7/30/2015

World Grilling

We are big on BBQ at Piedmont Grocery.

And when we think of grilling, we usually default to the four main, Regional styles of Barbecue in the US. But outdoor grilling certainly did not start with the Pilgrims, and there is literally a world of amazing styles and flavors awaiting us if we look outside our national borders.

Here is a short list of staff recommendations that will do all the hard work of mixing sauces for you, and taste amazing. They are all worth experimenting with, and don't be shy about trying them on veggies.

Neera's Tandoori Paste
A rich, aromatic, and authentic marinade base for poultry, fish and vegetables. Taste the exotic flavors of East Indian cuisine right off your grill.

Whole Spice Moroccan Lamb Melange
This rub of fragrant spices and herbs includes cumin, coriander, paprika, nutmeg and ginger. It creates a crust of Moroccan flavor on a roast leg of American lamb. It doesn't stop there...try it with other meats too.

Lee Kum Kee chinese BBQ Sauce
The perfect sauce for barbecued baby back ribs, and nothing could be easier to use. It's a classic Chinese barbecue sauce perfect for marinating, baking, and barbecuing meat, chicken, or seafood.

Los Chileros Fajita Marinade Mix
Just mix with water to create a flavorful southwestern marinade for chicken, pork or beef. It's bursting with the flavors of chile, garlic, onion and Mexican spices.

Basque BBQ Sauce & Fish Marinade
Basque Fish Sauce works exceptionally well with salmon, halibut, sole, and red snapper. (It's also great with shellfish and even poultry.) Basque Fish Sauce is flavored with sherry and burgundy wines. And, one of our favorite marinades for steak, goat or lamb is Basque Meat Tenderizer and Barbecue Sauce. As it tenderizes the meat and implants a subtle tangy taste.

Grilled Pork Chops with Sweet Lemongrass Marinade

These pork chops are courtesy of Charles Phan's Vietnamese Home Cooking and they are fantastic. I love how the smell of the freshly chopped lemongrass lingers in my kitchen. Heaven!

I like to marinate the pork chops overnight in the fridge to give them as much flavor as possible. Getting them in the marinade the night before makes for a super-fast and easy mid-week dinner you can serve with steamed rice and some stir fried bok choy...or whatever floats your boat.

Get the Recipe...

The Japanese Grill: From Classic Yakitori to Steak, Seafood, and Vegetables

By Tadashi Ono and Harris Salat
Ten Speed Press Saunders

Yes, Grilling Is a Thing in Japan.

Although you may not associate grilling with Japanese food, the technique is definitely used. In this fantastic cookbook, chef Tadashi Ono of Matsuri restaurant in New York and food writer Harris Salat explore traditional Japanese grilling techniques and recipes like shioyaki (a salt-grilling method) and yakitori (twice-grilled meat and vegetable kebabs), and offer up the only Chicken Teriyaki recipe you'll ever need.

They prove that live-fire cooking marries perfectly with mouthwatering Japanese ingredients like soy sauce and miso. And also fuse many Japanese flavors with American-style grilling: Corn on the cob slathered with butter and mirin, and hamburgers with wasabi ketchup are sure to be hits at your next barbecue.

Outdoor Gourmet Cedar Grill Planks

Take Your BBQ To a New Level!

We love Outdoor Gourmet because their grilling products are 100% natural and free of any chemical additives. They use only food grade lubricants on their production equipment to ensure their wood is clean for cooking.

Cedar Grill planks are great because of their versatility, however we also carry their planks in other woods such as cherry and maple.

How To Grill Perfect Planked Salmon

Get the instructions...

Pimm's Cup

From the Cocktail Post

Tally-ho!!

Summer is here, and we're greeting it with a nice refreshing Pimm's Cup. This favored British classic is just a precursor to some delicious, refreshing spritzers and punches we've got coming your way in the weeks to come.

We're sure you'll all be delighted! Cheers!

Get the recipe...

Mitchell's Ice Cream

This old school, family run, San Francisco institution makes some of the best ice cream in the world!

Mitchell's makes small-batch, handmade, super-premium ice cream everyday in the back of their Mission District shop. They crank out an amazing array of rich and innovative flavors-specializing in tropical tastes like mango, baby coconut, purple yam and avocado.

Mitchell's Ice Cream opened for business in 1953. Larry and Jack Mitchell's goal was to make the very best ice cream in San Francisco. All their ice cream has 16% butterfat and superior ingredients. As the Mission changed and became more diverse, they began importing a variety of exotic fruit from the Philippines.

Stop by and see what flavors this Zagat-rated shop has dropped off in our freezer. It's what a ice cream should be.

Oakland Art & Soul Festival

Named Best Music Festival by the East Bay Express, and featuring the Oaktown Throwdown BBQ Competition.

Two sensational days of music, food, fun and art in downtown Oakland. Saturday and Sunday, August 1st and 2nd from 12 noon to 6 PM.

Get the details...

Chiles Anchos Rellenos de Queso
(Cheese-Filled Ancho Chiles)

From Amy and our "What's For Dinner Wednesday" recipe blog

Feliz Cumplea�os

My family is a bit different. I think we have well established that, but if we need any further proof, here it is...

I celebrated my 29th birthday (again) this past May, and my gift from my sister was a culinary tour of the Hispanic grocery stores, bakeries and butchers in Sonoma. Not your usual gift, but it totally beats a new sweater. It was typical us...and we had a blast.

Because of my Mexican food habit, I am no stranger to Hispanic grocery stores. In fact I shop at my local Mom and Pop all the time for the things we just don't carry here. (As much as I would love to have anything and everything, it's just not possible.) And for the warm tortillas...(My god, the warm tortillas!)

As a card carrying Foodie, or maybe because that's how I roll, I have never felt the intimidation that others in our tour group felt about shopping at one of these establishments. Granted, I feel pretty at home in grocery stores, but I always figured any language barrier could be solved by hand gestures at the least and a love of food at best. So it surprised me that some of the other food lovers among us were missing out on really great culinary experiences because of fear of looking out of place or unknowledgeable. The good news? That was resolved that afternoon.

The panaderias (bakeries) and the carnicerias (butchers) are a whole different world of new and interesting. Here you will find the legit pastries and cuts of meat that you won't find anywhere else-and the best thing is that, for the most part, the people who work there will happily explain how to prepare their products. We were given quite an education by the proprietors, and more than a few ideas for what to make for dinner.

We were also fortunate to enjoy lunch at a local restaurant, Rancho Viejo. If you are ever in Sonoma and looking for some place to stop and grab a bite, I definitely recommend it. The Cochinita Pibil (Pork slow cooked in Banana Leaves) was fantastic, as were the Chili Rellenos.

Chiles Anchos Rellenos de Queso (Cheese-Filled Ancho Chiles)
Serves six.

Get the recipe...

In This Issue

This Month's Cookbook pick

Chiles Anchos Rellenos de Queso (Cheese-Filled Ancho Chiles)

_________________

Quick Links

Sign-up for this Newsletter

This Week's Specials (Download the PDF)