Posted in Cheese, Thanksgiving, tagged Brebis du Haut-Bearn, Charmoix, Cheese, Chevrin, Comté, food, Palet, Piramide di Capra, Robiola Roccaverano, Strach'in, Tronchetto di Capra on November 7, 2011 | Leave a Comment »
Comté Extra Grand Cru
A couple of days ago, we checked in with Kurt, lead cheese buyer at our Cambridge shop, to find out what he was recommending for these chilly autumn days and, more specifically, for Thanksgiving. Always a tough question for a lover of cheese (how to choose?), we managed to eke out the following recommendations. (more…)
Posted in Beer, Beverages, St. Patrick's Day, United States, tagged American Revolution, Bar Harbor Brewing Company, Beer, Cadillac Mountain Stout, Element Brewing Company, George Washington, Grand Cru, Great Divide, Henry Knox, Port Brewing Company, Red Giant, St. Patrick's Day, WipeOut IPA on March 15, 2011 | 2 Comments »
These days, St. Patrick’s Day is mostly a secular celebration of Irish culture and a day of mindless consumption of way too much Guinness or green beer. As a Boston native, and history buff, March 17 is as much about Evacuation Day as it is about the shamrock-toting saint (read more about Evacuation Day). As the beer buyer at our fancy little food store, I prefer to celebrate both events with a couple of bottles of exemplary craft brew.
Although the craft brewing revolution in Ireland is alive and well, there’s none to be had on this side of the pond and until I find a source, I’m recommending a few domestic ales for your celebrations. (more…)
Posted in Beverages, Christmas, Hanukkah, New Year's, Wine, tagged Champagne, Derain, holiday, I Clivi, magnum, Tocai, Wine on December 21, 2010 | 2 Comments »
Wine buyers, Julie and Gemma, share their picks for your holiday celebrations.
As we enter this season of sharing food with family and friends, we compile a list of our favorite wines to serve at parties and gatherings. Our top picks this year embody the qualities we showcase in our stores. Made in family-run wineries on small farms, using sustainably-grown grapes and natural fermentation, these wines are clear expressions of the terroir of the farms and the care of the producers. On their own, these lovely wines invite you to delve into their complex aromas and flavors. Paired with carefully selected cheeses, they demonstrate their full, orchestral potential. (more…)
Posted in Breads, Crackers & Snacks, Cakes & Cookies, Christmas, Italy, tagged bread, Christmas, food, Italy, pandolce, panettone on December 7, 2010 | Leave a Comment »
Posted in Beverages, Producer Profile, Thanksgiving, Wine, tagged Beaujolais, Beaujolais Nouveau, Thanksgiving, Wine on November 18, 2010 | Leave a Comment »
In the Beaujolais region of Burgundy the third Thursday of November marks the release of the young wine that is made from indigenous Gamay grape. The infamous Beaujolais Nouveau is made by carbonic maceration, a way of fermenting the juice while it is still inside the grape by placing whole bunches of grapes in a closed vat. As the grapes on the bottom of the vat are crushed under the weight of the grapes above they burst and begin to ferment, releasing carbon dioxide that starts the fermentation process in the other grapes. This fermentation takes only four to five days, and produces a soft, fruity wine with little to no tannins. (more…)
Posted in Candy & Confections, Christmas, Food History, Pairings, Portugal, Travelogues, tagged Alentejo, Ameixas d'Elvas, Elvas, food, Greengage, plum, plums, Portugal, sugar plum, sugarplum on November 11, 2010 | Leave a Comment »
When is a plum not a plum? When it is a sugarplum or a plum pudding! Judging by the names of these traditional British Christmas treats, one would think that both include some quantity of plum. Not true! For centuries, the term ‘sugarplum’ has referred to any type of dried fruit, made into a small, vaguely plum-shaped sweet. During Victorian times, these sugary candies sometimes contained raisins or currants which were called plums.
Posted in Bakery, Chocolate, Desserts, Recipes, Valentine's Day, tagged bittersweet, Chocolate, fondue, test kitchen, Valentine's Day on February 13, 2010 | 2 Comments »
Chocolate fondue!
Yesterday, after I finished work, I popped into the back of the bakery and experimented with chocolate fondue. I wanted to do a test run because today, in preparation for Valentine’s Day, we are sampling out fondue to customers. While chocolate fondue is not difficult to make, I wanted to make sure we had just the right ratios before preparing a large batch!
First off, I decided to use our Callebaut 60% bittersweet chocolate. Personally, I tend to like dark chocolate but, my own preferences aside, the acidity of chocolate is somewhat mitigated by the secondary ingredient in fondue: heavy cream. As a result, it is better to err on the darker end of the chocolate scale. (more…)
Posted in Valentine's Day, tagged candy, Champagne, Cheese, Chocolate, roses, Valentine's Day on February 8, 2010 | Leave a Comment »
Coeur de Formaggio
This afternoon in the shop, we snapped a few photos of the Valentine’s Day prep that is going on in each department! (more…)
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