Good evening, everyone! Welcome to another edition of the Pepper's Newsletter, the first one for the month of June. You know, there are a TON of celebrity birthdays today including Liam Neeson, Tom Jones, Dean Martin, Karl Urban and Michael Cera. But one whose talent was exceptional as a musician, singer-songwriter, producer, actor and director who would have turned 63 today was Prince Rogers Nelson, or simply Prince. He could play practically any instrument but he preferred guitar. Though short in stature, he was huge in musical ability and is severely underrated as a guitar player.
Someone else who appreciates music almost as much as we appreciate her is our Deli Manager, Dora. For the past 14 years she has worked to create a deli with the freshest and most diverse products around! Dora is constantly sourcing new items and paying attention to what our customers want most and takes great pride in what she offers. So this week, we honour you, Dora, with our Employee Appreciation Award! Thanks for all that you do!
Today's newsletter just so happens to be filled with new items from our Deli Department, specifically cheese, so if you're a turophile, read on! Let's go!
Kicking things off is Okanagan Falls Soft Unripened Goat Milk Cheese. This BC-made, fresh goat cheese comes in four flavours: Sundried Tomato, Fig, Olive Oil & Rosemary and Truffle. Remember, with fresh goats cheese, you want to eat it within a week of opening and never wrap it in plastic wrap! Always store it in a lidded container because this and any cheese, needs humidity and space to breathe.
Why stop at cheese made from goats? How about adding some more cheese made from sheep's milk, Dora? Oh you already did? Great! Spagnia Tradicion Sheep Cheese is traditional Manchego which hails from Spain. Available with added Black Garlic as well as Rosemary, these delicious cheeses have a mildly, gamey flavour that pair perfectly with sherry and are a staple with any tapas menu.
Hey, if we can't travel to foreign countries right now, we can at least purchase some excellent foods from them, right? Heading over to France from Spain, we'll find some fromage from LeSaveur de St. Germain. Here are two classic French cheeses: Petit Camembert (produced by the local farmers in Normandy) has a unique flavour made from raw milk collected in the Bocage Ornais area. Or choose Mini Brie which has a subtle nutty flavour with a slight hint of salt. Both are oven ready and will be the easiest appetizer you'll ever offer!
Scooting on over to Scotland, we'll be able to try numerous yummy and colourful matured cheddars from The Queen's Castle! Boozy options include Gin & Tonic as well as cheddar infused fittingly with Laphroaig Whiskey. Alternatively, you could gnosh on Applesmoke Cheddar or one containing Laird's Grainy Mustard!
Canada produces some darn good cheese, too, and one of the tastiest one's you've yet to try is Italissima Smoked Aged White Cheddar! It's smoked over applewood and aged two years to produce a full, refined flavour. Ever tried the simple yet ultra delicious grilled chicken and cheddar slider? This is the cheese you'll want to use!
That selection of fine cheese should tide you over for a little while. And while cheese makes an excellent appy, here are another two that are both vegan and gluten-free! Pizza Oggi has teamed up with Beyond Meat to create Mini Calzone containing Beyond sausage Italian crumble as well as vegan mozza and veggies. Baci Bites also are made with Beyond Italian crumble and vegan mozzarella but without the veggies. The crusts of both are made with cauliflower and cook up golden brown in about 15 minutes in your oven!
Looking for a concentrated broth for your soups, sauces and roasts? Canada's Savory Choice offers two liquid concentrate broths that come in convenient squeeze packs! Just mix with hot water and customize to your desired concentration and taste! With Savory Choice Beef Broth Concentrate or Chicken Broth Concentrate, you get a product requiring no refrigeration with less waste that makes great, gluten-free broth to bring out the flavour in any dish!
The same company, Savory Choice, also brings you Pho Liquid Concentrated Broth in Veggie, Beef and Chicken for adding a dash of Asian flavour to your cooking! One box makes 64 ounces (two quarts) of broth and all are made with natural ingredients.
I've said it before and I'll say it again: coffee is the nectar of the gods. But bad coffee is just about as disappointing as the tepid caesar salad that I talked about last week. So in order to avoid an early tragedy in your kitchen, pick up a bag of Rhino Coffee House Whole Bean Coffee! Hand roasted in terrific Tofino, these premium coffee beans are available at Pepper's in Organic Medium Roast, Organic Dark Roast, Surfer Blend (it's gnarly) and Espresso. Rhino started pouring coffee to Tofino-ans in 2013 so now you don't have to drive all the way up there to get a great tasting cup of coffee.
And finally, if any of you like to indulge in fine dining in Victoria, you've likely visited Zambri's. Since 1999 they've been serving up "Italian soul food" to the locals. As taken from their website: The incredibly well prepared Italian food and efficient service created favourable word of mouth. And over time, the obscure little eatery gained highly acclaimed industry recognition. GOLD Best Casual Italian Restaurant Vancouver Magazine, Victoria Chef Of the Year, EAT Magazine, to name a few. The Urban Peasant James Barber called it the “Nicest little Italian restaurant in BC. Probably in Canada. Terrific food.” So if you would like to try to recreate some of that magical Italian inspired cooking in your own kitchen, choose Zambri's Hpuse Made Tomato Sauce! You can get a jar of it in Original or Arrabbiata (spicy) in Aisle 2 with the other pastas and sauces.
Thanks for checking us out again this week. Scott's put together an exceptional ad which you'll find below. We look forward to the day where we can see an unlimited number of your smiling faces in the aisles. But for now, we'll have to hold out a little longer. Until then, stay healthy and take good care!