| Paris Grocery News |
| October 3rd, 2011 |
The days are getting cooler, the holidays are coming, and our palates are about to be overwhelmed by a season of cake, pie, cookies, and other sweets. We love them of course, but sometimes it seems like the entire world of salty, sour, smoky, and tangy flavors gets overlooked this time of year. This week, we want to talk to you about our amazing variety of salts, oils, and vinegars. The difference in even a simple meal between using basic salts, oils, and vinegars and high quality products is substantial. Quality oils, exotic salts, and special vinegars make beautiful hostess gifts as well. We’re going to start doing oil tastings here at the shop soon, so you can come in a taste the difference! Les Moulins Mahjoub organic extra virgin olive oil from Tunisia The secret of Les Moulins Mahjoub olive oil lies in the choice of methods of grinding and pressing the fresh, organic fruit, designed to preserve the full flavor of the olive: crushing time, grinding under cold conditions, use of scourtins (round pressing mats) in natural fibers, selection of oil according to pressing, decantation using a hand skimming process, storage and maturation. The oil is not separated by centrifugation, but by natural decantation. As the oil is lighter, it floats to the top, above the vegetable water, enabling it to be skimmed off. Before bottling, the oil is left to settle and mature for some time until its flavor, odor and acidity are perfect. 37 cl, $10.99 or 1 L $21.99. Castelas extra virgin olive oil. A.O.C. Vallée des Beaux de Provence These people really, *really* love olive oil. Expounding upon the terroir of their patch of Provence, the family-owned Castelas suggests tasting this oil as you would a fine wine. It smells of, freshly cut grass and the olives’ green fruitiness, typical of an oil extracted from freshly harvested fruit. On the palate, intense olive flavors develop into exquisite notes of raw artichoke and sweet almonds. On the finish, delicate sensations heightened by peppery aromas and an enlivening hint of freshness. Try a comparison between their signature oil and their ‘black fruit’ oil as well. The darker fruit is more earthy and stronger flavored, as it takes more of these olives to produce a bottle of oil. 500 ml $25.00, or 750 for $35.00. Banyuls vinegar Banyuls vinegar is like sherry wine vinegar’s more refined and delicate French cousin. Like Port and sherry wine, Banyuls is a fortified sweet wine. Made from grenache grown in and around Banyuls-sur-mer, Banyuls vinegar develops a walnut, coffee, licorice, and vanilla, flavor and aroma of fresh plums after being aged in wooden barrels for a minimum of five years. Like sherry wine vinegar, it makes a great vinaigrette, and mixes well with nut oils. Its natural sweetness also makes it an good choice for deglazing rich dishes like sautéed duck or foie gras. It can be difficult to find, but we have two kinds! a five year old, 500 ml bottle ($16.99) and a six year old, 750 ml bottle ($26.99). Fusion Verjus This vinegar alternative is made from vinifera grapes harvested and crushed in mid-summer when acid levels are high and sugar levels are low. This “must” remains unfermented and is delicately tart, refreshing, and versitile in cooking. Fusion vejus enjoys a natural affinity to wine. It has a milder, more wine-friendly acidity compared to vinegars, which actually helps to integrate the food and wine. Where you might be tempted to stick to fuller-bodied wines when cooking with vinegar, verjus allows a more delicate wine to retain its integrity when paired with a strongly flavored food. 750 ml bottle of Red- $13.99 or White- $15.99. saltsaltsaltsaltsaltysaltysalt This week we got in some brand new salts and replenished our old favorites. I couldn’t quite fit them all on the plate, but I think you get the picture; fine regional, smoked, and flavored salts aren’t just tasty, they make visually stunning additions to your kitchen and table. Put them on display with an adorable salt pig like the one shown here($13.99), or in any suitable salt cellar. We pack them out ourselves for you, and prices range from $3.00-$7.00 for 2-4 ounces, varying by salt type.
In this picture: Smoked Cherrywood sea salt Raspberry Chipotle Culinary grade Dead Sea Salt French Harvest Blend Sea Salt Saffron Sea Salt Lime Sea Salt Wakame Sea Weed Sea Salt French Lavender additionally, we carry: truffle sea salt porcini sea salt fleur du sel french grey salt lemon sea salt smoked gralic sea salt garlic and onion sea salt smoked alderwood sea salt Wine
2003 Clos de Brusquieres $22.99 I know, I know, I keep talking to you about Chaeauneuf-du-pape. Call me obsessed, but we just got in the best deal I’ve seen through our doors yet, so I’ve got to gush. To quote Robert Parker (who gives it 90 points), “The superb 2003 Chateauneuf-du-pape is a deep ruby color with a big, sweet, flamboyant nose of damp earth, ground pepper, kirsch liqueur, licorice, and spice box. It is dense, full-bodied with relatively elevated levels of glycerin, moderate tannin, and some noticeable alcohol in the heady, long finish”. This wine offers a rustic, burly palate, and is not for lovers of more polished, reserved wines! Veuve Devienne rosé sec sparkling wine and Veuve Devienne brut sparkling wine $9.99 These sparklers are just plain fun. The white is light and refreshing with floral notes that stay away from being too sweet or gaudy. The rosé is juicier, with rhubarb and raspberry overtones. At this price, these are great sparklers to start off an evening out with friends or to bring to a larger gathering. Thanks for reading and we’ll see you soon!
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