Latte Art Throwdown
By Emma Murphy, contributing writer
Making a good cup of espresso is an art in and of itself. But, Dean & DeLuca baristas are taking the coffee making process one step further and topping lattes and cappuccinos with beautiful designs—latte art.
There are two kinds of latte art: etching and free-pour. Etching involves using a toothpick or other tool to sketch patterns in finished drinks. Free-pour latte art is generally more respected within the coffee world because it’s uncontrived and therefore more challenging and a strong measure of barista skill.
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Feb 08.10 /
Dean & DeLuca Events / by
Dean & DeLuca
Beer and Cheese for the Super Bowl
By Emma Murphy, contributing writer
On Super Bowl Sunday, living rooms and dens across the country will be converted into all-you-can-eat buffets with chips and dip, pizza and beer. I recently learned from a Slashfood blog post that Americans knock back 17 times as much beer on Super Bowl Sunday as on an average day. With this statistic in mind, I’ve been thinking about what food I might contribute to the Super Bowl party I’m attending. I think that the flavors in beer and cheese jibe in sublimely satisfying ways, so I spoke with Dean & DeLuca’s SoHo cheesemonger Greg and asked him for his pairing recommendations. Here’s what he had to say:
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Feb 05.10 /
Pairings / by
Claire
Iron Chef Recap
By Emma Murphy, contributing writer
Executive chefs just prior to the start of the competition
Dean & DeLuca’s 5 executive chefs wielded their knives and showed off their culinary skills last night in an Iron Chef-style battle. The competitors included:
Chef Michael Cleary from Georgetown
Chef Scott Annand from NYC
Chef Kevin Johnson from Kansas City
Chef Andres Moncayo from Charlotte, NC
Chef Karl Turner from St. Helena, CA
Just prior to the start of the competition Dean & DeLuca’s Director of Kitchen and Cafe Operations, Steve Millard, singled out Counter Culture Coffee as the ingredient the chefs must use in every one of their 5 dishes.
The chefs rolled up their sleeves and got to work straight away.
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Feb 04.10 /
Dean & DeLuca Events / by
Claire
Dean & DeLuca Chefs to Battle Tonight: Iron Chef-style
By Emma Murphy, contributing writer
Tonight, Dean & DeLuca’s 5 executive chefs from across the country will come together in New York City to battle in a high-stakes Iron Chef-style competition.
Here’s how the competition will play out… Dean & DeLuca’s commissary on the West side of Manhattan will serve as the Kitchen Stadium. The chefs will have to prepare 5 different dishes using the following 5 ingredients: Read More…
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Feb 03.10 /
Dean & DeLuca Events / by
Claire
Cooking with Canella: The Other Cinnamon
By Tracey Ceurvels, contributing writer
Often, all you need to do to surprise and delight your taste buds is alter an everyday dish with one out-of-the-norm spice. Take these easy-to-make scones, for example. Instead of using the ordinary cinnamon sitting in my cabinet, I decided instead to make them with a spice from the same species: canella, which comes from the bark of a tropical tree. Read More…
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Feb 01.10 /
Recipes: Sweet / by
Claire
Chocolate: The Food of Love?
By Emma Murphy, contributing writer
Each February, couples celebrate their love by exchanging Valentine’s Day gifts like gourmet chocolates and flowers and cards. With the holiday just around the corner, I looked into how chocolate came to be the customary Valentine’s Day gift.
I learned that chocolate is more closely linked with love because of its supposed effect on the libido than it is with St. Valentine. Chocolate is made from the cacao bean found in pods that grow on the trunks and lower branches of the cacao tree. The fruit pods are nine inches in length on average and typically contain 30 – 40 almond-sized cacao beans. The Aztecs were the first to draw a link between the cacao bean and sexual desire. Emperor Montezuma was said to drink chocolate in copious amounts before visiting his harem of women. Read More…
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Jan 28.10 /
Facts & Tidbits, Seasonal / by
Claire
Creminelli Salami: Gourmet Salami from an Italian Artisan
By Claire Holzman & Emma Murphy, contributing writers
Since the 1600s, long before ‘artisan production’ was a buzz phrase, the Creminelli family has been producing salumi (an umbrella term for cured-meat products) in the Piedmont region of Italy.
Cristiano Creminelli grew up in his father’s salumificio, learning his family’s craft. In 1990, Cristiano took over the family business and set his sites on expanding the business to the U.S.
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Jan 25.10 /
Feature Stories / by
Claire
Introducing New Gourmet Coffee: Stir It Up with Cream or Sugar
By Emma Murphy, contributing writer
New & Noteworthy
Dean & DeLuca is excited to introduce Marley Coffee. Marley Coffee LLC is the brainchild of Rohan Marley, son of the late reggae legend Bob Marley, and his friend Shane Whittle.
Rohan says that his famous father always wanted to return to his birthplace, Nine Mile, a village located in Saint Ann Parish, Jamaica, to become a farmer, but he never got the chance. With Marley Coffee, Rohan is fulfilling his father’s dream and carrying on his legacy.
All Marley Coffees are certified organic and shade-grown on bio-diverse land without pesticides, herbicides, fertilizers or other additives. While some coffee producers slash and burn their fields, so the sun can fully penetrate their crop, and they can increase their coffee yield, Marley Coffee’s shade-grown farming method preserves the habitats of dozens of species.
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Jan 20.10 /
New Products / by
Claire
Introducing New Gourmet Sushi Rolls
By Chef Tracy Griffith
Gourmet food retailer Dean & DeLuca just launched Sushi American Style: raw-fish-free sushi, created by Chef Tracy Griffith. Below, Chef Griffith shares why she left Hollywood for culinary school and how she came to develop sushi without raw fish.
For 12 years, I pursued modeling and acting in New York and LA. One day, as I was driving home from a cop series set after having been “gunshot” and laying in a sticky pool of real blood for many hours, I was seriously considering my future career options.
I was stopped at a Venice Beach traffic light when I saw it: The California Sushi Academy. A U-turn into the parking lot brought me straight to the Academy administrator. The administrator politely bowed to me and invited me to sit.
“You want to become a skilled, honorable sushi chef?”
Honorable? Yes. That sounded good.
The administrator showed me the Yanagi (the sushi knife), undressing it from its wooden scabbard. The 12-inches of gleaming carbon steel captivated my gaze. I wrote a tuition check on the spot that completely wiped out my bank account.
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Jan 18.10 /
Dean & DeLuca Events, Feature Stories, New Products / by
Claire
New Year, New Gourmet Recipe Ideas
By Claire Holzman, contributing writer
As this first month of the New Year unfolds, many of us will crystallize our New Year resolutions. As I am rolling (literally and figuratively) out of the holidays, I am craving lighter fare; vegetable-packed soups and tender fish. In the spirit of the New Year, I have made it my resolution to pick up one new gourmet food item every time I am at Dean & DeLuca. I challenge you to do the same.
Try new foods. Be adventurous. Expand your palette. You may have your repertoire of go-to recipes and staple pantry items, but discovering new products can enhance your diet and dinner menus.
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Jan 11.10 /
Recipes: Everyday / by
Claire
