a knight named William fell in love with Joan who shared her fruitcake here. Read about the monks who bake the cake here. Trappist Abbey Fruitcake- click here! * Our Lady of Guadalupe Trappist Abbey in Lafayette, Oregon make an outstanding fruitcake. Dark and dense, it is loaded with fruit and nuts, but not with the typical maraschino cherries and green citron - instead 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 will make believers out of even the most ardent fruitcake skeptics. Shop now for small Fruitcake. * A short, flat history of the cookie. We all know the story that cookies originally were little cakes (called koekjes) that the Dutch bakers made for testing cake recipes. Eatymologists (people who study food words) say that the word was re-pronounced when it crossed Ellis Island and came into the America's. Biscuits followed closely behind, some even say on the same boat! What is the difference between a cookie and a biscuit? It all depends on the definition and the continent you are standing on. And even then it varies from north to south within the country you are in. History tell us that the “biscuit” is an old French word, bescuit, meaning twofold or twice cooked. Originally, baked and then dried in a drying “oven”. In the middle ages in England, the word bisquite was used to describe a hard, twice baked thing. And then, as lots of things developed, biscuit became more like a classification and came to include crackers, cookies and sugar wafers. Ok, so I hope that was confusing, because it is. No matter the name, we wish and hope to share the same, and a happy cookie holiday this year. (Except when we consider a true southern biscuit, then it is more like a cake than a cookie.) Shop now for Biscuits and Cookies! * Italian Corn Cookies This runaway favorite last year is a hit again this year. Just plain eating out of hand is fabulous, with just the right crunch and texture. And it is the perfect vehicle for spreading your pistachio cream and sharing with friends! Italian Corn Cookies - shop now! * Butter and Sea Salt biscuits! This little box is so unassuming, yet packed inside is one of our all-time favorite treats! Light, crunchy, flavorful. This is truly a cookie you can't eat just one of! Joseph Grellier, a baker in Saint Michel, started to sell his own version of the classic French galette in 1905, calling it the galette St. Michel (the varieties of galettes are often named after their town of origin), but it was not until after the first world war, when the railroad turned Brittany into a summer resort destination, that the business began to boom and the biscuits (cookies) gained a broad popularity. Shop now for French Biscuits with Butter and Sea Salt! * Lemon Shortbread! Delicate, melt-in-the-mouth buttery shortbread infused with the taste of sun-kissed Mediterranean lemons. These GF delicacies are for everyone! Shop now for Lemon Butter Shortbread! * Dress up Betty! Go beyond just popping these cherries in your mouth! As you get ready to bake the cake for the dessert party next week, you can dress up even the simplest cake you can make! Just take the stem and push it straightaway into the cake and you have made a glorious, unique treat! And don't worry, these cherries will be the star and no one will notice you made the cake from a mix! French Chocolate Shop now! * Chocolate twigs for decoration Making cupcakes? Dress them up with Mademoiselle de Margaux Twigs! They are so easy to use and (to eat) to decorate with. From one to many, it is so easy to be creative. Sharing with coffee or tea is perfection, but sometimes you want to add a little cupcake to your life. Shop now for Chocolate Twigs! * Natural Bone-in Smoked Heritage Ham Gordy went to the ends of the earth and we now have Christmas hams available! We thought they were gone forever.. For just a couple of days you can order one up. And then that's it. Smoking takes planning and time! This bone-in ham can feed 25! Though, realistically, we have found a 100 servings is possible! (Depending on what you make of course.) "Seattle's B&E Meats...makes the best baked ham I've ever eaten. B&E uses Berkshire pigs, one of the most highly regarded of the heritage breeds."... "The pork flavor and smokiness (also from apple wood and done to order) in the A&J ham were in perfect balance. Just as important, the moist meat still tasted great the next day--and the next and the next." --Sam Gugino in Wine Spectator. Click here and shop now for Heritage Ham! Holiday Store Hours plus Recipes Stollen for Christmas Fresh baked, arrives almost daily. A traditional loaf-shaped German sweet bread made with candied orange peels, golden raisins, rum and marzipan and covered with powdered sugar or icing. Originating from Dresden, Germany, stollen is usually eaten during the Christmas season when called Christstollen. Click to order your Stollen for Christmas! Holiday Store Hours - Come in and explore Saturday and Sunday Monday thru Saturday 10AM to 6PM. Sunday Noon to 4PM Shop now and peruse the food! ChefShop.com 1425 Elliott Ave W Seattle, Wa 98119 206-286-9988 Did you know that we have TWO parking lots? Easy open parking lot. Click here to see the map.   This Weeks Recipes Pasta with Artichokes, Capers, Tomatoes and Tuna Recipe This is a standard around the warehouse. Quick to make and always good. When artichokes are in season -- you can use the fresh hearts. Deviled Eggs with Capers & Tarragon Recipe These Deviled Eggs replace some of the traditional mayonnaise with olive oil, and the capers and fresh tarragon make for a lively flavor that’s a nice change from the classic mayo/mustard combination. Split Pea and Ham Soup Recipe No need to sauté the vegetables - just throw everything into a pot! 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