"Pink is the new black."  I'm serious.  If you thought wearing all that black was cool, then stay "with it" and go pink.  The hipsters, mods, fashionistas and even architects are drinking pink wines nowadays.  So use that quote when you answer your friends when they ask you (because they know you know) what they should be drinking now.  They'll thank you and so will we.  Cheers. 

Here's what we're drinking...

We're starting at the very beginning; a very good place to start to quote our second favorite nun.  On the rosé front, these three wines are perfect introductions to the genre: Abel Clement is a Côtes du Rhône blend (Grenache, Syrah, Cinsault) that's great with salads, fish pastas and straight fish.  Next, we have another French from the Côtes de Provence named Domain Sorin. Sorin is produced near the Mecca of rosé - Tavel -- and shows off a nice, light orange color...almost.  This is a bright, refreshing wine that is easy to drink every day the sun comes out.  Last is a local favorite: Syncline.  You've heard us rave about these folks for a while now and their screw-capped rosé is part of the reason:  All French varietals in this strawberry/watermelon nuanced pink.  These three rosés make it hard to choose a favorite.  Stay tuned for Rosé 201 in the editions to come, or just ask Stephen or Ben what they like next time you're upstairs.

Upcoming Tastings

26 April
Fort Walla Walla Cellars will be here tasting Bordeaux-influenced Washington Wines

03 May
Goose Ridge wines from the Columbia Valley - classic NW wines!

 

This is a big change:  Zoe's Meats have replaced Boar's Heads Meats.  Honestly, this was a difficult decision to make.  We have sold Boar's Head meats for a generation and until recently we were one of the very few places to buy them.  With their rightful expansion, we had to remain what we've always been; qualitatively unique.  We searched the entire country for a replacement that was as good as and as broad as Boar's Head.  In the end, we found a local artisan right here in Seattle to save us from becoming a "me too" purveyor of deli meats.  Zoe's Meats is a local producer of all natural deli meats and we are extremely proud to sell their products.  I think you will enjoy these meats for their pure flavors and freshness.  Next time you are in, ask to try them and please tell us what you think.  With all this said, we will continue to sell the Boar's Head products no one else carries - like Taylor Pork Rolls, Pepperoni Sticks, Coppa and others.

On the cheese front:  We just got new cheeses in from Beehive Cheese Co. "Barely Buzzed" coated on the outside with coffee and lavender.  Don't roll your eyes till you try it - it's wonderfully unique.  We also received Emigrant from them - a firm, gratable cow that's a nice change from Reggiano.  Juniper Grove has arrived so we're stocked on Pyramids, Bûches and Farmer's Cheese.  Finally, look for cheeses from the many producers coming to the Cheese Festival.  You'll notice them with this year's art design attached.

Hold on...I'm going all over the board in this section.

Do you like chocolate?  If you answered "yes," then you can't have these chocolates.  If you answered, "I don't like chocolate, I love chocolate!" then you are worthy of these chocolates.  Cocoa Chai Chocolates are local (Queen Anne) and Ivy Chan (maker) has the gift of making amazing chocolate.  She created special chocolates (not truffles - the difference is truffles are formed by hand) for us using Nutella, Limoncella, Coffee, Blood Orange and Balsamic Vinegar.  They're beautiful and decadent.  Another chocolate reserved for us snobs is from Claudio Corallo. Try the chocolate laranja from the northwestern islands off the coast of Nigeria.  Made with Mr. Corallo's favorite chocolate and orange peel, this Florentine found what he was searching for only on these two small islands.  Yeah, it's esoteric but boy is it good (and cool!).

I must start a new paragraph to mention a new line of canned sardines from Italy: Pollastrini di Anzio.  Two flavors are available to us: Spicy in Olive Oil and Spicy in Tomato Sauce.  These are wild caught sardines from the Mediterranean Sea.  Aficionados take note.   Finally, from Casina Rossa, we have a delicate Saffron & Acacia Honey.  Probably best with harder pecorinos or cows (think Spilimbergo or Piave Vecchio), this honey makes you think of spring.

Michele and I saw a recipe in of all places, a kitchen catalogue the other day and tried it with a few modifications.  The fresh herbs make the dish.  If you don't have these exact herbs, improvise.  Stay away from rosemary, though - it can be a bit 'stemy', texturally.
 

You may have noticed on our website that we have the famous Jamon Iberico back in the house.  We flew through it during the holidays and we snatched another leg from the Junta that distributes it here in the states.  It goes quickly and rightfully so, this is amazingly rich, complex cured ham - one of the world's true delicacies (unlike the $1,000 hamburger or $10,000 pizza). How about some Ecuadorean cheeses?  Yes, indeed, Connie has found a few interesting cow's milk cheeses from this tiny country that will surprise you.  There's a Pepper Jack (I'm serious, it's called that. Couldn't they give it a Spanish name at least?) that is actually firm and rich with a milder spice than the stuff you had at the Superbowl party.  Also from Ecuador is the Andino which resembles an aged gouda in texture, color and taste.  Finally, we have the Oxapampa - an extra firm Asiago-like cow which would be wonderful grated or shaved over salad.  Lastly, we have an Italian pancetta now.  Italian pancetta is more like bacon in appearance and adds a depth of flavor only the Italians can achieve.

Can you guess which cut of pasta is our most popular? Spaghetti, right?  Fettucine, penne, fusilli.  Nope.  Our most popular cut of past is actually Bucatini.  Until recently, you've only had a couple of options for this most popular cut but now you have one more.  Sap'Ori & Col 'Ori di Napoli is our latest addition to our Bucatini quiver.  Beautifully made with the best semolina flour, this pasta soaks up the sauce yet keeps it texture.  Check out the other cuts, too! If you are looking for a complex, coarse sea salt/herb blend, try the Le Groso from Sylvan Leduc.  It will make your soups, pates or steaming water for vegetables so much better.  Wish you could get Pizzelle's all year round but don't want to drag grandma's iron out?  We can help. We finally found a nice tasting pizzelle from Little Pepi. These are very aromatic yet the taste is sublime and subtle.  These are almost as good as my mother-in-law's! 

If you've been to Italy, you probably sat at a café, wanting to sit together facing the piazza but were scolded and told to sit facing each other.  After getting over the insanity of this forced seating chart, you order your Campari-soda or prosecco and the waiter brings out a few nibbles for you.  Usually there's a Tarralucci, some peanuts and some stale potato chips on offer.  The savory that invariably goes first is the potato chip. It's lousy but you can't stop.  If you enjoyed those, well we've got something for you - Italian Potato Chips!  I should re-state that - edible Italian Potato Chips. Check 'em out.

What on earth should I drink tonight with dinner?  It's a question we've all asked ourselves.  I have a challenge for you:  Instead of grabbing a merlot or cab or chardonnay, why not expand your horizon and take a dip in the deep end?  Try a Refrosco from Osvaldo, a Muller Thurgau, Lagrein or Kerner from Abbazia di Novacella.  Maybe a Teroldego from Foradori or Zeni.  Perhaps a Grignolino d'Asti by Trinchero or even a Cesanese di Olevano Romano from Campagnia di Ermes.  These are just a few Italian wines that are made for food.  Reds and whites from the smaller regions of Italy like these will force you out of your comfort zone and excite your palette.  Come on - take a chance!

Upcoming Wine Tastings

As you know, tastings take place from 2-4pm on Saturdays upstairs in our Wine Department and they're always free.  Check out what we're tasting the next couple of weeks...

29 March - "Dealer's Choice".  Stephen will have a few surprise wines from the crowded DeLaurenti shelves.

05 April - "April in Paris".  Yes, French wines to seduce spring from winter.

12 April - Otis Kenyon.  A wonderful new Washington Sate winery to taste.  Bordeaux-esque, for sure.

In this month's issue of Saveur, Bolognese recipes are the hot topic.  There are several to choose from and they even publish the "classic" recipe, based on research done by the Accademia Italian della Cucina.  These are all ok but here's a better one from the halls of DeLaurenti...
 

Our panettone selection is our best ever.  We have the traditional panettone from Corsini, Perugina, Le Logge, Le Tre Marie, Fiasconaro, Sclafani and even Macrina.  A few unique offerings from Corsini (chestnut and chocolate), Rustichella d' Abruzzo (sugar glazed) and Colavolpe (fig and chocolate) round out the panettone offering.  Your pandoro options are Perugina, Le Tre Marie and Corsini.  We have torrone from Rustichella d'Abruzzo, Sperlari and La Florentine.  Our Panforte selection hails form renowned producers Le Logge, La Bottega, Corsini and Betti & Sinatti.  The Sinatti Fiorito Panforte is unique in that it contains almond paste - great with vin santo or coffee.  Need a shot of liquor and a sweet before the relatives come by?  Go for the Baba' en Limoncello (Maurizio Russo) or the Baba' Classico (Toschi) to put a smile on your face. Amarena cherries complete a simple dessert of vanilla gelato.  We have both Toschi and Fabri brands of Amarena cherries.  Cherries in syrup aren't your thing?  How about Strawberries in syrup from Fabri? ( My favorite).

Colavolpe Montagnoli baked figs stuffed with gorgonzola, wrapped in prosciutto and baked = the perfect appetizer. We have the full line of Carsten's Marzipan including the Pigs.  Make sure you get a few before New Year's.  Tradition has it that if you remember to bite the head off the pig before you go to bed New Year's Eve and place the body under your pillow, then eat the body in the morning of New Year's Day, you'll enjoy good luck all year.  Speaking of good fortune, be sure to grab a Salumi Cotechino and sauté it over lentils as your New Year's Eve dinner.  Again, good fortune will be with you all year long following your meal. The Kinder Shipper is still looking full, too.  Kinder is not just about the eggs.  They have an amazing array of treats for the stockings - all housed in the space-eating Kinder Shipper.  Check it out! Since we are on the sweets, if chocolate is your thing, Jo's Candies can help.  We have lot s of their little treats including Peanut Butter Melt Away s - Reese's on 'roids, some say.  Not fancy enough, you say?  Try our Chocolate Bundles.  Each is an amalgam of pristine chocolate from around the globe.  The hostess gift will never be the same after you give these.  Still need a gift?  How about a Ponticelli EVOO and Vechia Aemilia Balsamic Vinegar gift set.  We even have a Mini Olive Oil & Balsamic Bundle featuring EVO Extra Virgin Olive Oil from Lazio .  These are perfect for the adult stocking stuffer.

Lastly, consider giving a DeLaurenti Gift Card.  They come in any denomination and never expire.  They're wonderful for current heavy users or your friends and relatives that live nearby.

We have more White Truffles arriving this week.  They have been gorgeous and wildly aromatic.  They don't last long so please call and pre-buy one soon.  Three Little Pigs brings us a nice small tureen of Foie Gras and Fabrique Delice provides us with a Foie Gras mousse.  Our very own Rosmarino Salame from Salumi is here.  So, too, is the coveted Culatello from Armandino.  We've brought back Panforte by the Pound from Italy.  We cut this to order and it's a great way to taste this traditional Italian Christmas 'bread'.

We have two new cheeses from Vermont.  The Crawford Family Farm's Vermont Ayr - a raw-milk, farmstead cow that's aged 3-5 months and the Thistle Hill Farm's Tarantaise - certified organic, raw-milk, aged 4-6 months.  It's a nice, fruity (apples, pears) cheese that pairs great with cider.  These are the only cheeses these farm s make.  We love a farm with focus!  Guffanti always brings us their Gorgonzola/Marscapone Torta this time of year.  We have a few Mini-Stiltons remaining.  If you have a big group and want to impress them, pick up a mini and be sure the port is flowing.  You've purchased these cheeses and want to present them with panache :  Perhaps they'd look nice in pretty French Cheese Papers or even in a DeLaurenti Cheese Box?

One last note:  You obviously have heard of the flooding that happened in nearby Chehalis.  A wonderful dairy we love is the Black Sheep Creamery located on the Chehalis.  During the flooding, they lost nearly 40 sheep (out of over 60).  They may even lose their historic home.  We hope to support their effort to rebuild their family farm by collecting coins for them in our deli.  Whatever's collected, we'll match.  Perhaps if you're in the store, you'll consider helping out the Black Sheep Creamery with us.

The season of festive meals is upon us and it is time to bring those special bottles of wine to the table. The flavors of the holiday season are many and may require different wines throughout the meal or a single wine that is versatile with a variety of foods. Stephen and Ben are here to meet your holiday needs with an extensive selection of wines from around the world.

Some of our favorites for their food pairing abilities are the Pinot Noirs from Oregon. These richly flavored wines are right at home on the dinner table. This year's selection is bountiful including many limited releases. Ken Wright Cellars with bottlings from the Savoya, Freedom Hill and the Shea Vineyards.  Cameron Winery Arley's Leap, Abbey Ridge and Clos Electrique.  Penner-Ash and Lachini offerings always represent balanced wine-making.  Sineann is famous for their extracted, juicy, big Pinot Noir.  Resonance and Wyeast Vineyards are also wonderful representations of why Oregon Pinot Noir is world-class.  Not one above that interests you?  We have over 40 other Oregon wineries to choose from.

If Oregon isn't local enough for you, Washington makes excellent wine! In fact, there are some jewels from Washington State including new arrivals from Cadence and Fall Line. Both are beautifully crafted wines that showcase stellar local winemaking. Old friends Walla Walla Vintners, Woodward Canyon and Andrew Will highlight our selection of elegant reds.

And don't forget, we are an International store!  We have countless treasures upstairs.  We are most proud of our extensive Italian collection where wine and food have been making lovely pairings for centuries. For the holidays, bubbly's the thing, so don't forget about France. Champagne is one of the most versatile food wines available. Now in the shop is a lovely group of Grower Champagnes -- small domains that tend their own vineyards and produce stunning wines. Elegant, deeply textured and supremely affordable.

Back to adult stocking-stuffer ideas... half-bottles are the answer if that's the question. Our huge selection of splits must be seen to be believed.  Table wines, Champagne and Port all available in a stocking size.  We mentioned the Tarantaise cheese from Vermont up above; noting that it pairs well with cider.  Try a French cider or even a unique beer from Belgium with that cheese.  Stephen and Ben can help you pair those two perfectly.

Upcoming Wine Tastings
If you happen to be in shopping on a Saturday, stop by our regular wine tasting from 2 to 4. Through December we will be featuring holiday wines with an international theme and all including something bubbly.

8 December: Wines from South Africa
15 December: A Northwest Holiday
22 December: Festive Italian Wines
29 December: Haven't had enough? Prepare for the New Year with what else, bubbles.

So you don't have a food making tradition in your house during the holidays?  Fear not.  DeLaurenti is here to give you a suggestion.  Pasta making is simple, messy and rewarding.  In the time it takes to watch the good part of 60 Minutes, you and yours can make delicate, tasty pasta.  Once you figure out how to make the pasta, of course the opportunities are endless. (This is a repeat from years ago but the sauce is new!)

Master the pasta part of this recipe then get creative (but whatever you do, do not make chocolate ravioli - that's sacrilegious).
 

Fresh winter white truffles from Alba are available.  There is no doubt in anyone's mind that this year we are looking at the most expensive truffles of all time.  (How's that for hyperbole?) The combination of a lousy growing season and the strong Euro adds up to a truly rare delicacy.  We just received 1/2 lb of these little gems and they are on a first come-first served basis.  Please come in for these puppies.

New for us from one of our favorite French producers, Pascal Belliverie, is Saint Nicolas de la Dalmerie.  This raw goat from the Languedoc region is similar to a Livarot and is soft, tangy and fresh (only 3 weeks aged).  Pascal brings us the Truffe de Valensole, too.  This little cow is crumbly and dense in pate.  It has no truffle in it - it is shaped and dusted with ash to resemble the truffles famous from this region.

Truffe de Valensole
Another wonderful producer, Jacquin, brings us the Barceau Tradition - nicely packaged medium aged and dusted goat from the Loire.  Also from France (the Pyrenees) is the Ardi Gasna with Esplette Pepper. This sheep's milk cheese is semi-hard with a dense texture - lightly punctuated by the indigenous, southern France pepper.

How about fancifying your stuffing this year? Not sure how?  Let Leslie Macky of Macrina help.  In fact, she's made it simple by putting everything you need in a bag. Macrina Holiday Stuffing comes complete with dried porcinis and directions.  Nothing's better or simpler.  La Mole baked products are perfect for dessert when you've just eaten too much but want to have something a little sweet and delicate.  The Carezze, Sorrisi and Ricciolini are each baked puffed- pastries with caramelized sugar.  Think palmiers, but from Torino.  We also have Macrina Panettone in the house.  We have them baked each week so they're as fresh as you can get.  Panettone - not just for Christmas anymore!  Speaking of panettone, look for the deluge of Italian panettone and pandoro to arrive next week.
Our Café
You know lunch in our café is out of this world and, now, breakfast is too.  We've brought in our favorite Macrina Pastries—not so much for you but for us!  The employee discount is probably used most on these little baked goods.  Get in on the secret.

As noted above, the Northwest fall releases are flowing in.  Offerings from Owen-Roe, Syncline, Cayuse and L'Ecole (Washington).   We're proud of our recently arrived and allocated Pinot Noirs from Oregon as well, including: J. Christopher, Ken Wright, Cameron, Racine and others.  They don't last long, so drop in before the crowds do.

The Northwest wines are coming in, and that's great.  But please do not miss the some of the wonderful Italian and French wines that just got off the boat:  wonderful Burgundies like Domaine du Prieure Cotes de Beaune and Savigny les Beaune and my new favorite Barbera from Damilano.  Speaking of Barbera, in the category of "the girl that brought ya," the La Spineta Barbera is back.  Pound for pound, the La Spineta is one of the best wines in the store.

Our recommendation for a nice turkey dinner is....Oregon Pinto Gris.  Acidity, texture and a little sweetness at the end mates so well with the savory character of turkey and stuffing.  Van Duzer, Solena and Ponzi are delicious.

Saturday Tastings
As always, tastings are from 2-4pm upstairs in our wine department.
10 November - French Wines
17 November - Shiraz, Shiraz, Shiraz and other big reds from Penfold's

In addition to a new recipe, I've decided to start a tradition - somebody has to, right?  This will be the first (or second, depending on how you look at it) year of including my mom's Pumpkin Chiffon recipe in the Thanksgiving newsletter.  Loyal readers of this rag will note that it's referred to as "my grandmother's" recipe but since my mom is, well, a grandma, I'm giving her the props from now on.  Consider this the dessert equivalent to that cranberry dressing they go on and on about on NPR every year.  This is something you'll actually eat!
 

You may have seen these little cookies mentioned in the Seattle Post-Intelligencer a couple of months ago and wondered where you can get them.  Wonder no more - Sweet Miniatures are available now at DeLaurenti.  Ms. Funtanilla has created these delicious treats based on a simple yet elusive concept: Bigger is not necessarily better.  Quality is always better.  Judging by the flavor (and butter) in these small treats (Vanilla Brown Butter, Milk Chocolate Chunk, Chocolate Almond and Toffee Brownies), she's proved this axiom true.

Another pasta?  Yeah, why not?  rustichella d'abruzzo brings us a beautiful little pearl-sized gnocchi called Perle di Patate.  With a simple vodka sauce and fresh basil, these little dumplings sing - usually an aria or something achingly beautiful.  We should mention a great little Sicilian Extra Virgin Olive Oil we just started carrying, which is selling almost too fast to keep in - the Partanna EVOO.  The Partanna is a great value in a nice package.

And now for something completely different... Two by Two Artisan Biscuits are new for us.  The folks in Ashbourne, England have found a way to market baked butter to the whole family.  For the children we have Toffee (& butter), Vanilla (& butter) and Strawberry (& butter) Biscuits. These little cookies are made in cute little animal shapes.  They're what the Animal Cracker could have been.  For the more mature, we have the Elegant English line of tea cookies including Rosehip & Black Currant, Vanilla Cream, Ginger Lemon and Queen Mother's favorite, Honey Almond.

Red Leicester has returned to our cheese case. Leicestershire Cheese Company, the last hand-makers of this famous cheese, is a true farmstead producer. They use the milk from their own cows, beautiful annatto and a cloth wrap to make this nutty, tangy and rich gem.

Meet the goats that make your Redmondo, Dutchman's Flat, Buche, Tumalo Tomme from Juniper Grove, in Oregon!  All of these cheeses just returned to the store.  Shane, too, just returned from the People's Republic with pictures and stories.  Be sure to ask him all about his adventures next time you're in.

We are now receiving weekly deliveries of our very own Rosmarino Salame produced exclusively for us by Salumi here in Seattle.  The delivery comes in on Thursday and barely lasts until Monday so if you see it, you might want to grab a stick or two!

Have you noticed our special pizzas and sandwiches every day? We raid the "larder" that is the store for all the best things and create two pizzas, a special sandwich and a soup every day. We post the menu online at www.delaurenti.com each day and it's always delicious, always.

With Giuseppe Quintarelli, it's all about patience.  From the time spent carefully tending to the vineyard, through the meticulous selection at harvest and the gentle handling during vinification, Quintarelli's unhurried approach to winemaking produces some of the world's greatest wines. This traditional producer from the Valpolicella (think Verona - mid way between Venice and Milan) region of Italy makes award winning wine year after year. His wines are rich in character; showing both power and elegance. These are deeply textured, mouth-filling wines that are amazing expressions of this most beautiful of wine regions. The wines are highly sought after and are often in short supply. We were able to acquire a small amount of these prized wines and they are now on our shelves. 

The Quintarelli highlights:

1999 Valpolicella Classico Superiore
1999 Rosso Ca' del Merlo
2003 Primofiore
2005 Secco Ca' del Merlo (Bianco)

Also of note is the great Romano Dal Forno.  A few bottles remain of his exceptional 2001 Valpolicella as well.  This one's a secret so keep it down.

Upcoming Wine Tastings

As always, tastings are held Saturday from 2-4pm upstairs in our Wine Department - and they're always free!

01 September - Dealer's Choice.  Yep - Stephen and Ben get to choose the wine on Saturday.  Odds are, it will be Italian and unique.
09 September - Hungarian Wines.  Tokay isn't all that ferments well in this beautiful country.  Drop by and find out more about this European secret.

This is another version of asparagus wrapped in prosciutto but it's the best one and the easiest.  Sautéing these individually wrapped asparagus spears in batches keeps the appetizer warm and might give you a needed excuse to ditch a conversation!
 

We are pleased to announce the arrival of our second shipment of Casa Madaio cheeses from Italy.  You may remember the last batch which contained Calcagno, my favorite pecorino ever.  These cheeses were such a hit that we brought in a few other treats from Casa Madaio.  Caprotto (firm goat's milk), Cinerino (ash-dusted, cave-aged sheep), and of course the Calcagno.  Fresh Bufala Fresca pucks also came in.  These little discs are creamy and rich, just like you'd expect.  Cacio Faenum is new for us.  It comes from L'Antica Cascina and is a sheep's milk cheese, wrapped in hay and stored in a hay-filled barrel for 45 days.  It comes out of its hibernation with the fragrant aroma of hay, must and earth.  This is similar to Vento d'Estate but is softer and less piquant.

Can you imagine not being able to eat pasta?  Think about it....culinary torture if you ask me.  The folks from il Macchiaiolo in Italy thought so too, but they actually did something about it.  They make both Rice and Corn Pasta.  The corn pasta is great in place of polenta (Osso Bucco?) and matches great with hearty red sauces.  The rice pasta pairs well with lighter butter and cream sauces.  Finally, gluten-free isn't flavor-free.

Check out the amazing new butter from Pascal Beillevaire!  This individually basketed, salted butter from Bourgneuf has seaweed in it.  Hold this butter to your nose and you can smell the sea.  The perfect application is over grilled fish.  We have a new spice line!  We have a new spice line!  We are the proud, exclusive sellers of Seattle Rhythm and Spice spices.  Connie found these at a farmer's market and they were so 'fresh' and fragrant that we had to replace our run-of-the-mill spice line with these.  This is something we have wanted to do for several years and alas, we've found a spice line worthy. 

Stephen is off to Oregon Pinot Camp so we get to have our way with the wine department for a week.  I have to admit my jealousy of Stephen's trip.  Pinot Camp is easily the hardest ticket in the Northwest wine industry.  It's an invite-only, trade only event.  Once you are on the list, you are on it for life.  People move around a lot in the wine industry and the smart ones forego transferring their 401(k)'s in favor of making sure their Pinot Camp invitation gets forwarded.  I've yet to get an invite, so I'm envious.  Stephen will tell us all about it when he returns so stay tuned.

Upcoming Wine Tastings

30 June: Chilean wine from renowned producer Veramonte
7 July: In thanks for helping us 230 years ago, French wines

This is another version of asparagus wrapped in prosciutto but it's the best one and the easiest.  Sautéing these individually wrapped asparagus spears in batches keeps the appetizer warm and might give you a needed excuse to ditch a conversation!