Bi-Rite Blog


 
Raph

Sweet Treats for Mama

May 10th, 2012 by Raph

Mother’s Day is Sunday, just around the corner!  We have some delicious treats in stock, this week only and while supplies last, that would make special gifts for Mom.

We suggest:

Robert Lambert Mother’s Day Fruitcakes, $34.99/16 oz: This cake is much like the Winter Fruitcake that we carry for the Holidays, but with a few substitutions in the lineup of fruits and nuts. Walnuts instead of hazelnuts, and a decidedly tropical turn with dried pineapple and mango added to the cherries and nectarines, all plumped in papaya and guava nectar. Yuzu (Japanese lime) and Celebes papeda (a kind of pommelo) peels join Meyer lemon, Rangpur lime and blood orange peels  for a citrusy kick.  The batter is similar to the White Fruitcake, but with papaya and guava nectar instead of orange juice, and scented with cardamom, cinnamon and vanilla.  And finally, the soaking cognac is infused with the rare, fragrant Shekwasha citrus peel. Topped with a beautiful spring flower, this fruit cake is sure to banish all thoughts of cedar boughs and holly!

Chocolat Moderne Unconditional Love, $14.99/5pc clear round available in white or dark chocolate and $39.99/12pc coral box available in dark chocolate: Thank Mom for all her years of unconditional love with this truffle collection.  Assortments include combinations of the following:

  • Soft passion fruit caramel infused with a hint of cardamom
  • Poire Williams pear and Eau de Vie caramel
  • White chocolate ganache with Japanese matcha green tea
  • White chocolate ganache with coconut milk, toasted shredded coconut dark Haitian rum
  • Crushed, toasted pistachios with white chocolate and rice crisps
  • Crushed, toasted macadamia nuts blended with white chocolate and candied ginger

Michael Recchiuti Butterfly Motif Box, $19.99/8pc: Eight of Recchiuti’s signature burnt caramel truffles decorated with whimsical butterfly images that are sure to delight Mom.

Michael Mischer Mother’s Day Box, $16.99/6pc or $29.99/12pc: Give Mom the gift of Michael Mischer’s blissful truffles.  The Mother’s Day collection includes lavender, salted caramel, dark chocolate, cherry, hazelnut, and coconut truffles.

Maison Bouche Macarons, $14.99: Inspired by the classic French pastries, this collection boasts interpretations in flavored chocolate arranged as a quartet (eight halves) in an embossed basket-weave box.  Available in either dark chocolate strawberry or milk chocolate peach & rum.

Theo’s Spring Confection Collection, $18.99/8pc: Featuring flavors that suggest the freshness of the season, Theo’s 8-piece spring collection contains both ganache and caramel confections: award-winning Pearl Jasmine Ganache, Honey Saffron Caramel, Lime Coriander Ganache, Lemon Ganache, Mint Ganache, Pink Salted Dark Caramel, and Coffee Milk Caramel.

Vosges Mama’s Chocolate Craving Kit, $24.99/9/.5oz bars: This gift set provides a chocolate bar to match every mother’s needs – savory, spicy, sweet, salty, sour, energy, digestive and Indian.  Here’s how those flavors break down: Red Fire (cinnamon), Naga (curry), Black Pearl (ginger), Barcelona (almonds), Oaxaca (guajillo & pasilla chili peppers), Mo’s Milk Bacon (Applewood smoked bacon), Amalfi (lemon zest + pink peppercorns + white chocolate, Bapchi’s Caramel Toffee, Woolloomoolo).

Vosges Petite Clementine & Ginger Botanical Toffee, $11.99/4oz: Sweet buttery toffee laced with ginger confit, lime & rooibos tea, enrobed in dark chocolate and garnished with clementine.

Posted in Grocery | No Comments | Article Page



 

Mother’s Day Menu + Wine Suggestions

May 9th, 2012 by rosie

Available Saturday May 12th and Sunday May 13th

Printable Mother’s Day Menu

From the Kitchen

Quiche Lorraine (six-inch) $10.99/each Serves 2
With Gruyere and House-made Bacon

Poached Prawns$24.99/lb
With Eddy’s cocktail sauce

Herbed Potato Salad$5.99/lb
Baby potatoes, fine herbes, Dijon vinaigrette

Roasted Beet, Feta and Shaved Red Onion Salad $7.99/lb
Red beets, Bulgarian feta, lemon vinaigrette

Seasonal Fruit Salad $5.99/lb
includes Berries, Pineapple, Cantaloupe, Mango

Grilled Asparagus with Shaved Manchego and Marcona Almonds $10.99/lb

Fresh Dungeness Crab Meat $34.99/lb

Printable Mother’s Day Menu

For a perfect toast for Mom, try one of Trac’s suggestions:

Celine & Laurent Tripoz Fleur d’Aligoté 2008 $19.99 – Fleur is French for flowers and what better way to celebrate Mother’s Day than with a “bouquet” of sparkling Aligoté, a white grape from Burgundy. This sparkling is delicious, with fresh butter aromatics along with lily and ham notes. It has flavors of lemon-curd and great bubble structures. A fresh and vibrant wine, Fleur de’Aligoté will make your mom sparkle with joy!

Maison Lillet Lillet Rosé $19.99 — For the first time in 50 years, we have a new Lillet and it’s pink! Lightly sweet and herbacious, Lillet Rosé is fabulous mixed with sparkling water or on the rocks.

Posted in Menus: Seasonal & Holiday, Prepared Foods | No Comments | Article Page



 

Early Bird Gets the Bottle!

May 7th, 2012 by Trac

You’ve waited patiently for our first Wine Blitz of the year, and it’s almost here, kicking off Thursday, May 17th and running through Sunday, May 20th. Now let us help you shorten the wait!

Here’s what we can do: if you come in for your case early this time around–the three days before the Blitz–we’ll throw in a complimentary bottle of our 18th St. Syrah along with the Blitz standard 20% off your case purchase. Not to mention the real plus, beating the Blitz crowds to have your pick of our wine selection! Visit us Monday, May 14th through Wednesday, May 16th, mention the word “WELLS” to our wine team, and we’ll make your case a baker’s dozen.

If you haven’t tried our 18th St. Syrah recently, it’s tasting great right now! Crafted by renowned winemaker Wells Guthrie of Copain Cellars in Sonoma, the 18th St. Syrah shows wonderful notes of smoke, blackberry, and pepper spices. Try it with lamb, venison, or grilled veggies; it might become an everyday staple.

Looking for a wine that we don’t carry? Let us know! We’re happy to place special orders for the Wine Blitz — the sooner we hear from you, the easier it is to source that hard to find case of wine! Email me with any questions or special orders. 

Posted in Wine, Beer & Spirits | No Comments | Article Page



 

SF Made Week: Yes, We Still Make Things Right Here in SF!

May 2nd, 2012 by Kirsten

Of all the organizations Bi-Rite is a member of, there may be none that feels as close-knit as SFMade, a group of San Francisco businesses who bring locally produced products to fruition, banded together as champions of our city’s vibrant manufacturing sector. Just today I was talking to a caramel maker (and SFMade member) who works out of a shared kitchen in the Dogpatch; she proudly listed off other small food artisans who work around her and how thankful she is to be surrounded by their productive energy every day. Given the challenges of operating a successful small business that can compete with larger, national (or international) ones, I probably shouldn’t be surprised to witness the enthusiasm of fellow SFMade members for the support of organization.

We (the Bi-Rite Family of Businesses) and other SFMade member businesses will be celebrating annual SFMade Day on May 12th, and SFMade Week from May 7th-13th. The organizers are giving us so many ways to celebrate local products and the people who make them:

  • Might I interest you in a cocktail party for 15, including appetizer platters and wine, catered by Bi-Rite Catering and delivered to your door? You can bid on that and more in SFMade’s Online Silent Auction.
  • Party at Speakeasy Brewery for their Ramp it Up! Poured, Shaken and Stirred speakeasy themed celebration of local artisanal beverages.
  • Take a tour of some of SF’s most well-known manufacturers–Ritual Coffee, Anchor Brewing, Timbuk2 and more.
  • Meet local sweet makers–Cocoa, Kika’s Treats, and Barbary Brix–and taste the Mission’s newest brewery, Southern Pacific Brewing (I can’t keep away from their gorgeous space, you’ve gotta check it out!)
  • Shop SFMadeDay: on May 12th, “keep your cash in the community” and shop with a local retailer selling SFMade products (here’s a map of participating businesses). We’re donating ten percent of our sales from that day (up to $500) to SFMade’s programs for local manufacturers.

The more SF Made businesses you’re able to support next week, the more you’ll be witness to our motto: “Yes, we still make things right here in San Francisco!”

Posted in Who We Are | No Comments | Article Page



 

Our Recipe to Make Mom Smile

April 26th, 2012 by Michael

Looking ahead to Mother’s Day on Sunday May 13th? Let us be your one-stop shopping spot: not only do our produce buyers Simon and Matt fill our sidewalk with beautiful flowers for the occasion (moms love flowers), but Kate on the grocery team has an amazing selection of chocolates to choose from (moms love chocolate), and Trac, our wine buyer, has wines to suit every taste (moms love wine). To keep up with the Joneses, we in the catering department have delicious spring specials for that perfect Mother’s Day brunch (moms love food)…

Rosé City!

Savory Tartlets with Fava Bean Puree, Olives, Lemon and Pecorino

Grilled Asparagus with Marcona Almonds and Shaved Manchego (moms love asparagus!) 

Bi-Rite Creamery’s Banana Cupcakes with Pecan Toffee Buttercream

Find these and more on our Peak of the Season Menu; give us a call (415–241-9760 x 1) or email us if you want to brainstorm an upcoming event together!

Posted in Catering, Grocery, Produce | No Comments | Article Page



 
Sarah F.

Cooking with Curds: Epoisses Cheesesteak

April 23rd, 2012 by Sarah F.

Dear die-hard Philly Cheesesteaker,

In sharing the following recipe I’m not claiming it to be a legit Cheesesteak–I know it would never be possible for me to uphold the standards of what I hear about “REAL Cheesesteak.” I simply love the sandwich and I love this cheese we call Epoisses (from the land of French washed rind cheeses).  As a serious cheese nerd (cheesemonger) “it’s my kinda cheesewiz.”  I hope that everyone can appreciate the idea because it turned out absolutely delicious.

Dear French,

I am in no way trying to belittle the perfection of Epoisses…I understand that its origin is Burgundian, and it is best paired with Pinot, a baguette and solitude… However, I think this is an amazing addition to the Cheesesteak.

Look what happens when France meets Philly…I like this relationship.

Cheers!

Epoisses Cheesesteak

(Makes 2 cheesesteaks)

½ wheel Epoisses cheese

½ pound sliced roast beef

2 red peppers

1 yellow pepper

2 yellow onions

1 lemon

1 head garlic

1 pound Cremini mushrooms

2 crusty sub rolls

chili flakes

salt

pepper

olive oil

1)   Preheat oven to 375°F.

2)   On a sheet tray rub down your whole yellow and red peppers with generous amounts of olive oil, salt & pepper.

3)   Roast peppers until done, approximately 20 minutes.

4)   Cut the stem side off your garlic to expose cloves.  Wrap with a large square piece of foil and generously rub with olive oil, salt, pepper and chili flakes. Twist foil to close and put in oven to roast with the peppers.

5)   Thinly slice onion into half-moons.  Heat pan, add olive oil, and caramelize onion slices.  Season with lemon, salt and pepper.

6)   Wash and slice mushrooms.

7)   In a separate pan add olive oil and heat until very hot, just before smoking. Add your sliced mushrooms and cook until they are brown and caramelized.  Add a pinch of chili flakes, salt and pepper to season.

8)   Once peppers are nice and roasted (dark color and soft) pull out and either with gloves or a towel remove the skin and seeds.  Julienne peppers.

9)   Combine caramelized onions, sautéed mushrooms and julienned roasted peppers in one pan.

10)  Turn on your broiler, and get plates ready.

11)  Partially split rolls, leaving them slightly connected.

12) Coarsely chop sliced roast beef.  Taste and lightly season if necessary.

13) Heat pan HOT, add oil, and add roast beef to crisp the tips.

14) Reheat vegetable mix if needed and add a generous amount to one side of the roll.  Next, place meat in the middle, and then top with Epoisses cheese.

15) Place sandwich under the broiler and watch the Epoisses heat and become even gooier and seep into the crispy meat. Yum!

16) Pull out of oven and enjoy!  You might want to share this one…it’s quite decadent!

 

 

 

 

Posted in Cheese, Meat, Fish & Poultry | No Comments | Article Page



 

Kiko’s Food News, 4.20.12

April 20th, 2012 by Kirsten

I’ll be trolling the food-scape of Korea and Japan for the next few Fridays, so I hope this longer-than-usual digest will sustain you on food news until my return…

Is it a sign that the challenges of our food system have hit a breaking point when academics deem their study worthy of a degree? (full story, NY Times)

An economist applies his strategic approach to eking out the best of what restaurants have to offer; his tips include “beware the beautiful, laughing women “, “order what sounds least appetizing on the menu” and “prefer Pakistani to Indian and prefer Thai to Vietnamese”: (full story, The Atlantic)

Two new studies challenge our beliefs about food deserts, finding that such neighborhoods actually have more grocery stores and restaurants than others (did they look at the quality of fresh food available in these stores?); they also found no relationship between the type of food sold in a neighborhood and obesity among its children: (full story, NY Times)

At least New York City’s authorities believe certain areas are in desperate need of fresh produce; since 2008 they’ve authorized 1,000 new permits for street vendors who sell only raw fruits and veggies as part of their Green Cart initiative: (full story, NY Times)

A growing “domestic fair trade” movement formally recognizes and rewards farms working to address social justice, and is pushing forward a new “Food Justice Certified” label for farms (such as Swanton Berry Farm in Santa Cruz, whose Chandler Strawberries are so tasty right now!): (full story, Civil Eats)

On the heels of the decision last month by the FDA to allow continued use of the chemical bisphenol-A (BPA) in food packaging, here’s a look at how exposure to BPA and other chemicals through food-contact plastics impacts our health: (full story, Washington Post)

Demand for chicken legs and thigh cuts is climbing as diners tire of white meat, TV cooking shows tout dark meat’s richer flavor, growing exports to foreign markets favor chicken on the bone, and rising US immigrant populations have a preference for dark meat: (full story, Wall Steet Journal)

I’m keeping my eyes on four new SF food businesses by the Flour + Water team–Central Kitchen (which will have a weatherproof back patio with hydroponic heating), Salumeria, Parlour bakery/café and Trick Dog bar–and found this diagram of how the block will be laid out helpful: (full story, Mission Local)

As a sucker for a dinner party, I have yet to try one of the online dinner party planning sites; the newest one acts as an organizer for a gathering–a place to list the menu, invite guests, and offset costs by adding a “chip-in” price: (full story, Tasting Table)

 

Posted in Eat Good Food, Who We Are | No Comments | Article Page



 

Register Recipe: Vieux Carré Cocktail

April 19th, 2012 by Mitch

Some products we carry have simple beginnings, like a granola that’s conceptualized in a guest’s home kitchen. Others have a more flamboyant history. Three hundred years ago, alchemist Dom Bernardo Vincelli created the recipe for what is known today as Bénédictine. The recipe was lost for some time until Alexandre Le Grand, a collector of religious art, stumbled upon it. Today, workers distill and age Bénédictine in a French palace-cum-factory.  Architect Camille Albert designed the palace to be Gothic and magnificent—but then it burned down 4 years later. It was rebuilt by a new architect, and is just as grandiose as before, with Gothic and Renaissance influences. Should you find yourself in Normandy, it’s certainly a sight to see.

As with most liqueurs, the recipe for Bénédictine is highly guarded, only known by a handful of people at one time. The distillers combine brandy with plants and spices from across the globe. Their website describes Bénédictine as having a “distinctive aroma of spices and citrus fruit, offering notes of crisp freshness, softened by a touch of honey.” Its unique flavor mixes well with other spirits, such as bourbon, vermouth and bitters.  It’s also wonderful on its own, served neat or with ice.

Apparently today’s cocktail has quite a following, as many of our guests and staff members have been excited to see us sharing the Vieux Carré.

Vieux Carré

(from benedictinedom.com)

1/2 part of Rye whiskey
1/2 part of Cognac
1/2 part of sweet vermouth
1 bar spoon Bénédictine
2 dashes Peychaud’s bitters
2 dashes Angostura bitters

Combine all ingredients in a rocks glass, add ice cubes, stir and serve.

Posted in Wine, Beer & Spirits | No Comments | Article Page



 
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