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12/31/2015  

Champagne Wishes and Caviar Dreams...
Celebrating the New Year  


Because New Year's Eve falls on a Thursday, we have four solid days to enjoy good company--and even better food. Why not take your celebration to the next level by serving caviar? Considered one of the most exclusive delicacies in the world, it might just be what 2016 is calling for!

We carry true caviar from two sources:

Lafayette Caviar Company Russian White Sturgeon for $69.99 per ounce, and Lafayette Caviar Company California Oscietra for $99.99 per ounce.

Calvisius Russian White Sturgeon for $69.99 per ounce and Calvisius California Oscietra for $99.99 per ounce.

If you are looking to add great flavor to dishes and dips, try Romanoff caviar-at a more economical price. We carry Romanoff Lumpfish Caviar, Vodka Lumpfish and Red Salmon Caviar. These fish are abundant in the Arctic waters. Their roe is salt-cured, and pasteurized for a longer shelf life.


 
 

Make your holiday celebrations sparkle.
Here are this year's Champagne recommendations, compiled by the Piedmont Grocery staff, and divided into three levels to suit a variety of budgets.

Low--A Selection from Chandon for $17.99
Chandon is a California sparkling wine pioneer. Every bottle of sparkling wine expresses their French heritage and innovative American spirit.

Chandon Brut Classic
Brut Classic consistently expresses our signature flavor profile of apple, pear and citrus flavors and aromas with a hint of spice that leads to a soft, dry finish.

Chandon Rose
In the glass, our Ros� is a pretty pink with intense ripe strawberry, juicy watermelon, and fresh red cherry fruit aromas and flavors. On the palate, this wine is creamy and seductive with a defined structure from the Pinot Noir added in its final stages

Chandon Blanc De Noirs
Characteristically marked by cherry, currant and strawberry aromas and flavors. These red fruit flavors build in the mid-palate and finish with a soft, lingering creamy texture.

Medium--Domaine Carneros 2011 Brut Cuv�e for $29.99
2011 was a cold late vintage; the long slow summer helped concentrate the flavors in our vineyard. It was yet another low yielding harvest of very fine quality.

The Brut Cuv�e is the signature wine of Domaine Carneros, and a classic sparkling wine. This powerful yet elegant wine shows off an array of citrus flavors, tropical fruit including pineapple and passion fruit, and a hint of toastiness. It is racy on the palate and long on finish.

High--Louis Rhoderer Brut Premier for $59.99
Striking a perfect balance between youthfulness and maturity, seduction and character, freshness and vinosity, Brut Premier is a champagne that is harmonious and structured, elegant and lively, with a unique exuberancy. Its structured texture, richness, and length are distinctly winey. It is a full, complex wine that is both rich and powerful, whilst remaining a great classic.

New! And something to shout about... 
These bake-at-home, all butter, puff pastry, Apple Turnovers are to die for. Try this warm to accompany a holiday breakfast or with ice cream for dessert. 
Boulangerie Solignac makes authentic French-style pastries based on family recipes that have been passed down by four generations of French chefs. These frozen pastries have no equal. And they are local.

Simply place on a lined sheet pan, bake, and let the apple turnover aroma seduce you.

Read More...


Whiskey is BIG this season.
And we've got some of the top whiskies available to the market at some of the best prices in town!

Knob Creek Bourbon for $25.99 per 750ml
Basil Hayden's Bourbon for $34.99 per 750ml
Booker's uncut, unfiltered Bourbon for $54.99 per 750ml
Four Roses Single Barrel Bourbon for $35.99 per 750ml
Elijah Craig 12 year Bourbon for $24.99 per 750ml

Not to mention a few ultra rare bottles from Jim Beam's Signature Craft Harvest Bourbon Collection: Soft Red Wheat, High Rye, and Whole Rolled Oat. All aged for 11 years-an incredible find considering most distillers weren't really distilling experimental whiskies 11 years ago. All for $29.99 per 375ml.
    

The holiday baking continues...and we just might keep on baking cookies till January 6th!

Here is a list of beautiful and delicious holiday cookies that we have been posting (one recipe per day) to our Facebook and Twitter feeds all through the month of December.

And you can find our list from last December, it is here. That's a lot of cookie recipes to choose from!

  
From the Cocktail Post
 
Happier New Year!


The Bloody Mary may be the perfect brunch cocktail, but it serves double-duty on New Year's Day after a night of celebration. Whether you're garnishing it with celery, pickled veggies or bacon, it can help set the morning right, and get 2016 off to a happy start.

 

As close to perfection as chocolate can get!
Guittard is our favorite chocolate for holiday baking and candy making. With its rich, creamy mouthfeel, genuine chocolate flavor, and smooth texture, we use it whenever our recipes call for chocolate-it takes your baking to new heights.

Guittard has been making chocolate locally...since the 1860s! Their tremendously high standards include a commitment to sustainability, fair trade, and working directly with small farmers.

We have but one warning...whatever you are purchasing, get at least double what your recipe calls for. We find it almost impossible not to "sample" away this delicious ingredient. We are currently carrying their baking bars, baking wafers, baking chips and cocoa powder. Oh, and of course their eating bars...delicious!
Read More... 

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

New Year's Eve brings Caviar to my mind. I am not alone in this. There is a glitz and glamour factor that just screams for something high-end and decadent. Search any cooking website for New Year's Eve dishes, and you will inevitably be shown a caviar tidbit.

This year caviar is even more popular-or maybe we are just more comfortable spending the extra money. I've seen it everywhere, and we have been selling more here at the store. Also, there are more varieties of caviar available, including caviar substitutes like vegan caviar made from seaweed. And then there is snail caviar. (Um, no. Just...no.)

The culture around serving caviar makes the intense wine enthusiast look normal by comparison. Special plates, special spoons, temperature controls. The process is, well, fussy but sort of cool in a I just want to be James Bond for one night kind of way. It is also necessary. Improper serving can make even the best caviar not taste very good.

To be honest, It took me a number of tries to actually like caviar. Sure, I faked it a few times 'cause I wanted to hang with the cool foodie kids. But then I got a taste of The Good Stuff and knew what the hubbub was about. The Good Stuff isn't fishy, and it pops in your mouth, and a little goes a long way-which is a good thing because it isn't cheap.

I suggest if you are going to shell out the money for some good caviar, (and you should even just once) serve it simply. Toast points or more traditional Blini topped with caviar and sour cream or cr�me fraiche is the way to go. For a caviar dip or caviar pie, you are better off using the less expensive product.
No matter which way you go, if you take the plunge, feel free to stop by our Wine and Spirits counter and ask for help. Dennis and Chris can help you make the right buying decision...

Caviar with Blini
Makes 40 Blini
 
Get the recipe...
 
In This Issue
Order Your Thanksgiving Turkey
Featured Product
Pie Month!
Caramel Nut Pie Recipe
The Cocktail Post
Vendor of the Month
Bar Nuts
Seven Days a Week
 
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9 AM to 8 PM

Sunday
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Visit our recipe blog to learn what Amy, our VP and resident foodie, is cooking up in her home kitchen.

Pommes Dauphinoise (Potatoes au Gratin)

Sticky Toffee Gingerbread

Classic Scottish Shortbread

Barley and Pine Nut Pilaf

Spinach Gratin

Pie Month 2015

Bar Nuts

Caramel Nut Pie
 
Beef Short Ribs Braised in Dark Beer with Bacon and Red Onions

Apple Cider Caramels

Slow-Cooker Chicken Mole

Pecan Bars

Sausage and Apples

Senate Bean Soup &
Gam's Navy Bean Soup


Rizzo e Zucca (Rice and Butternut Squash)

Baked Farro, Bacon and Butternut Squash

Baked Apple Dumplings

Granola Bar Cookies 

Curried Chicken and Apple Wraps 

Streamlined Baked Manicotti

Chicken Tamale Pie

Easy Vietnamese Coffee Ice Cream (No-Churn)

In Memory of Desmond Ritchie

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

Tian de Courgettes au Riz (Zucchini Tian)

Clam Chowder with Root Vegetables and Thyme

Lemon Meringue Pie

Jelly, Marmalade & Jam

Never-Fail Biscuits and Strawberry Freezer Jam

Black and Tan Sundae

Spinach Cobb Salad with Bacon, Blue Cheese, Avocado & Derby Dressing

Singapore Sling

Summer Pannini

Peach Cobbler
 
Canal House's Chicken Thighs with Lemon

Spicy Beer Marinated Flank Steak

Grilled Pork Chops with Sweet Lemongrass Marinade

Mexican Bulldog Margarita

Classic Ensenada Fish Tacos

Amy's Roast Chicken

Old Fashioned Chocolate Layer Cake
 
Crispy, Crackly Apple-Almond Tart

Cashel Blue, Spinach and Smoked Salmon Tartlets

Easy Self-Rising Biscuits

Classic Chicken Chow Mein

Julie & Julia's Bruschetta

Spicy Mushroom Tamales

Mush�room and Shallot Quiche

Amy's Gua�camole

Roasted Cauli�flower & Hazelnut Salad

Bach�elor Beef Stew

Crock Pot Oats & Amish Style Baked Oat�meal

Champagne Cocktail

Irish Coffee

Holiday Cookie Basket

Anise Cakes

Roasted Fresh Ham with Citrus and Rye

Christmas Butter Cookies

Gam's Apple Chutney

Pie Month

Autumn Salad with Apples, Comt�, and Hazelnuts

Deconstructed Holiday Turkey with Sage Gravy

Cornmeal-Crusted Crayfish Pies

Old-Fashioned Apple Cake with Brown Sugar Frosting

Three Soups!
Bonus Recipes


Apple, Onion and Cheddar Soup

Traditional French Cassoulet

Endive & Fuyu Persimmon Salad with Pecans

Double Cut pork Chops with Garlic Butter

Inside Out Pumpkin Muffins

Cock-A-Leekie Soup

Crab and Corn Pies with Corn Crab Sauce

Amy's Hummus