 |
|
| |
Next Issue: |
"Cobblers, Crisps,
and Crumbles" |
Store Information |
Store Hours:
Monday - Saturday
10 a.m. - 9:30 p.m.
Sunday
11 a.m. - 6 p.m.
Calhoun Square
3001 Hennepin Ave.
Minneapolis
(612) 824-4417
(888) 824-4417
|
Kitchen Window Services |
|
|
|
|
Equipment Rental |
For weddings, graduations, birthdays, anniversaries, company parties
-- or just because!
Outdoor Paella Party
Let Kitchen Window help you create a one-of-a-kind outdoor party experience for you and your guests at your office or in your backyard. We personalize our services to fit your style – and your budget.
Our Rental options:
- Easy -- Rent the Party Kit
- Easier -- Party Kit & Pre-Prepped Ingredients
- Easiest – Hire our Chef
In Spain, paella is traditionally cooked over an open flame. Fire up the outdoor burner and cook up an impressive version of this Spanish classic featuring shellfish, chorizo and other authentic ingredients. With a selection of tapas and dessert, all you need to add is a little Flamenco music. Kitchen Window carries paella pans in a range of sizes, from 8 inches to 52 inches. Made of carbon steel, the pans are great for all types of outdoor cooking. Try them for fish fries, Dutch pancakes or grilled sandwiches. Kit includes paella pan, stand and burner.
more info
|
Kitchen Window Online |
|
Kitchen Window
is now on Facebook
|
|
|
|
|
|
 Plan some fun with a cooking class at Kitchen Window! We have an incredible line-up of topics, menus and instructors. With hundreds of choices, a Kitchen Window cooking class makes a great outing with friends and family, as well as a wonderful date night.
Celebrating Local Harvest with CSA - #3187 – Thursday, August 12 -- 6:00 p.m.
Hay River Farm Tour - #3188 – Saturday, August 14 -- 11:00 a.m.
I Scream You Scream - #3189 – Sunday, August 15 -- 1:00 p.m.
Pickling for Summer Antipasti - #3190 – Monday, August 16 -- 6:00 p.m.
Party BBQ: Jamaica - #3191 – Tuesday, August 17 -- 6:00 p.m.
View All Cooking Classes You may register for any of our classes any time of day
|
|
|
|
Check out what happening at Kitchen Window
during Uptown Art Fair!
- Watch grilling demos and get complimentary samples at our Grill Tent on Hennepin Avenue.
- Try the almost-famous Kitchen Window Paella at our Paella Booth on Hennepin Avenue.
- Get a break from the heat in our new Cooking School. Wine and beer available for purchase.
- Visit our new Cooking School Patio for complimentary grilling demos and samples.
- And don’t forget to stop in our store for promotional sales, demos and samples.
|
Featured Jam & Jelly Items |
There's great satisfaction in making your own jellies and jams. Perhaps you have a berry patch, or access to an apple tree that begs for your attention. Contrary to popular belief, just a few tools are needed to make homemade jams and jellies -- you'll find our suggestions pictured throughout this e-newsletter.
|
Knife of the Month - August |
KNIVES OF THE MONTH
Wusthof Trident 5" Serrated Tomato or Brunch Knife
The Wusthof 5 inch Tomato Knife is a bestseller and a great addition to your cutlery collection. The serrated edge can slice through tomatoes, sausages, crusty breads or pastries, and the unique fork tip allows you to serve your slices with ease. The Wusthof Classic 5 inch brunch & sausage knife is a great multipurpose knife. Its serrated edge slices through tomatoes, crusty bread, sausages, breakfast pastries and more.
Trident Classic 5" Tomato or Brunch
Suggested Retail $90 THIS MONTH $59.99
Trident Classic Ikon 5" Tomato or Brunch
Suggested Retail $115 THIS MONTH $79.99
Price valid in-store only
|
|
 |
|
|
|
|
COUPON
20% Off Any Food Mill or
Water Bath Canner
{THIS COUPON IS VOID}
Please subscribe to our newsletter to receive our next coupon
Limit one coupon per customer number and one per household.
Offer expires August 19, 2010
|
|
|
|
|
|
Carrying fresh fruit flavor forward takes many forms. Each option allows the fruit’s full flavors to be captured and preserved for use on our morning toast, filling pastries, glazing meats, or complementing cheeses. Different terms define specific fruit preserves:
Jam – Crushed fruit along with its sweetened juices comprise jam. Its ideal consistency is a soft spread where a spoonful holds its shape somewhat, though is still easily spread. Jams typically feature one fruit without any spices or other flavor additions.
Jelly – Juice is extracted from fruit, sweetened, and gelled naturally, or with the addition of pectin. The result is a clear product that holds its shape until spread. Good jelly sparkles in color and clarity, without any cloudiness, and also spreads easily.
Preserves – While often a generic term, “preserves” also has a specific definition when speaking of fruit. Fruit preserves refer to whole or chunks of fruit suspended in a heavy syrup or fruit jelly. In this form, the fruit is often used as a topping or pie filling.
Marmalade – Most common with citrus fruits, marmalade consists of a soft, clear jelly with pieces of fruit expertly suspended throughout. Many marmalades include the citrus peel which yields a desirable bitter taste contrasted with the jelly’s sweetness.
Conserves – A bit more complex, conserves are a sweet sauce made from one or more fruits along with a dried fruit, (raisins, dried cherries, etc.), and nuts (almond, walnuts, pecans, etc.). The right conserve mix is a divine accompaniment to meats or as a stand-alone condiment.
Butters – Fruit butters are similar to fruit jams, but have an added dimension. Fruit butters are sieved and pureed into an even consistency, then slowly cooked. The added cooking concentrates the fruit’s flavors to a rich depth. Butters often carry less sugar than jams, and may include spices.
|
|
Kitchen Window's Local Eats - Exclusive Dining Deals |
  Sen Yai Sen Lek
If you haven’t been to Sen Yai Sen Lek yet, now is the time is to check it out. The bright, fresh flavors of authentic Thai cuisine are perfect for these hot summer nights. The restaurant has won all kinds of best-of awards, including Best Thai food, Best New Restaurant and even the Thai Select Award (recognition from government of Thailand). But what we love most about Sen Yai Sen Lek is its heart. For owners Holly and Joe Hatch-Surisook, Sen Yai Sen Lek is more than a restaurant – it’s a family business dedicated to environmental and social responsibility. They actively build relationships with local farmers, growers and producers to source local ingredients whenever possible. The result is not only a menu of the freshest, best tasting ingredients around, but a sense of community that comes through in your dining experience. When you walk into Sen Yai Sen Lek, you feel welcome. The restaurant’s atmosphere is warm, lively and inviting with bright colors, comfortable tables and origami cranes hanging from the ceiling. The family’s sense of pride in the restaurant is apparent, and as a diner, you feel happy to be a part of it. Here at Kitchen Window, we know Joe Hatch-Surisook well – he brings his expertise and enthusiasm to our cooking school a few times a year, and his sell-out classes always earn rave reviews. His specialty is authentic Thai cuisine from the Isaan region, spicy hot dishes that feature fresh meats and vegetables served with sticky rice. We talked to Joe to find out what we should try from his menu during these Dog Days of Summer. Here are his recommendations: Miang Kam (lettuce wraps with toasted coconut, lime, onion, ginger, dried shrimp, peanuts and Thai chilies with a salty-sweet shrimp sauce); Som Tum and Neua Dat Deow (green papaya salad and sweet dried coriander beef); Pad Prik Khing (long bean stir fry with kaffir lime leaves and Fischer Farm pork). And if you stop in within the next thirty days, he’ll give you $5.00 off your purchase of $25.00 or more.
|
|
-------COUPON-------
Receive $5.00 Off
Any Purchase of $25.00 or More
Limit one coupon per table. Offer valid through 9/5/10.
Sen Yai Sen Lek
2422 Central Avenue
Minneapolis, MN 55418
612-781-3046
www.senyai-senlek.com
HOURS:
Mon.-Thurs.: 11 a.m. -9 p.m.
Fri & Sat: 11 a.m.-10 p.m.
Sun: Closed
|
|
|
The science behind successful jams and jellies is relatively simple. Understanding some of what is happening in the process will enable you along the way and build successful results.
Jams, jellies, and their cousins, are thickened fruit by definition. The slight gelling of the cooked fruit allows it to be spreadable yet hold its own as opposed to a liquid juice. Achieving the ideal gelled state is the primary trick in mastering the craft of homemade jams and jellies.
Gelling occurs thanks to pectin. Pectin is a naturally occurring substance in plants that helps to give them their structure. Pectin is present in every land plant, and especially prevalent in fruits and seeds. Some fruits have a lot of pectin, others a moderate amount, and some very little.
The process of making jam and jelly centers around coaxing the pectin from the fruit. Once released, the pectin will firm up juice or crushed fruit to the desired consistency. Pectin is released from the fruit under three conditions: (1) the right amount of sugar, (2) the proper acidic condition, and (3) with the help of heat.
Too Little, Too Much – Balance is key when making jellies and jams. The amount of sugar used must match the amount of pectin held in the fruit. The acidic balance must be present. Too little heat, and the sugar will not dissolve, water will not be evaporated, and enzymes that inactivate pectin are not disabled. Too much heat or overcooking, and the natural pectin will be debilitated.
How to Know What’s Right – Fortunately, there are generations of cooks before us that have experimented with different fruits and various proportions. Follow their lead! Use a reputable recipe and follow its instructions. Do not improvise on the amount of sugar, the volume of fruit, the quantity of acidic ingredient, or the cooking times.
Is It Ready? – Our featured author recommends testing the pectin content of cooking mixtures by using the spoon test. Dip a clean teaspoon in the cooked fruit, lift, and tip the spoon’s contents back into the pan. If the drops are fall slowly and appear thick, the jam or jelly is ready. Better yet, use an instant-read thermometer. When the mixture has reached 230-235°F (soft ball stage), it’s ready. Jams and jellies will continue thicken as they cool. |
|
|
|
Why make your own jam or jelly? There’s great satisfaction in mastering a new skill, or reconnecting with an old proficiency. With your own crafted jars you are able to buy or harvest locally, control what goes in your food, and enjoy the flashback to summer available with each bite.
For additional details on preserving jams and jellies, and other foods, check out this USDA website resource. |
|
Kitchen Window Smart Jam & Jelly Making Tips |
Tip #1: Fruits that are perfectly ripe, or even under-ripe, gel more easily than fruits that are over-ripe. Our featured cookbook recommends using “three parts just-ripe fruit to one part underripe, avoid overripe fruit altogether.” Overripe fruit has less acidity and less pectin.
Tip #2: Small batches of jam or jelly work better and gel more reliably than larger batches. Larger batches take longer to evaporate and the lengthened cooking time breaks down the pectin.
Tip #3: What if the fruit is ready, but you aren’t. Freeze the bounty until you’re ready to make the jam or jelly. By waiting, there’s the added bonus of cooler weather and a more comfortable kitchen.
Tip #4: Stored canned jams and jellies in a cool, dry, dark place in order to preserve their appearance and flavor. Store opened (or inadequately sealed) jars of jam in the refrigerator.
Tip #5: No time or interest in making your own jam or jelly? We have dozens of jars ready to go in our gourmet food section.
|
|
 |
Q: What is pectin? Must I buy it?
A: Pectin is a natural food product extracted and concentrated from rich sources such as apples and citrus fruits, especially their peels. It is generally available in powdered or liquid form. Pectin occurs naturally in many fruits and is not required for jams and jellies, though some find it helpful. It has a shelf life, so check expiration dates.
Q: What is refrigerator jam? What is freezer jam?
A: Both refrigerator jam and freezer jam are basically jam without the process of canning in a hot water bath. The preserves are kept fresh through the chilled temperatures instead of through a vacuum process. Both jam methods are ideal for small batches. Use a jar of refrigerator jam within a month.
Q: What types of jars should I use for jam and jelly making?
A: If you plan to can your product, use mason jars that are specifically built of the proper glass and have metal lids and rings that match the jar exactly. The jars must withstand boiling water, and the closures must form a strong seal. Jars and rings may be used over and over again, but lids must be new each time.
Q: Should I use a water bath canner or a pressure canner to can?
A: There are two ways to can – in a bath of boiling water or with pressure canner. With both, you surround your jars with very hot water to create a vacuum seal. In a hot water bath, the water will only get up to boiling temperature – 212F, a temperature sufficient to create a vacuum, but not to kill every microorganism in the jar. When canning foods with high acid content, 212F is fine because the acid will kill the microorganisms. But low-acid foods require a temperature of at least 240F to kill harmful spores and bacteria that can cause spoilage. With a pressure canner, you can increase the temperature of the water above 212F because it is sealed and it traps in the steam created by the boiling water. Steam temperatures can get as high as 260F, and that creates an environment that sterilizes low-acid foods.
|
|
|
The Joy of Jams, Jellies, and Other Sweet Preserves by Linda Ziedrich. Published by Harvard Common Press, Boston, MA. Copyright 2009.
This recent publication revives the secrets of making traditional jam, jelly, and many other sweet preserves. There is a whole generation, or maybe two, that missed learning this culinary craft at the side of their grandmother – this book fills in the gap by combining traditionally knowledge with today’s ultra-modern kitchens and lifestyles. The author writes in an accessible style and includes over 200 tried, true, and tested recipes for honing jam and jelly making skills. The recipes focus on natural jams and jellies without the need for store-bought pectin or jelly kits. The book is organized logically with a chapter for each type of fruit. After all, as the author points out, contrary to finding a recipe then buying the ingredients, with jams and jellies it’s the ingredients that come first with a recipe found secondarily. She patiently details the nuances of assembling the preserves and carefully explains the canning process. A great troubleshooting guide is included. Working with the book, we felt enabled and confident in our abilities for making the most of the jam season ahead. |
Three Simple Fruit Preserves Recipes |
|
Peach Jam
View recipe
One of our summer favorites in any form, peaches are very cooperative in transforming into jam. With just three ingredients, peaches, sugar, and lemon juice, the fruit is bubbled into a thick mixture. The taste was bright, full of concentrated peach flavor. We enjoyed it on our English muffin, and look forward to trying it as a seafood glaze sometime soon.
|
|
|
Blackberry Jelly
View recipe
Blackberries and their cousins arrive in waves throughout the summer. Fortunately, we were ready with this recipe when a flush of berries came our way. The juice was easily extracted from the berries and the jelly easily formed with the berries’ natural pectin, sugar, and a little lemon juice for brightness and acidity. Amazingly delicious!
|
|
|
Apple Butter
View recipe
A bit precocious since apple season is still ahead of us, we experimented with this apple butter recipe because its always one of our fall favorites. The apples are cored, quartered, and cooked; no need to laboriously peel each fruit. The apple puree is gently cooked into a very concentrated form and lightly spiced. The result was a rich, intense flavor experience. |
|
|
|
Share this email with a friend or invite someone to join you for a cooking class.
|
| |
Enjoy the seasonal bounty and "put up" some summer for later!
From all of us at Kitchen Window
Kitchen Window
Calhoun Square - 3001 Hennepin Ave.
Minneapolis, MN 55408
612-824-4417 -- 888-824-4417
|
| |
|
We’ve hit that time of year when gardens, farmers’ markets, and grocers are bursting with fresh produce. Our trugs, baskets, and market bags are filled with colorful choices and healthful inspiration. August is about to fly by as one crop peaks, quickly replaced by the next prize. It’s nearly too much of a good thing! If only we could stretch a bit of summer into the cooler months ahead….
