View BagIn this episode, we discuss Bacon…need I say more?
Podcast for 8/19/09
August 19th, 2009
Podcast for 8/12/09
August 12th, 2009Another one in the can! Take a trip with us this week to discover the wonders of White Truffle Oil, the How of Honey, and discover what we’re eating and where the heck Anthony is?
…but what do I DO with it?
August 7th, 2009 
I was having an email conversation with a customer the other day about my last blog post regarding La Chinata Smoked Spanish Paprika. He said, in essence, that he had no idea how to use it…what it was for, or how much to use?
My answer was simply, try it on something…anything, and decide if it tastes good. Now, I know that isn’t a very scientific answer. I followed this up with…”but use it on something everyday, something you can redo in a hurry. Don’t utilize it on something you’ve invested alot of time on if you are unsure about it. Just get a good FEEL for what it tastes like.”
AS I wrote to him, I realized that a TON of our products fall into this category. I consider myself lucky to be so close to all these great ingredients, and I bring home alot of items to try. My first use for most any spice is scrambled eggs. If I like a spice on eggs, I can explore it further. My first use for any oil is fried eggs….if they taste good either cooked in the oil or with the oil drizzled on top, I know I have a winner. For me, eggs are the go-to sample food. Cheap, and quickly replenishable.
So what’s this post about? It’s simply about not being afraid to try something new or unusual just because you’re not sure what to do with it. My feeling is, if you see it, it catches your eyes, or you’ve seean or heard about it as an ingredient on TV or radio and you want to try it…go for it!
Chances are, if we’re selling it, it’s going to be an affordable risk, and one you’ll be glad you took.
Podcast for 8/5/09
August 5th, 2009We did it again! Our latest Podcast has a new format (we’re always experimenting to with the “how” of it) and a brief list of topics/show notes is below. We’re having fun doing these, and we hope you guys dig em. Feel free to comment or send us an email at blog@wergourmetfoods.com
- New & Notable Products : J. Leblanc oils and La Quercia American Artisanal Prosciutto
- Featured Product this week is ZOE Spanish Olive oil
- What We’re Eating! this week …lot’s of Chicken for Jim as usual, tons of PBnJ for me…only Alex seems to be getting fed correctly
- Where’s Anthony? A brief look/review of last weeks No Reservations w/ Anthony Bourdain…our new favorite food show on, of all place, the Travel Channel(TRV).
Smoke + Spice = Very Nice
August 4th, 2009
Paprika. Many of us grew up with it on top of roasted potatoes, or added to a bit of saucy goulash, but the true nature of this pepper powder has remained something of a well-kept Spanish secret for some time.
With the emergence of Tapas restaurants across the nation (much like the sushi wave of the late 80’s and 90’s), the simple ingredients used to prepare many of these little dishes of delight are begining to find their way into markets and homes.
Huzzah! I discovered Smoked Sweet Paprika about 4 years ago, and it has since become a staple in my pantry. I think I put this potent spice into just about any and everything I can…sometimes with surprisingly phenominal results.
My chili is now asked for at parties…with smoked paprika and mexican chocolate the true stars of that (beanless) bowl of sublime. Scrambled eggs get a moderate dose as they begin to come together in the pan. Carmelized onions get a lite dusting as they brown for my french onion soup, which is now more decidely spanish than french. I simmer the smokey spice in olive oil and tossy my grilled aspargus in it.
I could go on forever…and ever.
If you haven’t yet tried our La Chinata Smoked Sweet or Smoked Hot paprika, it’s a must have.
It’s a Giveaway!
July 28th, 2009
Yes, we here at weRgourmetfoods know that life is tough for all you foodies out there. The economy is rough, and it’s putting a cramp in your food-lovin lifestyle. That’s why we’ve decided to GIVE AWAY something tasty to help alleviate the Recession Blues. We thought a nice bottle of Zoe Spanish Olive oil would be a perfect way to boost morale!
It’s simple really…Just listen to our first Podcast (see last post) and email us at blog@wergourmetfoods.com telling us what you thought. Good, bad, we can take some criticism. Abuse we can handle. Total honesty….ok, we have to draw the line somewhere.
We will Randomly choose one email entry (please, only one email submission per person…let’s keep this neat and clean) as the winner of this giveaway.
As a BONUS: if you can correctly identify the song used to open the episode in your email, and it’s chosen as the winner, we’ll include something nice in addition to the Zoe oil…but I don’t want to spoil the surprise.
A winner will be chosen on August 14th and we will announce the winner in the next Podcast thereafter.
Enjoy the Show, and Good Eating!
Podcast for 7/26/09
July 26th, 2009It’s the first Podcast! Feel free to email us at blog@wergourmetfoods.com with feedback, questions, or for any info at all.
My Podcast Alley feed! {pca-565c04f1345019adf4ac350ca093d133}
Balsamic Bliss
July 24th, 2009
Hi. My name is Howard and I am a Balsamic Addict.
It’s true. I love to find things to pour balsamic vinegar on top of. My latest are semi-firm nectarines, onto which I drizzle some balsamic and some shaved sottocenere (an Italian cheese sprinkled throughout with truffles). The sweet/tart flavor of the nectarine pops even further with the addition of the vinegar…but not just any vinegar.
This summertime treat would probably work on some level with your ‘everyday balsamic’ from the local supermarket, but what it cries out for is a richer, thicker product with some mellowness…enter Villa Mandori.
This vinegar is handcrafted in small batches, and aged down to a rich, dark syrup. It’s mellow, and slightly sweet, and perfect for just about any finishing. I drizzle it on top of grilled meat and chicken. I dip wedges of Grana in it. Heck, sometimes I just put a bit on a spoon and have at it!
Chefs love this stuff, and so will you. Best part? Check the price!
Oh..and btw, while the posts have been lean, that is about to change. Our first Podcast should be available next week, and we’re gonna be posting daily if we can (it’s so hard to manage the food AND taste AND blog, but we’re gonna give it the ol’ college try!). Keep checking back for product reviews, specials, new product intros, and don’t forget to sign up for our newsletter (our first edition will be ready by Sept. 1st!)
Good Eating!
First Post…WOOT!
June 29th, 2009
I can’t beleive we are finally here. It seems like we travelled the longest possible road, and to have arrived at this place, this virtual space, seems something like a small miracle.
My friends and I have been working in Wholesale Food Distibution for the longest time, and while it’s been a great trip (awesome samples, great dining experiences, speaking to some great chefs, and not so great ones…oh, and living day in and day out amongst the most amazing food items from around the globe!), we knew there was more we had to do.
I would stand in line at my local Whole Foods, grabbing a snack for lunch from the prepared foods counter, and watch patron after patron purchase some neat items (many of which I worked around daily), in small quantity and spend a RIDICULUOUS amount of money for the pleasure! I wanted to scream at them “Don’t you know what that stuff really costs???? Are you Mad??!?! Don’t do it!”
Of course, those folks had no choice…that is, until now.
We plan to continue to add to this site, every day, the amazing items that chefs all over the country are currently using in their kitchens, and you won’t have to pay a kings ransom to get them into YOUR kitchen. Items like Nueske Bacon (wow….some seriously nice product) or Spanish Saffron (yes, you CAN make Paella at home) are just a couple of hundreds of items we plan on adding to the site.
We have a growing Artisanal Cheese business which we’ll be launching shortly, and we’ve already begun to add items from our wide variety of Charcuterie selection from our specialty and cured meats cellar.
But this isn’t just about selling you food, heck No! We want you to get content, information…a good, solid understanding of who we are and what we do. We love this stuff, just like you. We spend endless hours talking about food, watching shows about food (did you catch last nights Top Chef?), and most of all…eating and cooking food. We are no less than 100% completely obsessed (some of us clearly look it) with food, ingredients, cooking etc.
We’re going to post often. We’re going to introduce you to new items, new flavors from around the world. We’re going to PODCAST ourselves talking about this great stuff, and you might even hear us chewing (in fact, don’t be surprised if the talking stops and all you CAN hear is chewing). Keep an eye/ear out for our first podcast which will launch very shortly.
Email us at blog@wergourmetfoods.com with questions so we can answer them! We want to hear from you, fellow foodies!
