Hot Hot Hot Stuff

 

·  Sil-pin Silicone Rolling Pins

Just when we thought that the Sipat Silicone Baking Mat couldn’t be topped, along comes this amazing tool.  Smooth-rolling, hefty and a dream to use, these rolling pins are covered with wonderful, non-stick silicone. For the pastry-dough-challenged among us (like me!) this rolling pin makes the impossible happen.

 

·  Sanding Sugars

Beckon the return of spring by creating a batch of cheerful cookies with these dreamy pastel colored sugars (remember.....Martha is in jail, and your Sil-pin will turn you into a cookie diva.) 

 

·  Chinese Presentation Teas

Bamboo Shoots, Jade Rings, and Jade Twists.....

These are glorious examples of artfully shaped tea leaves, representing the pinnacle of Chinese hand-skills.

 

·  Schokinag Hot Chocolates

Very high-quality and delicious chocolate mixes made in Germany from Schokinag’s own special blend of chocolate. Choose from:  Extreme Dark Chocolate, Triple Chocolate and delicate White Chocolate.

 

·  Bali Sea Salt

The salt in the cute little polished coconut was one of our hottest Christmas sellers, and it continues to outpace all other salts. Why? Give it a taste and you will see - the unique method of harvesting and processing this salt creates a style and flavor that is  unique and un-beatable.


Middle Eastern Ingredients

Mograbeyeh (Israeli Couscous) ~

Pomegranate Molasses ~ Tunisian Harissa

Turkish Maras Pepper ~ Syrian Aleppo Pepper

Jordanian Za’atar

and two fabulous cookbooks:

• New Food of Life: Ancient Persian & Modern Iranian Cooking & Ceremonies
by Najimeh Khalili Batjmanglij

• The Slow Mediterranean Kitchen by Paula Wolfert
 


Kusmi Tea

Many of our customers have been thrilled to see our new teabag offerings from this very popular, venerable Parisian purveyor. These flavors are available by special import only and
are not widely distributed in the USA.
So, if you know a Kusmi fan, please spread the word. Select from: Caramel, Exotic Cocktail, Ginger, Ten Fruits, Lychee, and Mandarine.

 


SEA SALT

Thomas Keller, chef at The French Laundry and
Per Se restaurants said recently in an interview:
‘Salt is the new olive oil.’ He is referring to the fact that we should select salt as carefully as we select the right olive oil, so that we compliment and not overwhelm our food. Sea salt is the most flavorful salt, and the nuances of flavor are influenced by sea minerals, algae and the clay content of the ocean bed near the shoreline. Using less salt? Switch from flavorless, processed saltshaker salt and start using natural sea salt - you can use less, and will have excellent flavor without a bitter, overly salty taste.

Coarse salt from Bali ~ Malden Sea Crystals from Maldon, England ~ Fleur de Sel from Brittany, France~ Grey salt from Brittany, France ~ La Baleine from the French Midi ~ Smoked Sea Salt ~ Salt Sampler with Wooden Salt Tray
 

PEPPERCORNS

Be sure to replenish your spice cabinet, and keep your peppercorns fresh and lively. Once worth a king’s ransom, peppercorns are now a modestly priced luxury. We stock all your favorites: green peppercorns (dry or in brine) Lampong peppercorns, Tellicherry peppercorns, rosé peppercorns, Muntok white peppercorns, and our tasty 4-pepper blend.
 

PEPPER and SALT MILLS

Toss out that old mill and take the frustration out of grinding fresh pepper or salt! A well-made mill, like a good knife, is a valued kitchen tool that will give you years of good service. We stock Perfex and Peugeot from France, Chiarugi from Florence, Italy, and Pepperguns from Nantucket.

Watch for our Chiarugi peppermills from Florence, Italy in the May issue of Bon Appetit magazine!
 



Fig and Pomegranate Tapenade
adapted from Epicurious

8 fresh ripe figs, stemmed and halved
1½ tablespoons olive oil
½ cup Kalamata olives, pitted and coarsely     chopped
1 tablespoon drained capers
2 ½ tsp. Pomegranate molasses
2 tsp. fresh rosemary, chopped
½ tsp. Sherry wine vinegar
½ cup walnuts, toasted and coarsely chopped

Pre-heat broiler. Line a small baking sheet with foil, and brush with olive oil. Brush figs with ½ tblsp. olive oil and place figs cut side down. Broil until figs are lightly browned at the edges, about 3 minutes. Set aside to cool. Combine with remaining ingredients, except walnuts, in a blender and pulse slowly to just coarsely chop the figs and olives. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Place in a bowl and mix in the walnuts. Let stand at room temperature for 2 hours before serving.
 

 

 ‘ALAN THE SPOON MAN’

Many of you know ‘Alan the Spoon Man’ from the many years that he has been selling his wares at local craft fairs. His appearances at area fairs are fewer now, but he is still making wonderful spoons, which you can purchase here. Now that he is a celebrity with a big write-up in The Recorder, let’s hope that he doesn’t want to raise his prices and move to Bermuda.


HALIBUT WITH GINGER PAPAYA SALSA

This recipe is from a little brochure put out by The Ginger People, who supplies us with our wonderful ginger products.

6 fresh halibut or salmon steaks
2 ripe papayas or mangos, seeded and coarsely chopped
2 scotch bonnet chiles, seeded
1/4 cup finely minced crystallized ginger
1/3 cup dark rum
1/3 cup fresh lime juice
1/4 cup coconut milk
1/2 tsp. salt
1/8th tsp. each: cardamom, anise and cloves
pinch of nutmeg and cinnamon

Combine chiles, rum, lime juice, coconut milk, salt, honey and spices in a blender. Puree for 1 minute. Pour into a saucepan, add the fruit and ginger and bring to a boil. Simmer gently for 10 minutes. Grill fish steaks and place each steak on a pre-warmed plate. Spoon a generous amount of salsa over the steaks and serve immediately.


Lila Jaeger Extra Virgin Olive Oil

In the early 1970’s, before we knew that California had the potential to make world-class wine, Lila Jaeger was dedicated to producing world-class California olive oil. She is single-handedly responsible for rallying farmers to restore hundreds of acres of languishing olive groves planted in the early 20thC to their full fruiting potential, and the inspiration behind today’s push to plant olive groves and not vineyards.
 


Tea Photos at Historic Deerfield

Beginning in May, the Flynt Center at Historic Deerfield will debut a new exhibition titled: The Canton Connection: Art and Commerce of the China Tea Trade. This exhibition will continue thru August 2006. During this time you will be able to view a presentation of our photographs of tea processing in rural China in the hallway leading to the main exhibition rooms. We are thrilled to have this opportunity to share these images with all museum attendees, and to use them as an educational tool to aid in the understanding of Chinese tea. These images were taken throughout Eastern China, in remote, rural tea factories, where tea workers follow the traditions of ancient tea-processing methods and where the deft hand-skills of the tea workers produce the finest rare tea.


Dulche de Leche Glazed Ham
by Grace Parisi, Food & Wine Magazine Dec. 2004

½ cup dulce de leche
6 tblsp. smooth Dijon mustard
2 tblsp. whole-grain mustard
1 large garlic clove, minced
¼ tsp. cayenne pepper
1¼ cups chicken stock
one 10-pound bone-in-smoked ham
1 medium onion, thinly sliced

1. Pre-heat the oven to 375º. In a small bowl, whisk the dulce de leche with the two mustards, the garlic and the cayenne. Whisk in ¼ cup of the stock.
2. Trim the skin off of the ham, leaving ¼ inch layer of fat. Score the fat in a shallow crosshatch pattern. Spread the onions in a large roasting pan. Set the ham on top and add ½ cup of the stock. Cover the ham with parchment paper, and then cover the roasting pan with aluminum foil. Roast the ham for 1¼ hours.
3. Remove the foil and parchment and brush the ham with all but ¼ cup of the dulche de leche glaze. Roast the ham for 1 hour longer, or until nicely glazed all over. Transfer the ham to a cutting board and let rest for at least 15 minutes.
4. Meanwhile, pour the pan drippings into a small saucepan and skim off as much of the fat as possible. Set the roasting pan over 2 burners. Add the remaining ½ cup of stock and cook, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom and side of the pan. Pour the deglazed liquid into the saucepan.
5. Whisk in the remaining ¼ cup of dulche de leche glaze and bring to a boil. Transfer the gravy to a warmed gravy boat. Thinly slice the ham and serve with the gravy.
 

Muhammara Sauce
adapted from Epicurious

delicious spread on pita bread or dollop over
grilled boneless chicken breasts or grilled tuna

3 tblsp. walnuts, toasted and chopped
1/2 cup (7 oz drained) roasted red peppers
1/3 cup fresh breadcrumbs, finely processed in a food processor
1 garlic clove, mashed to a paste with 1/4 tsp. salt
1 teaspoon pomegranate molasses
1/2 tsp. ground cumin
1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper
6 tablespoons grape seed oil

Place all of the ingredients into a blender and blend into
a smooth paste. Season to taste with salt and pepper.


French Lavender Honey Drops

Sometimes the best things are those little things that no one has ever told you about, that you simply discover when you are not even really looking. That’s how I found the Lavender Honey Drops - round marble-sized balls of honey candy made from fragrant Lavender Honey. They are delicious as a candy, but watch what happens when you drop one into your tea. Ooh la-la! Delicious honey flavor and no mess. Stash some in your desk drawer at work and keep your
co-workers guessing - they won’t know how you do it!