the Friday Feeding; VOL. 11

Global warming aside, it looks pretty wintery around here. We are hoping for snow again soon but we will take what we can get and not get upset. Meanwhile, our tummies tell us it is winter and the deep caramelized flavors of long cooked stews satisfy our appetites and create the feeling of sitting in front of a wood stoked fire. Cozy.

We don’t all have the time–or the inclination–to do a long cooked meal though. But one can capture those flavors in any quicker dish by adding in concentrates. These deep flavors turn up the Umami (savory) flavor in a meal. Some of our go-to favorites to deepen taste are:

All of these things are available in the store or maybe are already in your pantry. Smoked cheeses will be back in soon…

You are creating your own cozy feeling here at the store, gathering and fueling the fires of friendship and family…thank you for coming in.

And it’s Friday night pizza again. See the menu at the bottom of this post.

A bit about pasta…

This isn’t Italy and this isn’t China (where pasta was believed to originate).  Nor does Canterbury, New Hampshire population 2500ish have a Little Italy district or China Town.  But we do like our pasta and cheese any ol’ way.  Mac it up please.

Talking about eating wheat these days is akin to talking religion; it is a delicate topic and one is either for it or against it.  But putting true celiac disease aside for a moment, folks do seem to have developed an insensitively to the protein gluten that wheat contains and that pasta is made of.  Yet some of these same people have said that eating good pasta in Italy gave them no problems.  Why is this? Food nutritionists have told me a couple good reasons.

1. Quality Italian pasta is made from hard wheat grown from pure strains of seed that is untainted unlike mass produced Italian pasta that can be made with widely grown softer strains.
2. The arid climate of Italy where this wheat is grown prevents mold developing during the growing cycle which, if developed, would create sensitivity in the gut.
3. Lastly, in Italy, pasta is meant to act as a vehicle for flavorful sauces and served in small amounts.  Too much grain is hard on the gut whether it’s wheat or anything else.  I personally cannot tolerate grain first thing in the morning..no oatmeal or granola or muffins for me.

A meal made with a bit of good pasta is a quick and delicious way to savor intensively flavored sauces and cheeses while enjoying the nutty flavor of good wheat.  Our beloved Chris Blair told me once—as his scientist/engineer self—that for his mostly vegetarian diet he relished Beth’s baked wheat goods because they were a good source of protein. 

No surprise here that the store carries a really good line of Italian artisan pasta, Rustichella d’Abruzzo.  Each shape is made to hold a different type of sauce. And we are trying to keep are variety of good, deeply flavored sauces for you in our freezer. In there right now is our long cooked bolognese sauce and also pesto sauces.

And if you still cannot tolerate wheat we carry some fine alternatives from Rustichella d’Abruzzo. And this pasta holds up and does not fall apart. 

Enough said. Moving on…

If you need some more luscious snacks for New Years Eve, try our Artichoke and Wild Mountain Caper dip, or the Port and Cheddar spread or the Mushroom Pate. Triple yum.

We hope you enjoy these last few days of another year and ring in the new one with gusto!

Cheers from your storekeepers, Jane and Dave

Friday night pizza, December 29. Order ahead 12” organic sour dough pizzas to take out or sit down and eat here.  $15.95. Call ahead to order and choose a pick-up time slot. 603-783-9933 

Choose:

1. Sweet Italian sausage on red sauce.
2. Vegetable choice of mushrooms, green peppers, and cherry tomatoes on red sauce
3. Fig with gorgonzola and a honey drizzle over olive oil (no garlic)
4. Cheese only on red sauce always by request

CLICK HERE to see this weeks menu.