My fresh Oregon hazelnuts just arrived!  Since discovering the fresh hazelnuts that are grown in Oregon, I have really come to appreciate the flavor and versatility of these aromatic nuts.   I like to use the whole kernels for tarts and for snacking.  I choose minced toasted hazelnuts for salads and for my oatmeal in the morning.  I also use these in my arugula pesto recipe. 

Hazelnuts are high in protein, iron, calcium, vitamin B6, vitamin E and fiber.  Each hazelnut has about 8 calories.  However, you don’t need to use a large amount of hazelnuts in your recipes, as their intense flavors go a long way.   

I order my hazelnuts from Freddy Guys (www.freddyguys.com/), a family run operation in Monmouth, Orgeon.  The folks at Freddy Guys are so friendly and knowledgeable, and the quality of their hazelnuts is first-rate.  The prices are very reasonable, too.  Believe me, you will not be disappointed with the products you receive from them.  Try some of these amazing nuts soon in your favorite recipes.

This cheese shop on the corner of Rue de Grenelle and Boulevard Raspail has an amazing assortment of cheeses, ripened to perfection.  I didn’t find the staff to be particularly friendly or helpful when I was there, but I quickly forgot about it as I was enjoying the wonderful cheeses that night.  The Brillat-Savarin was at its prime and the goat cheese was superb. 

Barthelemy
51, rue de Grenelle
Paris 75007
33 1 42 22 82 24

Listen to Sherry Page’s interview with Steve Sando of Rancho Gordo on Napa Valley Wine Radio.   If you think that “beans are beans”, this interview is sure to change your mind!

I’m a bean lover of all kinds – lima beans, fava beans, romano beans, pole beans – you name it.  But nothing beats the selection and the quality of the dried heirloom beans from Rancho Gordo. 

I’ve been buying dried beans from Steve Sando’s Rancho Gordo for years  at the San Francisco Farmers market.  I have always been impressed with the variety of heirloom beans that Steve grows.  Over the past few years, Steve has traveled throughout Mexico and Central America searching for unique and rare beans and herbs that he brings to his trial gardens in Napa. Each summer he grows the beans to see if they’d be suitable for production.  The result is that Rancho Gordo has 20 to 30 varieties of heirloom beans for sale at any one time.  And they feel that there are still hundreds of heirloom beans to discover.  The yield on growing some of these heirloom beans tends to be lower than generic beans but the payoff is in the flavor and texture.  My favorite Rancho Gordo heirloom bean is the Good Mother Stallard, which they happen to be out of right now but I was recently assured that they will soon be back.  I also really love the deep flavor and the creamy texture of the yellow Indian woman bean.  The scarlet runner bean has a deep meaty flavor with hints of coffee and chocolate, and I can hardly believe the buttery flavor and creamy texture that the alubia criollo bean has.  In addition to the beans, Rancho Gordo  also carries dried chilis, chili powders and hot sauces, posole and popping corn, red and white quinoa, Mexican oregano, Mexican soft cinnamon and Mexican vanilla. 

You can find the Rancho Gordo stand on the front side of the SF Ferry Plaza Farmers market on Saturday mornings.  They have also recently opened a new retail store in the town of Napa.  For more information visit the Rancho Gordo website at ranchogordo.com.

If you love fine upscale food that is exquisitely packaged, you won’t want to miss Fauchon.  They have wonderful preserves and jams, mustards, teas, coffees, chocolates and wines.  They ship worldwide, too. 

If you really enjoy thick, rich hot chocolate, theirs is not to be missed!  They have a tea salon/cafe that serves the hot chocolate along with breakfast items (pictured above). 
Fauchon
26, place de la Madeleine
75008 Paris
33 01 47 42 60 11

This upscale gourmet shop in Paris is definitely worth a browse.  Here you will find a huge array of fresh vegetables and fruits, olive oils, cheeses, meats, seafood, condiments, wines, spices, chocolates, teas, coffees, fresh flowers and so much more.  A cart with wheels is a nice-to-have if you are going to be carting your goods home from there. 

La Grande Epicerie au Bon Marche
Rue de Sevres at rue du Bac
75007 Paris

This patisserie in the town of Carpentras in Provence is a fantastic discovery.  On my last trip, I had the pleasure to meet Pierre Jouvaud who is actively involved in managing this third-generation business. 

The patisserie itself is warm, colorful and inviting.  The windows are beautifully decorated and draw you in with their magnificent variety of pastries and confections.  Once inside, the aromas are seductive.   The chocolates (my favorites are the ones with the nuts and candied fruits) are some of the best I have ever tasted, and I can’t wait to go back to try their canelle dipped in clementine syrup. 

The real thrill for me, though, was being taken behind the scenes to see how the glaced fruit is made.  It is created using the traditions of Pierre Jouvaud’s grandfather.  Fresh, ripe fruit is cooked slowly at low temperatures in big copper pots in sugar syrup.  The fruit is then re-cooked several times in a similar manner.  The resulting product is full of ripe fruit flavor and has a soft, yet firm, consistency.  It is truly an art to be able to make such a gorgeous and flavorful product.  We tasted the apricots and they were over-the-top amazing. 

One other observation that I made was that the packaging for the candies and gift items was absolutely beautiful.  Pierre gave the credit for that to his sister.  What lovely and tasty gifts their creations make!  I brought home several boxes for family and friends.  Everyone was delighted with the flavors and the presentation. 

Patisserie Jouvard
40 rue de l’Eveche
84800 Carpentras, FRANCE
33 04 90 63 15 38

The Oxbow Market in Napa  is a “must do” when in Napa.     My very favorite cheese merchant is there.   Take a look at the list of merchants:

Annette’s Chocolate Factory
The Fatted Calf
Fete
Five Dot Ranch
Folio enoteca & Winery
Heritage Culinary Artifacts
Hog Island Oyster Company
Kanaloa Seafood
Kara’s Cupcakes
Kitchen Library
The Model Bakery
Napa Valley Adventure Tours
The Olive Press
The Oxbow Cheese Merchant
Oxbow Wine Merchant & Wine Bar
Pica Pica Maize Kitchen
Ritual Coffee roasters
Rotisario
Taylor’s Automatic Refresher
Three Twins Organic Ice Cream
The Tillerman Tea Company
Whole Spice Company

 The Oxbow Market is located at: 

644 1st Street
Napa, CA 94559-2611
(707) 226-6529

If you are planning to put together a beautiful cheese plate, check out The Cheese Board Collective in Berkeley. Their selection of local and international cheeses cannot be beat, and their prices are by far the best I have found.

The Cheese Board has been in business for almost 39 years. They are a collective with about 30 members. Everyone who works there is a member and has equal decision-making power. They are so friendly and knowledgeable and….they have an amazing selection of international and domestic cheeses, as well as a bakery that produces interesting and delicious breads. I find that their prices are substantially less on their cheeses and breads than I find at high-end grocery stores or specialty shops. I love the casual atmosphere, too – the place is really charming.

While you are there, check out Cheese Board Pizza, which is a couple of doors down the block. Cheese Board Pizza opened about 20 years ago and is located just a few doors down the street from the original Cheese Board. They make only one kind of pizza made each day, and it is vegetarian. We are not vegetarians, but we absolutely love their pizzas. We buy them half-baked and finish the baking at home. We have found that they freeze well – just wrap them tightly in foil and freeze for up to a couple of months. Then take them out of the freezer and pop them (still frozen) into a very hot oven (about 450^oF). Let them bake for about 10 minutes until bubbly. (If you can re-heat them on a hot pizza stone, that is even better.)

The Cheese Board
1504 Shattuck Ave.
Berkeley
(510) 549-3183

www.cheeseboardcollective.coop

Cheese Board Pizza
1512 Shattuck Ave.
Berkeley
(510) 549-3055

Bacchus & Venus
769 Bridgeway
Sausalito, CA 94965
415-331-2001
www.bacchusandvenus.com

This wine shop is one of my favorite stops because the owner, Marcy Roth, and her staff are so knowledgeable. The shop itself is very inviting with a beautiful mahogany bar, an area that has gift items and an art gallery upstairs. I am always confident that if Marcy recommends a particular wine, it is good. I have discovered that not only does she have an excellent palette for wines, but she knows my taste very well. She also makes great recommendations on pairings, Recent discoveries at Bacchus & Venus include Rosenblum Rockpile Road Zinfandel, Robert Foley Charbono, Eric Ross Pinot Noir and Jackson-Triggs Icewine.

Good Southern cooks know that proper grits take at least 20 minutes to cook! My favorite grits are Speckled Heart stoneground grits. I order them from Callaway Gardens’ online store.

Anson Mills also makes great grits.  They are available from zingermans.com.