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| Autumn News - 10/11/2008 |
Thanks to everyone who helped make our First Annual Langley Oktoberfest such a success! We’re looking forward to a fabulous Fall season so here’s what’s new and exciting. In this Newsletter
New at the Pantry Just arrived, too many new cheeses to mention but here’s a sampling - terrific cheeses for fondue including Comte and awesome Cave Aged Gruyere (also what you’ll need for classic French Onion Soup) and French raw milk Raclette that is oh so delicious. Also new in cheese - Tête de Moine, literally 'monk's head' a delightful, nutty Swiss gourmet cheese originally invented by the monks of Belleray Abbey in the Bernese Jura. We’ll be sampling this with an authentic girolle (a type of cutting device) so stop by for a sliver! Great new Italian cheeses are in - including a sheep’s milk Ricotta Salata and perfectly ripe DOP Taleggio. We also have several new fabulous Triple Crèmes from France. From Vande Rose Farms in Iowa, we now have the most delicious Artisan Ham you’ll ever eat - hand cured and smoked in an authentic artisan apple wood burning smoke house with no artificial flavor and no water added. Ham lovers will go crazy on this and those of us who forgot what really good ham tastes like will be brought back into the fold with just one taste. (Stay tuned next week for the arrival of Vande Rose’s award winning bacon.) We also have two terrific types of lentils (Le Puy green lentils from France and lovely brown lentils from Umbria), organic whole farro, chestnut flour, crystallized ginger, dried currants and luscious Valrhona chocolate for seasonal cooking and baking. New from Oregon Growers and Shippers - a sensual Pumpkin Butter that melts on your tongue as well as some pretty darn tasty (and not too sweet) Apple Butter and Vanilla Pear Butter. Our full line of Good Wives Hors D’Ouevres have arrived including their award winning Mushroom Profiteroles. We now feature cakes and savories by the slice or whole from JW desserts – if you’re not familiar with John’s incredible baking talent, tune into the Food Network this Sunday night at 8 pm and watch him take away the Grand Prize in the Big City Cakes competition (the show will also air on Wed. at 7 p.m.). We have lots of tasty treats arriving daily including those Boat Street Pickles everyone is talking about (Pickled Figs being a perfect match for cheese) – also perfect for cheese, Pear and Moscato Wine Jelly from Ritrovo, Matiz Fig Preserves, Grape Must Mustard – actually, we need to stop now! But please stop by to sample all of our great new stuff! Save the Dates - November 7 & 8 Langley Gets Lively the first weekend of every month! Join us for a fabulous Friday Night Flights featuring Food Friendly Wines for the Holidays (think – the Perfect Turkey Wine!) On Saturday we’ll be doing an informal demo inside from 1 till 4 pm – join us for some fondue basics and enjoy our first focused tasting. We’ll have more on tap so stay tuned for details. Oktoberfest Run-Down Oktoberfest was truly a blast! We had a great time with all of you and enjoyed seeing Langley filled with happy people. We still have both of our Oktoberfest beers in stock, with special pricing for anyone who purchased a stein. We also had a terrific time at our Bottle Shock tasting! We have a few bottles of the Chateau Montelena chardonnay in stock, so if you’re interested in doing your own tasting at home, please come in sooner rather than later. Thank you to everyone who participated in our first annual Langley Cooks Cooking Contest. The competition was fierce but a few dishes really stood out to our judging panel – here are the winners of each category, each taking home a $50 gift certification to either Prima, the Fishbowl, Island Angel Chocolates or the Chef’s Pantry: German Potato Salad – Suzanne Gutmann Healy German Chocolate Cake – Rainey Lewis Black Forest Cake – Deb Montgomery Sauerkraut – Inger Logelin Our grand prize winner (taking home the Le Creuset 5 qt. Oval Cast Iron in Dijon) is Inger Logelin (aka Heather’s Mom) for her Sweet and Sour Cabbage recipe. We’ll be posting this recipe on our website. Thanks to everyone for your enthusiasm and skill! And thank you to our judges – Sieb from Prima, David from the Fishbowl and Stephanie – who also did a fabulous job with pumpkin carving. Also a big shout-out to Tony and Mona at Island Angel Chocolates for cooking up those Bavarian brats and weiners to perfection. All of our stein proceeds are being donated to the Good Cheer/WIN program and all of the cooking contest entry fees are donated to Northwest Harvest. Thank you, thank you, thank you for all of your support!
We will be closed the week of Oct. 20th (basically so the Chef can go see mom and dad). For this reason, we won’t be hosting our regular wine tasting in October but will pick it up again in November with our pre-holiday Sparkling and Champagne Tasting. So look for more details in our next update!
This Month’s Recipe Homemade Soft Pretzels If you missed our demo last weekend, here’s the fabulous soft pretzel recipe we were baking up. Makes 8 large pretzels 5 ½ cups warm water (110-115 degrees) 1 tbsp. sugar 2 tsp. salt 1 package active dry yeast 4 ½ cups all purpose flour 4 tbsp. butter, melted and cooled ½ cup baking soda Sel gris or kosher salt for topping Combine 1 ½ cups water, sugar, and 2 tsp. salt in the bowl of a stand mixer and sprinkle the yeast on top. Allow to sit for 5 minutes or until the mixture begins to foam and bubbles appear. Add the flour and butter and using the dough hook attachment, mix on low speed until combined. Increase speed to medium and knead until the dough is smooth and elastic, about 5 minutes. Lightly grease a large metal or glass bowl. Place the dough in the greased bowl, turn it over once to grease the other side and cover with a towel. Place in a warm place and allow the dough to rise until doubled, about 1 hour. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment and grease the parchment. In a medium bowl, combine the remaining 4 cups of warm water with the baking soda. Turn the dough onto a slightly oiled surface or onto parchment and divide into 8 equal pieces. Roll out each piece of dough into a 24 inch rope. Make a U shape with the dough, cross the ends of the rope over and fix onto the bottom of the U to form a pretzel shape. Place onto an extra baking pan. When all are ready, dip each pretzel completely into the baking soda mixture for 4-5 seconds and remove with a spatula, allowing excess water to drip off. Place each pretzel a few inches apart onto the greased parchment lined pan. Sprinkle evenly with the sel gris. Bake for 8-9 minutes until pretzels are golden brown. Transfer pretzels to a cooling rack and cool for at least 5 minutes before serving with coarse mustard. Copyright 2008 Donna Leahy www.chefspantryonline.com |
| Langley Oktoberfest Oct. 3-4 - 9/25/2008 |
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"Langley Gets Lively" hosts our first Oktoberfest on October 3 & 4, 2008. Heading up the weekend’s lineup, Friday Night Flights, the monthly walk-around-town wine tasting, will feature wines from Alsace on Oct. 3 from 4 to 6:30PM. Tickets are $20 per person and include a pouring and appetizer at each of four establishments – The Fishbowl, Prima Bistro, The Edgecliff and Chef’s Pantry. Tickets are available at any of the four venues. Commemorative Langley beer steins ($10 each) will go on sale October 3 at participating venues -- Prima Bistro, Fishbowl Restaurant, Village Pizzeria, The Edgecliff, Useless Bay Coffee, and Chef’s Panty. Those who present their Langley steins at these venues will receive a discount on Oktoberfest beer for the entire month of October. Chef’s Pantry will offer sample pours from 1 until 4PM in its Outdoor Market, next to the White Tent. Useless Bay Coffee and Mike's Place will be offering one free drip coffee to stein holders. On Saturday at 2PM, Langley chefs and other "celebrities with well-trained palates" will be the judges in an Oktoberfest Cooking Contest. Prizes will include restaurant gift certificates, cookware and more. Recipe categories include Most Mouth-Watering German Potato Salad, Better Than Opa’s Sauerkraut and Most Decadent German Chocolate Cake. A benefit for Northwest Harvest, entry fee is $5 for up to three recipes prior to Oct. 3 and $10 on the day of the event. Those who wish to participate need to drop off their prepared dish, recipe and registration at Chef’s Pantry between 11AM and 2PM on Saturday, Oct. 4. Registration forms are available at Chef’s Pantry or online at www.chefspantryonline.com/events.
Other ways to enjoy Saturday’s Oktoberfest festivities include the following: Also happening that evening will be… Participating restaurants will also be featuring Oktoberfest specials such as Choucroute Garnie and Tarte Flambee (or flammekueche). Island Angel Chocolates has created an Oktoberfest Truffle made with Bavarian beer for the occasion. Langley’s Oktoberfest coincides with the Whidbey Island Farm Tour – a self-guided tour of 18 working farms featuring locally grown produce and locally made products. For a map and details for the Oct. 4 and 5 tour, please visit www.whidbeyfarmtour.com.
About Langley Langley is a welcoming waterfront town with historic character on bluffs overlooking Saratoga Passage. Visitors relish the views, beach walks, kayaking and fresh air, as well as the influence of the creative community that resides here. Galleries feature the work of established island artists. Restaurants cater to people who love to savor good food, wine and conversation. An artisan coffee roaster is the town’s social centerpiece. The community theater scene thrives drawing from the local talent pool. A cluster of rare and independent bookstores complements a mix of general goods, clothing boutiques and specialty shops. Lodging ranges from distinctive waterfront inns to cottages and bed & breakfast establishments. All in all, the offerings are eclectic, distinctive and rewarding. |
| Calling all Cooks! Enter to Win Le Creuset Cast Iron & Great Prizes! - 9/12/2008 |
| Do you make a Mouthwatering German Potato Salad? A Killer German Chocolate Cake? Or a Sauerkraut to challenge Opa's? (that's German for Grandpa!)
Please bring us your best and compete for some awesome prizes including Le Creuset Cast Iron valued at over $200, Gift Certificates to Langley Restaurants & Other Great Prizes! Sponsored by Chef’s Pantry For more information, call 360 221-2060 Registration is $5 per entrant (non-refundable - up to 3 recipes) before Oct. 3, $10 day of event Please bring your contest dish already made and ready to be tasted for the judges with your recipe from 11 am till 1 pm on the day of the contest. You do not need to bring alot! Just enough for 4 judges to taste. All proceeds benefit Northwest Harvest Click here to register – forms with payment may be mailed to PO Box 429 Langley WA 98260 or dropped off at the Chef’s Pantry at 112 1/2 Anthes Avenue Wed.-Sat. 11 till 5:30, Sunday 11 till 3. |
| Summer Fun Begins July 4th! - 6/30/2008 | |
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| Summer REALLY IS ALMOST HERE! - 5/29/2008 |
Summer is almost here and we’re psyched! So many fun things to tell you about so let’s get right to it. In this Newsletter
Stop by Our Seasonal Market Our open air market, Le Potager (French for kitchen garden) is now open in the nursery area across from the shop, featuring organic specialty produce, herb plants, fresh cut flowers and other fun garden stuff. As always it’s been quite a journey finding suppliers while trying to keep it "local" - but hopefully our perseverance will pay off! We’re augmenting with some product from smaller California organic growers (fava beans, English peas, baby beets, French radishes, strawberries, etc etc.) but expect to be moving up the coast into Oregon and Washington growers as the season progresses. We also have a terrific Washington "forager" (we love you, Kurt!) who brings us local goodies like wild morel mushrooms (due late this afternoon), ramps (kind of a tender wild leek if you’re not familiar with them) and fiddleheads. And who can forget our introduction to Sea Beans! We have a supplier of certified organic herb plants and scented geraniums who grows just about every herb known to man, so let us know if you have any special requests and we’ll bring them in. The Market is open daily Wed.-Sun. Cool Barbecue Stuff Just arrived, everything you’ll need or want for barbecuing this season. Stylish Langley Gets Lively June 6-7 We just love this new first weekend event in Langley! The weekend starts with Friday Night Flights, our walk-about wine tasting with Prima, the Fishbowl, and the Edgecliff from 4 till 6:30 pm. In keeping with the change in weather, June’s tasting will feature wines from the South of France – the selections include white, rose and red. We are strongly recommending that you purchase tickets in advance – this event is becoming so popular that we may need to limit the total numbers! So make sure you stop in at any of the four venues to get your tickets ahead of time if possible. (We’re also recommending that you make your dinner reservations in advance since there seem to be more and more people in town as of late.) The fun continues on Saturday at 1 pm in our white tent – join us for "Langley Cooks – Cooking with the Pros." We have a terrific line-up this month, including Chef Sieb Jurrians from Prima - "Fresh Ideas for Pairing Food and Wine" at 1 pm, followed by Chef Leahy at 2 pm (yes, I know I said I wasn’t doing this anymore…..) with "Cool Ideas for Summer Salads" and finally "Chocolate Delights" from B & B Chef Jackie Stewart around 3 pm. At 4 pm, please join us for some fantastic music featuring jazz and django guitarist Troy Chapman and Friends – we’ll be sampling a little wine to go along with the music as well. The Artwalk Openings run at Museo and other Langley Galleries from 5 pm till 8 pm. If it sounds like a party, it is! Cooking demos, samples and recipes are all free, with donations going to Northwest Harvest, Washington’s only state wide hunger relief agency. Last month we collected $175! We really appreciate everyone’s support. TYRELLS CHIP ALERT – Yes, potato chip fans, we’re happy to announce there are two new flavors for summer – Worcester Sauce & Sun-Dried Tomato AND Garden Herb. These are truly the best chips on the planet. We have all of the regular flavors in stock and now carry the large bags of the awesome Root Vegetable chips as well. Please stop in for a taste! Wine Tasting – Wines of the Southern Rhone Sat. June 21 Well, simply put, the last tasting was a killer. Remember that super warm Saturday evening a few weeks ago? We closed off our courtyard and enjoyed some spectacular Italian wines al fresco with an array of antipasti. It had the feel of a warm Tuscan evening, so what better way to finish than with the 2001 La Fiorita Brunello di Montalcino Riserva. After two hours of decanting, this wine literally sang, showing us some incredible aging potential if only we can keep our hands off it for a few years. But to celebrate the beginning of summer, we’re back in France, this time focusing on some fabulous warm weather Cotes du Rhone. Here’s the plan – a little sparkling as always to start and then on to a fun little rose, perhaps Tavel. What would a Rhone tasting be without our favorite winemaker? So from Michel Chapoutier, we’ll taste the ‘06 Chateauneuf du Pape Blanc Le Bernardine. (Trust me when I say there is something about this wine that will make you want to throw yourself on the floor – it’s that good.) Next, Gigondas, the lesser known (and lesser priced) Grenache-dominated red wine of the south (we’ll taste the Domaine Brusset 2004 Les Hauts de Montmirail). And finally, 2005 Chateauneuf du Pape Rouge from Ferraton or perhaps Beaucastel. Or perhaps both. If we can imagine we’re in Tuscany, certainly we can conjure a hillside in the Vaucluse this time around. And that's not the wine talking! Or is it.....? Did we mention how much fun these tastings are? Please join us for Great Wines of the Southern Rhone. Sat. June 21 at 6:30 pm - $20 per person, advance reservations required. Please call us at 360 221-2060 or stop by to reserve. SPECIAL NOTE – We will be CLOSED from Sunday June 8 through Thursday June 12 – thanks for your understanding. This Month’s Recipe Summer Strata with Eggplant and Pancetta There is something about fresh, quality ingredients that inspires us. So when our first delivery of organic produce arrived for opening day of the market (along with fresh sheep’s milk ricotta and imported buffalo mozzarella), this simple strata seemed the perfect way to bring all those summer flavors together in one dish. Serves 6 6 Japanese eggplant, peeled and ends trimmed 3 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil 12 thin slices of pancetta 1 egg 1 cup sheep’s milk ricotta 1 large piece buffalo mozzarella (about ¼ cup), coarsely grated or chopped 1 1/2 cups red pear tomatoes, halved ½ cup fresh bread crumbs 3 basil leaves, cut in chiffonade Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Butter an 8 x 8 inch baking pan. With a mandoline or sharp knife, slice the eggplant lengthwise into strips. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet and lightly cook the eggplant in batches, about 2 minutes per side. Drain on paper towels and set aside. In a large skillet, cook the pancetta until crisp. Drain on paper towels and set aside. In a large bowl, whisk the egg. Fold in the ricotta and mozzarella until combined. Sprinkle 1 tbsp. of bread crumbs into the bottom of the prepared pan. Place a single layer of the eggplant over the bread crumbs. Spoon on half of the ricotta mixture. Layer on half of the tomatoes. Crumble the pancetta and sprinkle half over the tomatoes. Layer half of the remaining bread crumbs over top. Repeat all of these layers, finishing with the remaining bread crumbs. Cover with foil, place on a baking sheet and bake in the preheated oven for 30 minutes. Remove the foil and bake 12-15 minutes longer, until mixture just begins to bubble at the edges. Remove from the oven and cool slightly. Slice into squares and sprinkle basil on top of each piece to serve. Copyright 2008 Donna Leahy We hope this was as fun for you as it was for us! Please email us your comments at thechef@chefspantryonline.com. |
accessories from Outset look great and are super functional – great for gifting (think Father’s Day or hostess gift), or for treating yourself to the best. We have some fun accessories – our favorite being a non-stick skillet with a removable handle, perfect for cooking up asparagus or other veggies that might fall through the grill. Also from Outset, stainless smoking boxes for the grill with a variety of smoking chips – cabernet, cherry, mesquite and hickory - grill brushes, flexible spatulas, fish grilling baskets and the most gorgeous barbecue tool sets you’ll find. We also have great silicone basting brushes from Le Creuset. We have grilling sauces galore (Pear Chipotle & Wasabi Ginger to name a few) and some new rubs and planks – including Cedar, Alder, Cherry and Maple, plus those cool grilling papers that can be used inside when the weather isn’t cooperating (that NEVER happens here of course). Somehow stoking up the grill makes it official – summer is here!
| Langley Gets Lively June 6-7 - 5/28/2008 |
Our next Langley Gets Lively weekend is June 6 & 7. Friday Night Flights features Wines from the South of France. Sample pour and paired cheese or hors d'ouevres are offered at each venue. Advance tickets are recommended; on sale at every location. Saturday brings Langley Cooks from 1 to 4 p.m in the tent on the courtyard behind Chef's Pantry. June features Chef Sieb Jurrians from Prima at 1 p.m., cooking Prima favorites, 2 p.m. Chef Donna Leahy prepares fresh ideas for summer salads, 3 p.m. Langley B & B's host Chocolate Desserts and at 4 p.m. there will be music from renowned jazz/Django guitarist Troy Chapman and Friends. From 5 till 8 p.m. enjoy the Art Walk with Opening Receptions at Museo, Whidbey Art Gallery and Karlson/Gray Gallery. |
| Langley On Evening Magazine! - 5/13/2008 |
Here's the link - congratulations to everyone involved! http://www.king5.com/video/?z=y&nvid=244628
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| Langley Gets Lively MAY 2-3 - 4/30/2008 |
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Langley Gets LIVELY Join us on the First Weekend of Every Month! Here's the May Line-up! FRIDAY NIGHT FLIGHTS A walk-about wine tasting featuring Prima, the Fishbowl, the EdgeCliff and Chef’s Pantry - 4 tastings (one per location) plus hors d’ouevres FRIDAY May 2 Crisp Summer Whites Tickets $20 per person Start at any location 4-7 pm LANGLEY COOKS Cooking demos by the pros! On the brick courtyard behind the Chef’s Pantry – samples and demos FREE of charge - Donations will benefit Northwest Harvest SAT. MAY 3 - Cookbook Author & Chef Donna Leahy Cooks Mother’s Day Brunch at 1 pm in our white tent MUSIC ON THE COURTYARD at 4 pm & IN STORE DEMOS ART WALK – Gallery Openings Begin at 5 pm |
| Summer's Coming to the Chef's Pantry - 4/25/2008 |
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In this Newsletter
FRESH at the Pantry If you haven’t tried them yet, our new Tyrells Potato Chips are off the chart delicious. This family owned business in Herefordshire, England grows their own potatoes, digs those fresh babies up and makes them into chips. (As their packaging states, often by noon of the same day! The Tyrells are serious chip people.) These come in awesome flavors – sea salt for the purists, mature cheddar and chive for the suave-continental types and sweet chili and red pepper for the adventuresome among us. They also make seasonal specialties and the best root vegetable chips on the planet (OK, maybe in the entire galaxy, we’re checking on that). When you start seeing these chips EVERYwhere, remember who brought them to you first! Lots of new cheeses in stock including some specialty goat cheeses from France, St. Agur, a creamy not too salty blue and one of our favorite indulgences, soft, unctious Tomini in Truffle Oil. We have new pates from Alexian and just about the tastiest duck rillette you will ever have (and if you’ve ever made duck rillette, you know what a labor intensive process it is – what a treat to have it already done!) We’ll also be heading down to Rogano’s this week for some wild boar and elk salami, but keep that one to yourself – the supply is never enough! For Mother’s Day gift-giving, we have gorgeous hand decorated edible chocolate boxes filled with exquisite confections from Charles Chocolates. New in Tabletop Linens from Couleur Nature are designed in Paris by Bruno Lamy and individually hand-blocked in India – yes, each one is literally a handmade work of art! The spring and summer colors are a great way to change the look and feel of a room without the cost of redecorating. We have placemats, tablecloths, aprons (great Mother’s Day gift!) and runners. Also just arrived for the outdoor season, bamboo placemats, seashell napkin rings and bottle stoppers and an array of fabulous wood serving pieces, terrific for entertaining indoors or on the deck or patio. We also got carried away with some very cool servers for salads and cheese that make great hostess gifts. Let the entertaining begin! Chef’s Market soon! A quick note to assure everyone that we’ll be reopening our organic, mostly local outdoor market in mid-May. Hopefully Mother Nature will cooperate and we’ll have some great local greens by then, but we’ll also be bringing in goodies from around the Northwest. Still waiting on our favorite, wild morels – could we stop with the mountain snow already??? But we’re anticipating our first delivery next week, so stay tuned. LANGLEY GETS LIVELY May 2-3 Our first weekend in April was way too much fun and an overwhelming success, thanks to all of you! On May 2 & 3, we’ll be continuing our First Weekend of the Month celebration. Friday Night Flights, our walk-about wine tasting is on Fri. May 2 from 4 till 7 pm with Prima, the Fishbowl and the Edgecliff. Our theme is Crisp Summer Whites – cost is $20 per person (4 sample pours paired with great hors d’ouevres and cheeses) - advance tickets are recommended (although not required). Tickets are on sale now at all four locations. On Saturday, May 3 the fun starts at 1 pm under our courtyard tent. Our cooking demo will feature ideas for Mother’s Day Brunch (or any brunch of course, although Mother’s Day is a great day to stay home!) Free samples and recipes from our cookbooks, with donations benefiting Northwest Harvest. Starting in June, we’ll have other local chefs taking over, so if you’d like to see the Chef from out behind the cheese case, please stop by! At 4 pm, we’re delighted to present live music by super-talented jazz and django guitarist, Troy Chapman in our courtyard. We’ve been hard at work cultivating Troy’s fine wine and food habit so we’ll be rewarding his performance with some of the good stuff! At 5pm, the Art Walk at begins at Museo so please plan to enjoy a fun afternoon in town. And FINALLY! May 17 Italy’s Big B’s Wine Tasting Our April Spring Cleaning tasting was really quite fun, esp. with the surprise final taste of the 2005 Chateau Lascombes Margaux (Wine Advocate 94-96 pts.) just arrived from Bordeaux. We’re also rather pleased that many of our Ferraton 2006 Rhones from the March tasting have just been so highly rated in the May 31, 2008 Wine Spectator, as well as by the esteemed Robert Parker at the Wine Advocate. WS 92 pts. for the St. Joseph Les Oliviers ($45) which according to Parker is, "An absolutely brilliant wine" (WA 91-93 pts.) and WS 91 pts. for the St. Joseph La Source ($27.50) – which Parker calls "Absolutely stunning" (WA 91 pts) – high praise from a man whose nose is insured for one million dollars! We get these and many of our best "little known" wines direct from the importer – many are limited production so the availability is often small to scarce (esp. after these kind of ratings!) So if you’ve been shy about attending our tastings, now is the time to jump in for a fun night – terrific people, lots of information for novices and collectors alike, and great wines that you may not of heard of – yet! We’re excited to announce our first BIG Italian tasting of the season, featuring the best of Italy’s red wines. We’ll be starting with some sparkling Franciacorta in preparation for the four B’s of Italian wine – Barbera, Barbaresco, Brunello di Montalcino and Barolo. We were tempted to call this the "Big Boys" of Italy but we’ve come to think of Barbera and Barbaresco as the more feminine side of Italian reds! So there will be something for every palate. We’ll have a range of producers, including Deltetto, Abbona and Il Poggione. Really good stuff, drinkable now but age worthy too. Please join us for the Big B’s of Italy Wine Tasting on Sat. May 17 at 6:30 pm $20 per person, limited to 16 participants. Advance reservations and prepayment required – please stop in to reserve or call us at 360 221-2060. This Month’s Recipe - SMOKED SALMON, POTATOES AND PECANS WITH CREAMY DILL DRESSING The combination of flavors and textures and ease of preparation make this Spring salad perfect for any occasion. Serves 6 6 large fingerling potatoes, ends trimmed ½ cup mayonnaise, homemade or otherwise 3 tablespoons white wine vinegar ¼ cup sour cream ¼ cup chopped dill 4 ounces Pacific smoked salmon, skin removed 2 heads Bibb lettuce, leaves separated 1 large bunch fresh watercress, stems removed ½ cup pecans, toasted Slice the potatoes crosswise into 1/8 inch thick pieces. Bring lightly salted water to a boil in a medium skillet. Add the potatoes and simmer until just tender, about 3-4 minutes. Immediately drain and cool. Refrigerate until thoroughly chilled. Combine the mayonnaise, vinegar, sour cream and dill until combined. Crumble the salmon into a small bowl. Add the potatoes, toss with about half of the dressing and set aside. In another bowl, toss the lettuce and watercress together. Toss the greens with the remaining dressing. Arrange half of the greens in the center of six individual chilled plates and top with half the smoked salmon mixture. Repeat to form another layer. Sprinkle with pecans and serve. Copyright Donna Leahy 2007 We hope this was as much fun for you as it was for us! Please email us your comments at thechef@chefspantryonline.com |
| Langley Gets Lively! - 3/26/2008 |
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FRIDAY NIGHT FLIGHTS A walk-about wine tasting featuring Prima, the Fishbowl, the EdgeCliff and Chef’s Pantry - 4 tastings (one per location) plus hors d’ouevres FRIDAY APRIL 4 – PINOT NOIR Tickets $20 per person Start at any location 4-6:30 pm LANGLEY COOKS SAT. APRIL 5 - Cookbook Author & Chef Donna Leahy Cooks Macaroni and Cheese Three Ways at 1 pm Cooking demos by the pros! On the brick courtyard behind the Chef’s Pantry – samples and demos FREE of charge - Donations will benefit Northwest Harvest MUSIC ON THE COURTYARD ART WALK – Gallery Openings Begin at 5 pm
For More info. go to www.chefspantryonline.com/events |
| Spring is HERE at the Chef’s Pantry! - 3/20/2008 |
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In this Newsletter
April 4 & 5 Plans are coming together to make the first weekend of every month in Langley a fun-filled event! Our first round of Friday Night Flights – a wine tasting and food pairing event –will begin on Friday April 4 from 4 pm till 6:30. This will involve a "walking wine tasting" at several different places in Langley (Prima, Chef’s Pantry and the Fishbowl – stay tuned for more additions). Each sample of wine will be paired with a special hors d’ouevres or cheese. Each month will feature a different varietal or theme - our first selection is Pinot Noir from the Pacific Northwest, California and France. We’re hoping this is a social event and are expecting many of the shops to stay open a little later than usual to liven up evenings in town. Please check in at any location for ticket information. Participants can begin the tasting tour at any location and ideally we’ll all end up dining at one of our participating restaurants. On the first Saturday of every month, beginning April 5 at 1 pm, we’ll have cooking demos scheduled for early afternoon on the courtyard next to the Chef’s Pantry. We’ll be featuring a variety of local professional chefs and some visiting ones as well, with recipes and samples available for all in attendance. This will be a casual fun event and will be free of charge, with any donations benefiting a local charity in need. Our first demo will be by cookbook author and chef Donna Leahy (yes, that would be me) – so please stop by and see what’s cooking. We’re also planning to have other food and gardening topics as the weather warms, including mushroom foraging and growing edible flowers and unusual herbs. Afternoons will feature live music on the courtyard sponsored by our neighbors, Joe’s Island Music and of course, Saturday evening is the monthly Art Walk. Please come out and enjoy the fun! New at the Pantry **NEWS FLASH - Wild mushrooms are BACK!** Our favorite mushroom guy Kurt has dropped off fresh Yellowfoot (also known as winter chanterelles) and will be delivering weekly now, straight into MOREL season! (gosh, we get so excited over those morels….) Also back by popular demand in the next month or so – those fabulous Baby Shitakes! We’ll have these inside for now but look for the reopening of our Chef’s Market this May. It really must be Spring after all! Spring table linens from Couleur Nature are here to brighten your table plus we have a great selection of aprons and tea towels that make lovely hostess gifts. Just arrived are some absolutely gorgeous chocolate bars that taste as good as they look from Bovetti, an artisan chocolatier from the Perigord region of France. We have a new line of naturally flavored salts from Saltworks called Fusion, with flavors ranging from Smoked Serrano to Spicy Curry to Matcha Green Tea. Great Spring titles from Chronicle Books are on the shelves including the new Top Chef Cookbook, a fun way for fans to relive all of the show’s best moments and recipes. Wine News from the Pantry With so many terrific wines coming out of the recent French vintages (and inventory stacking up as a result!), we’ve been doing a little Spring "cleaning" and finding gems that just didn’t fit into any of our recent tasting themes. What could be more reminiscent of Spring than the green hues of the Loire Valley and its crisp, refreshing white wines many at bargain prices? In our next tasting, we’ll feature some lesser-known Loire wines including a sauvignon blanc and a rose-hued wine made from pinot gris from our favorite Central Loire winemaker, Claude LaFond (also a favorite of wine expert Jancis Robinson). The limestone terroir of the Central Loire is often likened to Chablis, so it makes sense to then move on to the more complex, mineral laden white wines of this region. Of course, we’ll need to start with a little sparkling and we just have to finish with a little known premier cru pinot noir called Maranges that arrived too late for our last Burgundy tasting. So it looks like we have our work cut out for us. Please join us for the Spring Cleaning Wine Tasting on Saturday April 19 at 6:30. $20 per person Limited to 16 participants. Advance reservations required so please call us 360 221-2060. We hope this was as much fun for you as it was for us! Please email your comments to thechef@chefspantryonline.com. |
| February is for Lovers at the Chef's Pantry! - 2/14/2008 |
In this Newsletter
Good Wives and Other Goodies We’re pleased to announce that Good Wives Hors D’Ouevres have returned on a permanent basis at the Pantry. We’ve had such a great response to these fabulous ready to bake delights at holiday time that we’ve come to our senses and will now have them available year round. If you haven’t already indulged, these are simply THE best hors d’ouevres freshly made with all natural ingredients that bake off in 10-12 minutes. And by all means, don’t wait for company to try them! We’ve been known to pop a few of each kind into the oven for a pre-dinner snack with a glass of champagne (and yes, even a martini from time to time). We currently have Mushroom Profiteroles, Asparagus and Dill Puff Pastries, Blue Cheese and Pear Phyllo Stars, and a new addition, Profiteroles Provencal, featuring a melt in your mouth cheese, olive and sun-dried tomato filling in a bite size cream puff pastry. Also just arrived, our new sodas from Dry Soda Co. made with food friendly flavors such as lemongrass, lavender (sounds weird but it’s awesome) and rhubarb. We like to use these as refreshing palate cleansers between food and wine courses, so please stop in for a taste. Friday Night Flights (It’s 5 O’Clock Somewhere!) Anyone who has stopped in late on a Friday afternoon knows that chances are we’ll be sampling a special wine (or two) to kick off the weekend fun. So we’re working on making this a permanent feature, perhaps the first Friday of every month. We’d also like to involve some of the other restaurants and wine stores in town to make it something of a walking wine bar event, so stay tuned. In the meantime, if you’re in town on Friday around 4 p.m. or later, please stop in to see what we’re up to. We’ll be pairing our wine with an appropriate cheese or perhaps even a sampling of those fabulous Good Wive’s Profiteroles. This Just IN! Just arrived, all kinds of Le Creuset kitchenware, including crocks for utensils and French onion soup bowls, plus the most gorgeous wine bags for gift giving and some terrific wine charms (not the usual stuff that we find coyingly cute). Look for a new Spring selection of linens from Couleur Nature that will knock your socks off, scheduled to arrive by the end of the month. We also now carry a full line of Taylor commercial kitchen thermometers (how many people did we send off to the hardware store in search of a meat thermometer this December??) and the Professional line of Microplane graters and accessories, including the mother of all rotary graters with interchangeable blades. All of our Fancy Food show orders are on the shelves so we’re fully stocked on imported pastas, wine vinegars, specialty salts and all of our usual goodies. Did we mention the Fruit Pates and Triple Chocolate Hazelnuts from Charles Chocolates that are to die for? Or the fabulous new preserves from Oregon Growers and Shippers? Please stop to see and sample all of our new stuff! Wine News at the Pantry Perhaps you’ve spent all of your precious wine dollars stocking your cellar with 2005 Burgundy and Bordeaux but now are thinking – what might I drink tonight? Thankfully the exceptional growing conditions that have created such spectacular wines elsewhere in France have also prevailed in one of our favorite wine regions. Both the 2005 and 2006 Rhone vintages feature an impressive array of wines that are table ready and value priced. We’ll start in the Northern Rhone with the biodynamic 2006 Les Oliviers St. Joseph Blanc ($45) from Ferraton – then move on to the luxurious fruit and supple tannins of the 2006 Cotes du Rhone ($13) and Cairanne ($18), both Villages selections from L’Ameillaud, and we’ll finish in the South with Ferraton’s 2005 Le Parvis Chateauneuf du Pape ($45). Gosh, it seems like we’ll need to work in Hermitage, Cote Rotie or perhaps even Gigondas somewhere, so expect the unexpected! Please join us for the "Best of the Rhone" wine tasting on Saturday, March 8, 2008 at 6:30 pm. $20 per person Reservations required – please call us at 360 221-2060. Limited to 16 participants. This Month’s Recipe Celery Potato Soup with Pecorino Toasts Serves 6 So here’s a story we all know on Whidbey – I decided to make Potato Leek Soup, went to the grocery and SURPRISE – there were no leeks. I decided to forge ahead with another green-ish vegetable (celery) and the results were this sublime soup. 8 large stalks of celery, cut into 1 inch dice (about 6 cups) 2 sprigs fresh thyme 1 bay leaf Salt and pepper to taste For Garnish (optional) ¼ cup grated pecorino stagianato (this is a softer, shaving pecorino as opposed to drier romano for grating) 6 slices baguette, toasted Lay toasts out on a baking sheet, sprinkle on pecorino and bake in a 350 degree oven for 1-2 minutes until cheese is just melted. Float a pecorino toast in each bowl of soup to serve. Melt the butter in a medium saucepan. Add the celery and saute on low until tender, about 15-18 minutes. Add the onions and cook until just softened but not browned. Add the potatoes, chicken stock, celery seed, thyme and bay leaf. Bring mixture to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer about 15-20 minutes until potatoes are tender. Remove the thyme and bay leaf. Allow mixture to cool slightly, then process in a food processor until smooth. Strain the soup through a fine sieve into a clean pot and bring just to a boil. Remove from heat, stir in cream and check the seasoning. Whip the soup with an immersion blender (or very carefully in a regular blender). Serve in shallow bowls with pecorino toasts. Copyright 2008 Donna Leahy |
| December Newsletter - Join us for an Open House! - 12/12/2007 |
In this Newsletter
Holiday Open House on Sunday December 16 We’re inviting our loyal customers to taste, sample and savor a little holiday flavor this Sunday Dec. 16 from 1 till 4 pm. Sample some of our best oils (including the 2007 Olio Nuovo from Capezzana), try our fabulous chocolates from Madame Margaux, taste our Good Wives hors d’ouevres and enjoy some special savings on great gift items. We will also be offering an informal tasting of some of our favorite in stock wines with fabulous cheeses to match. Looking forward to seeing you all! Great New Cheeses are Here! Soft "unctuous" cheeses have arrived just in time for holiday entertaining, including Pierre Robert (the Chef’s favorite!), Delice D’Argental and Brie de Nangis. We also have a great selection of artisanal sheep’s milk cheeses in a variety of textures (perfect for pairing with all types of wine), as well as a new goat milk truffle specialty from Cypress Grove (makers of Humboldt Fog) called Truffle Tremor. Specialty meats include Prosciutto Speck, Organic Beef Bresaola, and three styles of cured ham, Prosciutto di Parma, Bayonne and Serrano. Plus our selection of fabulous salamis, including Fra’ Mani’s Wine News from the Pantry It was hard work, but at our December tasting we managed to sniff and swirl our way through our selection of recently arrived 2005 Burgundy. The "Vintage of the Millenium" 2005 Burgundies often have "out of this world" prices to match. But we’ve managed to bring in some red and white beauties from Yves Girardin that are well priced ($25-45 range), ready for drinking now but displaying the structure to stand the test of time (if only we could keep our hands off of them!) Also just arrived are Rossos and Biancos from one of our favorite Italian winemakers, Lucio Gomiero of Vignalta and some gorgeous Prosecco and Spumante from the Colli Euganei, perfect for a holiday brunch. Our next tasting will be January 26 (we will be closed the first three weeks of January) so we’ll be sending out an update early in the New Year about what we’ll be tasting. Chocolate Cherries, Panettone and Other Holiday Goodies New for the holidays we’re featuring chocolates from Mademoiselle de Margaux of the Caviar Has Arrived!
This Month’s Recipe – Steak with Caramelized Shallots, Blue Cheese and Red Wine Jus This is an easy version of a classic French bistro dish enlivened with the addition of crumbled blue cheese. Serves 4 For the Red Wine Jus 2 cups red wine ¼ cup peeled and diced carrot ¼ cup sliced leeks (white part only) ¼ cup chopped shallots ¼ cup chopped button or shitake mushrooms 2 sprigs thyme 1 bay leaf 2 garlic cloves, peeled and smashed 2 tbsp. veal demi-glace (from D’Artagnan available frozen at the Chef’s Pantry) Combine all the ingredients except the veal demi-glace in a heavy saucepan and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to a simmer, and cook until wine is reduced to a glaze (about 4 tbsp.), about 12 minutes. Strain and stir in the veal demi-glace. Set aside. For the Steak 4 New York strip steaks (or tenderloins) 2 tbsp. corn oil 4 tbsp. unsalted butter 2 cups thinly sliced shallots 3 tsp. minced thyme ¼ cup crumbled blue cheese 2 cups watercress, stems removed 1 tsp. tarragon, chives and parsley Extra Virgin Olive Oil to taste Red Wine Jus Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Season both sides of the steaks generously with coarse salt and freshly ground pepper. Heat a large skillet until hot. Add 2 tbsp. corn oil and 2 tbsp. butter swirling them to brown the butter. Add the steaks and sear the first side for 1½ minutes, then turn and sear the second side for 1½ minutes longer. Remove the skillet from the heat and transfer the steaks to a baking pan. Set the skillet over medium heat and add the shallots. Cook for about 2 minutes, then add the remaining 2 tbsp. butter and thyme and reduce the heat. Cook until the shallots are completely softened and are caramelized. Stir any juices that have accumulated around the steaks into the shallot mixture, then spread the mixture evenly over the steaks. Place in the oven and cook for 5 minutes, until medium rare. Remove the steaks from the oven, sprinkle on the crumbled blue cheese and cover with foil to keep warm Reheat the jus briefly. Toss the watercress with the herbs and add olive oil and salt and pepper to taste. Divide the watercress among 4 plates. Place a steak on each plate and drizzle the steaks with the red wine jus to serve. We hope this was as fun for you as it was for us! Please email us at thechef@chefspantryonline.com |
assorted delights, Finnochiona and a spicy Venetian. 
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Our selection of domestic and imported caviar is here! From Tsar Nicoulai in | November 2007 Newsletter - 11/16/2007 |
Time to Give Thanks! We’re thankful for all of you! You, our terrific customers, have made this second year at the Chef’s Pantry a pleasure. So we’re ready to celebrate our many blessings with some good times. As you know, a good time for us involves good eating (OK, and drinking too!) So here’s what’s happening for the holidays. First, just arrived are several great new cheeses. Some of you may have tried Tomini Sott’Olio Al Tartufo a few weeks ago – these are seasonal Italian cow’s milk discs marinated in extra virgin olive oil and truffle – soft, sensuous, absolutely delicious and very festive. Mt. Townsend Creamery produces Sea Stacks, buttery, creamy rounds coated with ash – they also make a nice presentation with fig bread or quince paste. We are fully stocked on all of the favorites – Cave Aged Gruyere, Gorgonzola Dolce, Aged Gouda, Stilton, Boucheron, Triple Cream, etc. etc. etc. and we’re happy to make suggestions for a tasting and/or wine pairing as well. We have lots of fresh artisanal salumi and sausages from Fra Mani along with our Seattle favorite, Pino Rogano’s yummy wine cured salami. Our special order Good Wives ready to bake hors d’ouevres have arrived. There are restaurant quality (and we mean a really GOOD restaurant!), individual treats, 12 to a box, that bake off in 12-15 minutes. Everyone needs to keep a little stash of these in the freezer for last minute entertaining during the holidays. At the recent champagne tasting, we were wowed by the Mushroom Profiteroles, delightful pate choux puffs with a savory mushroom filling. We also now have Thai Scallop Fillo Cups, Blue Cheese Pear Fillo Stars, Shrimp and Dill Puff Pastry and Asparagus and Shitake Mushroom Puff Pastries. All of these look as good as they taste. These sold out early on last year so we’ve doubled our order, but please don’t wait! They are freshly made for us and will last 3 months in the freezer. New from D’Artagnan is a Bayonne Style Ham that will transport you straight to a Parisian charcuterie. The secret is their excellent source for hormone and antibiotic free, humanely raised Berkshire pork (similar to the quality pork used in the Fra Mani salumi – you can taste the difference!). Also in stock from D’Artagnan – fabulous fresh pates, duck confit, semi-boneless quail, magret duck breasts and truffle butter (white and black). Coming in December – fresh black winter truffles and caviar, both imported and domestic – please let us know if you have a special request.
Great gifts just arriving at the Pantry – holiday specialties from Italy, including a Lemon Panettone featured in the NY Times, Organic Chestnut Honey and Chestnut Flour, and gorgeous Amaretti. We’re expecting our bottles of the first pressing of Capezzana extra virgin olive oil any day, as well as handmade Panforte and other holiday goodies. From France, Mademoiselle de Margaux makes divine confections with Valrhona chocolate (the chef’s favorite!) including armagnac marinated cherries and rum soaked grapes, both covered in chocolate and dusted with cocoa. These are perfect for after dinner and make a fabulous hostess gift too. We’re restocked on LeCreuset cast iron and stoneware and an array of gorgeous hand blocked linens designed in France from Couleur Nature. We have beautiful high quality knives and cheese sets from Claude Dozorme, the premier metal worker of Laguiole France (famous for its bee insignia). Plus Cucina hand soaps and regenerating hand cream, perfect for your favorite chef – all in food friendly scents (the newest being Orange Sanguinelli and Fennel). For our canine friends, hand crafted organic treats from Robbie Dawg, all packaged beautifully (as they will undoubtedly tell you). We are stocked up on the finest peppermills and salt grinders in the world from Peugeot, the company that owns the original patent. All come with a life time guarantee. This year we’re starting a holiday wish list – basically a gift registry where you can let friends and loved ones know what you’d really like for the holidays. Many Langley shops are also participating (Museo, Wayward Son, the Cottage and others) so you can select a range of gifts for your friends and family to choose from. Gift purchasers will receive a special bonus, like a complimentary gift bag or wrapping. So please stop in and pick a few things out!
Wine News from the PantryOur blind champagne tasting featured some of the top rated bubbly on Wine Spectator’s Best of 2006 list, including a memorable 1995 Charles Heidsieck Blanc de Blanc that is still lingering and the recently disgorged 1995 Drappier Carte D’Or. But now it’s time to put the bubbles aside and get down to the serious business of deciding just how good the 2005 Burgundies really are. Although, in the holiday spirit, we’ll probably start with a little champagne to toast the season. The tasting will include some fabulous small production white burgundy as well as the ultimate expression of pinot noir, Red Burgundy. Please join us for the 2005 Burgundy Tasting, starting at 6:30 pm on Saturday, Dec. 8, $20 per person. Advance reservations and prepayment are required - please call 360 221-2060 or stop by the shop to reserve. Limited to 16 people, and this time we really mean it! So please book asap. THIS MONTH’S RECIPE Pumpkin, Wild Rice and Apricot Dressing
To prepare the pumpkin, first peel it and discard the pulp and seeds, then cut into chunks and shred with a grater or food processor. Serves 6
8 tablespoons butter
1 teaspoon chopped shallot
3 cups shredded pumpkin
½ cup dried apricots, finely chopped
½ cup slivered almonds
2 cups cooked wild rice
2 cups cornbread stuffing
2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme
½ teaspoon chopped fresh sage
2 teaspoons chopped fresh parsley
2 cups half and half Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and butter a 2 ½ quart glass baking pan or casserole dish. Melt 6 tablespoons butter in a large skillet. Add the chopped shallot and cook until softened, about 1 to 2 minutes. Add the pumpkin and stir to coat with butter. Remove from the heat and pour the mixture into a large bowl. Stir in the apricots, almonds, wild rice, cornbread stuffing, thyme, sage, and parsley. Stir in the half and half. Spoon the mixture into the pan, dot the top with the remaining 2 tablespoons butter, and cover with foil. Bake for 20 minutes, then remove foil and bake for about 10 minutes longer, until golden and heated through.
Copyright 2000 Donna Leahy
We hope this was as fun for you as it was for us! Please write and let us know what you think - thechef@chefspantryonline.com |
| October Newsletter - 10/31/2007 |
Get Ready for the Holidays!
It used to bother us that the holiday season was rolled out just after Halloween, but let’s face it – this is the only time of year when you can eat whatever you want, drink whatever you want and feel that it is somehow your social duty to do so! So here at the Chef’s Pantry, we are ready to get things started and embrace the season. Just arrived, lots of great duck specialties from D’Artagnan. If you’ve never New in cheeses – some delightful individual rustic goat cheeses called Clacbitou from Burgundy – Echo Mountain , the luscious seasonal blue from Rogue Creamery in Oregon - and a flavorful farmhouse cheese from the French Alps, Tomme de Savoie. We have an awesome French Raclette for melting or munching, and a gorgeous Stilton that sings with Port. Impress your guests (as the Chef does!) with ready to bake hors d’oeuvres from Good Wives – these taste terrific and are perfect for last minute entertaining since they bake off in under 15 minutes. If you have special cheese requests for the holidays, please let us know now so we can alert our suppliers. Our shipment of Le Creuset cast iron cookware and stoneware has arrived just in time for the cool weather. Unique in its ability to evenly conduct and maintain heat, Le Creuset cast iron pots are perfect for braising and slow cooking - plus Wine News from the Pantry Well, for those of you who missed the last tasting, our condolences. Our This Month’s Recipe Salmon with Green Lentils A foolproof way to cook salmon with the addition of tasty lentils – use Le Puy lentils from France and a good quality wine vinegar like BR Cohn’s Cabernet Vinegar (both available at the Chef’s Pantry). The lentils are also delicious served simply with garlic sausage and baguette. Serves 4 4 oz. French Le Puy green lentils Place the lentils in a heat-proof bowl and cover with boiling water. Set aside for 15 minutes, then drain. Meanwhile, heat the oil in a sauté pan, add the onions, leeks, thyme, salt, and pepper and cook over medium heat for 10 minutes, until the onions are translucent. Add the garlic and cook for 2 more minutes. Add the drained lentils, celery, carrots, and 1 cup chicken stock. Cover and simmer over low heat for 20 minutes, until the lentils are tender (add more stock if necessary). Add the vinegar and season, to taste. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.
For the salmon, heat a dry oven-proof sauté pan over high heat for 4 minutes. Meanwhile, rub both sides of the salmon fillets with olive oil and season the tops with salt and pepper. When the pan is very hot, place the salmon fillets seasoning-sides down in the pan and cook over medium heat without moving them for 2 minutes, until very browned. Turn the fillets and place the pan in the oven for 8 to 10 minutes, until cooked through. Spoon a mound of lentils on each plate and place a salmon fillet on top to serve.
Copyright 2007 Donna Leahy
We hope this was as fun for you as it was for us! Please write and let us know what you think - thechef@chefspantryonline.com
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heard of D’Artagnan before, they are the premier fresh food purveyor of all things French including pates, sausages and truffles.
they come in an array of gorgeous colors and sizes for cooking, from parties of 2 to 20..jpeg)
“theme” was Wine Spectator Rated 95 or Better, but it was mainly just an excuse to open some really good stuff.| World Famous On Whidbey Island - 9/27/2007 |
In case you don't already know about it, Sue Frause, Langley resident and travel writer extraordinaire, posts a blog for the Seattle PI on Whidbey Island "life" and has recently featured yours truly http://blog.seattlepi.nwsource.com/whidbey/archives/121482.asp Besides mentioning the chef, Sue's Blog most recently features the Mr. South Whidbey contest (benefiting Friends of Friends), which her husband Bob is certain to win, if all of our bribes pay off as expected. But we also need your support. Even if you can't attend, please contribute to this worthy cause, helping those who can't afford medical care on our island get the care they need. http://blog.seattlepi.nwsource.com/whidbey/archives/122612.asp |
| September News at the Pantry - 9/20/2007 |
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No denying it, that certain something is in the air. We’ve decided to embrace the season (of course, this may all change with the first power outage….) So let’s just say, for now, we’re excited about the change of seasons. Of course, what gets us excited here at the Chef’s Pantry is – you guessed it – great food. So let’s talk great food. First, we have some awesome cheeses coming from Cowgirl Creamery in California. These are all organic triple cream and washed rind cheeses that seem to disappear as soon as they arrive (which is usually on a Thursday) so stop in for a taste. Arriving this week – French raw milk Raclette – the perfect Fall dish. Even if you don’t have a raclette grille, you can still enjoy it – just heat some slices up in the oven or on the stovetop and use a butter knife to scrape off a thin layer. Serve with poached fingerling potatoes, shrimp, other veggies – whatever might taste yummy with a layer of melted artisanal cheese. Also new in cheese - Langres Chalancey - made in the high plains of Champagne France. Langres cheese traces back from the 18th century. The depression at the top of the cheese called a "fontaine" or "cuvette" is intentional - you can pour Champagne or Marc de Champagne in it (oooh baby). Coming from the same family as Epoisses, Langres has a strong smell and a melt in your mouth texture with a complex taste. We also have a fresh shipment of Fra' Mani sausages – Italian, spicy Italian and our favorite, Mattinata breakfast links – although quite honestly, they’re fabulous any time of the day. Coming soon (i.e. as soon as the chef can drive into Seattle to pick them up – this whole island thing can be tough!) – and back by popular demand – those fabulous frozen hors d’ouevres from Good Wives. We’ll have some new selections (wild mushroom profiteroles and others) plus we’ve special ordered our favorites from last year (who can forget those Thai Scallop Cups??) and will have these in early November. These take time because they are made to order, so they are guaranteed fresh. Also coming soon, fabulous sausages, duck confit (and all things duck) and truffle butter from one of our favorite East Coast suppliers, D’Artagnan. We’re also looking into some specialty meat and seafood sources, so if you have a special request esp. for the holidays, now is the time to let us know. Also new at the Pantry – imported wild fennel pollen from Tuscany– stop in for a taste if you’ve never tried it. It’s basically the fairy dust of spices – sprinkle it on just about anything and you’ve got a little bit of magic. Ready to try "The best lentils in the world," according to Patricia Wells? Le Puy (pronounced PWEE) lentils have arrived from the mountain plateau around the French town of Le Puy en Velay in the Haute Loire region, which has a unique climate and rich volcanic soil. Serve lentils either hot or cold as an accompaniment to poultry, fish, meat and game or added to soups and casseroles. We also have imported chestnut flour and have placed our order for Italian holiday treats including an incredible lemon panettone. LOTS to look forward to! We’d like to think food safety is above politics, but in these days of pet food poisoning and salad recalls, perhaps we need to make sure. One thing we’re in favor of - Country of Origin Labeling for food – acronym "COOL" and encourage you to look into the details. For our fellow pet lovers, we are also interested in where our doggie and cat treats are made, which is why we’re expecting a fresh shipment of all organic Robbie Dawg treats made under the watchful eye of owner and New York city native Lisa Fortunato. Lisa has a new line of cat treats as well, sure to please even the "choosiest" feline. We are expecting shipment on a gorgeous line of French country linens along with Le Creuset cookware in the next few weeks, so please stop by to see what’s new.
Wine News from the PantryLast month’s Italian tasting was the perfect match for a warm summer night, but lately with the change of seasons, we’ve been thinking about enjoying big wines. Yes, it’s that simple - we just want to open a few of our best bottles, sniff and swirl, and talk about how really good wine is worth all the money it costs. Our next wine tasting will feature some of the best champagne and wine (both Italian and French – including the top rated Hermitage of all time) that we have in stock – all ready to drink now, all ready to age in our cellars, if only we could keep our darn hands off of them. So without further ado, Please join us for the "Really Good Stuff" Tasting, starting at 6:30 pm on Saturday, October 13, $20 per person. Advance reservations required - please call 360 221-2060, stop by the shop, or email us at thechef@chefspantryonline.com.
Please note that this tasting will have limited availability (we’ll be inside from now on) so please book asap. This month’s recipe – Chicken Chasseur (Hunter Style Chicken) A quintessential Fall dish made extra special with the addition of chanterelles.
8 pieces of bone-in, skin-on chicken (4 breasts, 4 thighs) Serves 4 Season chicken pieces on both sides with salt and pepper. Heat a few tablespoons of clarified butter in a Dutch oven over high heat. Place chicken skin side down and cook until golden brown. Turn the chicken over and brown the other side. Remove chicken to a baking sheet and keep warm. Serve one thigh and one breast on each warmed plate, napped with the sauce. Sprinkle on the chervil or parsley. This is delicious served with egg noodles, lentils or simply sliced baguette.
We hope this was as fun for you as it was for us! Please write and let us know what you think - thechef@chefspantryonline.com |
| August News 2007 - 8/8/2007 |
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The Pantry is stocked up! OK we’ll admit it – we get excited by good food. So when we have the opportunity to bring in lots of great new things, we get a little carried away! We just finished unloading a palette of great condiments and grilling sauces from Stonewall Kitchen, including Wasabi Ginger Sauce, Fig and Walnut Butter (great with cheese) and those Barefoot Contessa Mixes that make baking easy breezy (including her famous Coconut Cupcakes and Outrageous Brownies). The cheese case is fully stocked, despite the fact that a third of last week’s order somehow ended up in a train to North Carolina. (We insisted that we didn’t want to be the ones to open that box after the week of high temp’s!) Our newest favorite may be an awesome imported Aged Provolone, perfect for shaving onto fresh tomatoes or Zamorano, a Spanish sheep’s milk cheese that trumps Manchego for texture and flavor. The freezer is packed with fresh pastas, including wild mushroom, pear gorgonzola and butternut squash raviolis plus new from Fra’Mani, tasty Italian sausage and the best breakfast sausages you will ever eat. Or you may want to simply push those aside and go straight for the new selection of gelato and sorbetto from Caffé Classico. In our Market, our mushroom man Kurt has been picking up goodies for us from around the state – this week, fresh organic fingerlings and gorgeous Yukon Gold potatoes, organic cherries to die for and the best morels of the season (they are so large you might mistake them for sea sponges!). We’ve also just received beautiful organic yellow and red pear tomatoes that really, really do taste like a tomato. So please stop by for a taste.
Wine News from the PantryLast month’s Rhone tasting has us dreaming about a European vacation (and missing the days of the French franc when we had no idea what we were spending….). We had a great suggestion from one of our participants asking us to supply everyone with a list of wines for tasting notes or just to remember which ones we liked best. One thing that strikes everyone who visits Italy or France is how you end up drinking whatever the local wine is, even though it’s one you may not recognize – and how it’s always tastes so good and seems to pair so well with the food. But when you try to translate that into your wine shop or your favorite restaurant’s wine list, it’s hard to know what to choose, especially when the varietals and blends are unfamiliar. (Somehow the California wine culture has taught us that blending is bad – the Europeans would responding with a resounding, "not so!") So for our next tasting, we’d like to concentrate on some terrific wines that are lesser known outside of Italy. First, did you know that Italy makes a sparkling wine that rivals champagne? No, not Prosecco (although we do enjoy a good one) or even Asti – the DOCG wines of Franciacorta in Lombardy are produced according to the method first credited to Dom Perignon and the quality is exceptional. Our tasting will be from Bella Vista (which translates as "beautiful view"), and having personally toured this gorgeous winery near Lake Iseo, we can attest that the name holds true! Next, we’ll taste a white wine made from the ancient Arneis grape grown in the hills above Alba, perfect with crab, |