Something I have been trying to say for a long time was just handed to me by our Tea goddess, Winnie Yu.

Tea has no place in a commercial world where the value of things are based solely on monetary gain, for It becomes just another beverage competing with the soft drinks, bottled water, coffee, for gross margins and shelf presence. The value of tea, especially good tea, is subtle and sometimes downright profound, and no price tag can mark its true worth. How can you attach a price to a real experience?

Tea has no place in a world where experiences are fed to us, clothed in the guise of authenticity. Once, while trekking in a tea mountain, a friend remarked to me:" this is like a theme park, the theme is tea, except the thrills are real. You really can fall off the cliff! " Unfortunately for many of us, living so remotely away from the authentic, we have no way of comparing our experiences. How do we know that vanilla scented tea is not really how good tea is supposed to smell, and that the subtle wonderful aromas of real tea has been completely obscured by the artificial application of citrus scenting? It is like mistaking a shadow for the person, a greeting card for a friend, a movie for an adventure.

To me, the bevy of artificially blended teas in the marketplace today obscure the true essence of what tea is about. Tea is about authenticity, a deep revelatory experience. Upfront aromas that assault our senses merely disguise what is not there, and often, perfumes cover up the lower quality black teas that are mass produced. There is no soul in mass produced products. Tea, for its long thousands of years of history, has always been produced mostly by hand, from harvesting in the field to rolling tender leaves to shape, to crafting the final baking over charcoal fire heat. The spirit of the tea master lives through each cup of tea.

Often, what is most valuable to us is the simplest. Air, water, earth. What we do pay for the most, we probably don’t need to survive with. Has anyone purchased a five hundred dollar handbag lately? Or a thousand dollar gadget that becomes obsolete in a year? A cup of tea is created simply from adding water to leaves. Its intrinsic values are not apparent to the naked eye.

Real, authentic teas offer a real, authentic experience. Its physiological effects include waking the mind, keeping it alert and focused, the breadth of healthful effects well documented in ancient herbal medicine as well as modern science. By keeping our bodies healthy, our minds clear, our discovery of where tea can take us is infinite.

Real tea has an ability to move us, with endless complexities often revealed in layers over time. The varieties of flavors and aromas that lead to sensations, feelings, and lingering aftertastes in your palate are endless permutations of enjoyment. It is no wonder that poetry after poetry the simplicity of tea was praised, for in simplicity is where the meaningful life is reflected.

To me, the true value of tea is its ability to ground us- I can always rely on it to return me to the most valuable aspects of life, the call of artificially created frustrations receding quickly into the background. I land into emerald green terraces on vertical hills , shrouded in misty fog, as the swallows zip by and the fiercely gentle breeze fluff the tea leaves and the aroma floats for miles. The world returns to us via a cup of tea, the great treasure that already lies within us.

The teas that we carry here at Salumiere Cesario are of the highest quality and are hand picked by real people, often the same people who grow it. All of the teas are vintage teas, yes just like wine the have a season and vintage. We care a lot about what we do and what we carry, come in and see why our teas are real.

Wheelin' Walla Walla

For those of you that live outside of Walla Walla, this may or may not be the most exciting thing you read today. For those of you in Walla Walla, just skip ahead a bit. . .
There is, right now, in Walla Walla a car show going on. This is your standard middle aged men with gussied up old cars, so are trying to re-live their glory days, some are just trying. Now please do not misunderstand here. I love cars. I love old cars and I have a very high admiration for anyone who can take an old clunker and turn it into a tricked out hot rod. My father was one of those people. He tried to teach me, but to no avail. Sorry Dad, it wasn't you it was me. My brother, on the other hand followed in my fathers footsteps with cars, he always was kind of a suck up. . .

So what does this have to do with gourmet food and cheese? Nothing. I just wanted to turn my musings into something for you to do on a Saturday afternoon. But now that you mention it, we do have some very good cheese right now. Fresh bread too. We have made a fresh batch of hummus (Beth are you hearing this?), and some tapenade. Now, our tapenade is different than all those other ones you've had. I'd even venture to say the best you'll ever have, at least with wine. To see what I am talking about you're gonna have to come down and get a taste. And please don't ask what's in it, it's an ancient Chinese secret...Cheers.

Fair and Frontier Days!

Shoot dern. Well it's fair time here in Walla Walla again, that means Demolition Derbies, Rodeos, and a really good chance that your are going to get sick eating fair food. OK, maybe that is just a little too pessimistic for a Friday. But let's just say that I am a little afraid after that green hot dog incident last year. . .

Anyway, we have just set up our new olive oils at our Olive Oil Bar and are hoping that it will give you a good excuse to host a party this weekend (and maybe save you from eating at the fair). We have two new olive oils to choose one from Spain and one from Tunisia. The Spanish oil is a buttery, fruity, olive oil perfect for both cooking and finishing. The Tunisian oil is the colour of green apples with a light citrusy flavour, and it's 100% Organic. Great for salads, cooking and even just as a condiment, both are of exceptional quality and make a great addition to our bar and your kitchen. Come in today and try them. Cheers.

Foodies and the demise of the "home cook"

A while back I mentioned the I HATE, yes HATE (notice the all caps to give weight and power to this) the term FOODIE. NY Times Magazine write Michael Pollan has a very interesting article/essay about this.

(Now, I am the person who gives credit where credit is due, especially if I am ripping it off from someone else, so please head over to Michael Ruhlman's blog and check out his perspective and a link to the article.)

I do not consider my self a "foodie" but rather a fooder. Yes, Trekkie/trekker (just to make things clear I am in the Trekkie camp) what is the difference? With food it seems to me that the difference is in the level of participation. A foodie is a person having an avid interest in the latest food fads, so sayeth Webster. I.e. they don't REALLY get involved in it.

A foodie is concerned with fads and trends and what the celebrity chefs are doing. I have actually had people tell me that I was doing something wrong because that was not what they saw "so and so" do on TV. Seriously. A fooder, doesn't care about who does what. They care about food and doing the best they can, with the best that is available.

I am not interested in the latest food "fads", I couldn't care less. What I do care about is how food affects us and how it can change us for better or worse. How something as simple as a hot baguette can evoke such a profound change upon ones mood and feeling of well being. How eating something that is poorly made from poor ingredients can actually cause the body to go into depression.

There is one part that I am going to quote (please don't sue me):
"Isn’t there any way we can bring America back to the days of Julia and the pleasures of cooking, Pollan asks? Balzer says, “Not going to happen. Why? Because we’re cheap and lazy. And besides, the skills are already lost. Who’s going to teach the next generation to cook? I don’t see it.” This was the defining statement that prompted me to write about this again. And I am torn here.

On one hand I believe Balzer, that we are CHEAP and LAZY. That we will continue to buy frozen waffles, cheese sticks, and salad in a bag. The other hand tells me that there are many people out there who have discovered the pleasure of cooking, and are trying things out success or failure.

When you go to the store do you care about the food you buy? Is the only word you look for ORGANIC? Is price the underlying factor? Do you look for the quick solution rather than find something truly wholesome? DO you go to the store with an idea of what you are going to make or do you go and see what is fresh before deciding? This is the difference between foodies and fooders. A foodie wants to make what Mario just made on TV, seasons be damned! Just because it is the middle of winter in North Dakota who says you can't have Caprese salad? A fooder, on the other hand, searches out the best ingredients available that day. What no Filet Mignon? But you have chuck steak. Ok, then we'll figure something out. No arugula, how about a wedge salad with homemade blue cheese? Or sliced cucumbers with a quick dressing?

Food at its worst is just calories, sustenance for the muscles. At its best its is nourishing for mind, body and spirit. Yes I said that. Think about some of the best meals you've had. The ones that left you truly satisfied. Probably not that expensive and I would venture to say 6 out of 10 were eaten in someone's home. Now how many of those did YOU make?

The cost of an egg. . .

This is a BAG. Where I will go off on a tangent about something that I find that needs to be seen, heard or discussed by all of us. If you do not want to involve yourself, now is the time to navigate away from this page. Feel free to come back on a day when I am not bagging.

What you are about to read is a bit violent and to some degree horrifying, again now is the time to navigate away if you do not wish to know the truth.

This story appeared on my news feed today:
Video shows chicks ground up alive at egg hatchery

It seems that while breeding chicks to become egg layers, there must be some "weeding out" of those that are not of the egg laying variety, i.e. males.
Now, please do not misunderstand, I am not a vegan, a vegetarian, an Eco terrorist or any other variety of animal rights extremist. That is not to say that anyone who takes animal rights as a personal passion is an extremist or some kind of loony. I have great respect for those who put others first. But I have a serious problem here. These animals are "instantaneously euthanized" by being tossed into a grinder, because they are too difficult to raise as meat animals. Seriously? In an industry where animals are stacked in 1 foot by 1 foot cages sometimes 10 high, and it is too expensive to raise them? Let us hope that we are all not this expendable someday.

There is a video that goes along with the story (http://www.mercyforanimals.org/hatchery), I warn you it is QUITE disturbing. The Diary is also something to read, it too is disturbing. One quote from this should really get you to take notice. If you are a dog owner, as I am, it might be time to look into your particular brand of dog food: "The plant manager told me that the ground-up male chicks were used in dog food and fertilizer". This is why I make most of my dogs food at home.

Times are tough. Many people are out of work. Money needs to go farther, but if we allow things like this to go on, is it worth it? 150,000 dead chicks at one plant every day for 25 cents an egg? What is an egg worth to you? What SHOULD it be worth?

The full article can be found here:http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_EGG_HATCHERY_INVESTIGATION?SITE=MOSTP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT

Just arrived a few minutes ago, and already out on the shelves the following items:
Mozzarella di buffalo, yes real cape buffalo milk imported from Italy and in hot demand we only have 12 balls for the week.
Taleggio Imported from Italy this is the real deal. If you have never tried it I would suggest you get here soon.
Sea Stack from Mt. Townsend Creamery in Port Townsend, WA a soft cow's milk cheese dusted with ash and sea salt.
Fleur Vert a fresh, soft goat's milk cheese from France covered with Tarragon and pink pepper corns.
Roquefort the roquefort that we carry is different than others, hand made, aged in granite caves and not too salty, with a creaminess that will blow your mind, seriously.
Fra'Mani Pate both Mousse and Campangola. These are the BEST pates out there. Trust me.
Fra'Mani Sopressata, Toscano, Gentille and Nostrano. all hand made by chef Paul Bertolli. Some of the best salumi being made in this country today.
Rusticella Pasta we have the orzo back in stock, great for summer pasta salads and more of the potato gnochi as it seems to be a big hit. We have also just received our first shipment of ANELLINI. These are small ring shaped pastas. One of our customer from the Tri Cities requested this and here you go.
This is just a short list of what we received in this morning, so come on down and check it out. Cheers.

Bruschetta

Today is Thursday August 20, 2009. Tomato season is in FULL SWING now. We have some lovely locally grown tomatoes that we have received and today I am making bruschetta.

For those of you that don't know bruscetta is toasted slices of bread. I know, toast, why can't they just call it toast? Because BRUSCHETTA sounds sooo much cooler. Think about it, if I offered you toast with tomato, you'd probably say "thanks, I'm OK, no." But if someone offers you Bruschetta then it's like "hell yes!"

So toasted bread rubbed with a little fresh garlic with some Italian tomato salsa? or Bruschetta pomodoro? Either way we're making it in store to day and with the heat that the weather dudes are predicting, I'd say either way sounds like a pretty tasty lunch or snack. Add a little glass of wine or beer and its a party in your mouth! OK, maybe not a party, but still, good times. . .good times. Cheers.