We always try to have fresh products at home, but we are aware that there are times when an unforeseen event does not allow you to go shopping that day, or that from time to time you have unexpected visitors with whom you undoubtedly want to look good and surprise. Not to mention that there are some things that, wow!, we like a lot and want them on a daily basis!

It is for these situations that we believe it is worth having a complete pantry with quality preserves and dressings, which is why we have opened a new section, which we call "The pantry" at Claudia&Julia , with products that we have selected with great care, which we love them and sometimes they are hard to find. I hope you enjoy it, and that it inspires you for traditional, tasty and healthy cooking!

It is a pleasure that on the opening day, Beatriz, author of ToBeGourmet , tells us about some of the Pantry products and, what we like the most, that inspires us to know how we can use them to get round dishes. Do not miss their ideas, they will give you game!

Living in a small city has its advantages, commuting is easier, more things are done in less time, and life is much quieter. But I have always missed the variety of food products that can be found in a big city, especially when I think of things that are a bit special, those that manage to transform a simple dish into something much more sophisticated, that help us solve an unforeseen commitment by putting together a great appetizer in two minutes

So to think that from now on the doors of Claudia & Julia's pantry are open and I can get delicatessen or imported items, special things that I don't usually find, with just a couple of clicks and without leaving home, Sounds like wonderful news to me.

And that is an advantage that will also undoubtedly be taken advantage of by those who live in the city they live in, large or small, have little time to lose themselves among the shelves of gourmet shops, or find it impossible to go from here to there to gather such variety of different and appetizing products, selected with the same care with which books, pans, and other utensils for traditional and healthy cooking are chosen, which is the flagship of this online store. A store that is now open to the creativity and imagination of those of us who love to cook at home, to make our meals ever more tasty and unique experiences.

If we take a look at Claudia & Julia's pantry we find a huge variety of special items, high quality oils, some very original, vinegars of different flavors and with different nuances, wonderful sauces, sea salts, spices, mustards, chutneys, jams , bomba and carnaroli rice and also pasta. There is no shortage of premium preserves: bonito and tuna belly, and of course, a space for vegetables - broad beans, glass peppers, asparagus or white thistle, all of the highest quality and from artisanal producers.

In the highest range, the Russian king crab, foie gras, mousses and crackers created to accompany all kinds of preparations, or for appetizers or even just to offer with a glass of cava.

There are also sweet cookies, and of course the selection is exquisite; The Walkers butter ones are wonderful, and the Jules Destrooper ones are also very good. In short, a collection of products to enrich our proposals on special occasions.

It is difficult to make a selection among all of the above to describe how we can take advantage of them when cooking at home, but I am going to give you three clues:

TWO EXQUISITE PRODUCTS

Because they are little known and because of their potential to enrich very simple recipes, I would highlight:

“Virgin coconut oil”. Perhaps because I have always loved chocolate, and I like to make a thousand recipes with this ingredient, I would like to recommend coconut oil for toppings or chocolates. Mixed with a few ounces of chocolate, they nuance its flavor and perfume it incredibly. It can also be added to coffee or infusions to take advantage of its health qualities (cardiovascular benefits, strengthening of the immune system).

Another option is to add it to biscuits or cakes, substituting part of the fats that it incorporates (butter or oil), and it also reduces the amount of sugar needed.
In the salty kitchen it also has application. To sauté vegetables, for example. Added to a pumpkin cream, it will give it a special flavor.

Organic virgin coconut oil

“Butter bouquet with truffle”. I imagine a knob of this flavorful butter on top of a freshly grilled beef tenderloin. With its well-marked stripes. A gesture as simple as incorporating this small ingredient can completely transform a dish and give it a touch of originality and distinction.
With fresh pasta it goes luxuriously, simply cooked, that touch of softness provided by the butter along with the perfume of the truffle makes it unnecessary to add anything else.

FOUR SAUCES TO SHOW OFF

The range of sauces offered by Claudia & Julia's pantry is magnificent, but we are going to keep four references.

“Hot mango sauce”. Amazing what can be done with this little pot from Wilkin&Sons Tiptree. It is a sauce that goes great with everything Asian. It has a spicy touch due to the ginger that makes it very special. Ideal to accompany wok-cooked vegetables, tempura prawns.
To accompany simply grilled pork tenderloin it is spectacular. Or if we cook it with a previously poached onion we can add it to make a hot sauce.

Mustard sauce with honey. This is a very versatile sauce. Phenomenal with meats, to marinate, for example, a round of veal and then roast it in the oven. More informal it can be presented to accompany some chicken fingers, or some mini hamburgers with arugula.
Slightly reduced with oil, it goes great with smoked salmon, served on loaves of bread that we can shape first by flattening it with a rolling pin and then cutting it with cutters. A fantastic aperitif.

Vinegar with raspberry pulp (left) and honey mustard sauce (right)

“Espelette pepper pulp vinegar”. Although it is properly a vinegar since it contains fruit pulp, I am going to include it in this section of sauces. It is powerful and very tasty, perfect for sprinkling over cubed French fries, as if they were patatas bravas, or to enrich a garlic or even fish soup. It can also be interesting to add to a marmitako.

“Raspberry pulp vinegar”. Perfect for sprinkling over Brie cheese on toast. And when hot, it will go fantastically with any game dish; Incorporating some whole raspberries can be very showy and original.

INDISPENSABLE FOR YOUR STEWS

Wines and vinegars added to meat or fish can profoundly change the flavours, provide background aromas that are not clearly identified but that make a dish special. You must always select them of good quality, as it will greatly influence the result.

In Claudia & Julia's Despensa we can find three very interesting vinegars, which in fact are sold in Edmont Fallot packs, of very good quality: they are Sherry vinegar (a classic), cider or apple vinegar (very healthy) and that of white wine with tarragon.

"Sherry Vinegar". A very easy vinegar to combine, perfect for a gazpacho or to add it to red meats, to enrich the stew. Sprinkled on a carpaccio it can give it a different and very pleasant touch.

"Cider vinegar" (apple). Although it goes perfect with shellfish or fish, I really like how it goes with pork. A roast with onion, carrot, leek, garlic, pepper and a good splash of apple cider vinegar is a delicious proposal that will not leave anyone indifferent.
It can also be used in salads, or to make jams.

“White wine vinegar with tarragon”. It is ideal for the famous bearnaise sauce that combines with fish or shellfish. We would make it with 100g of butter, 2 egg yolks, and 8 tablespoons of this vinegar after having reduced the heat and cooled. It is a process that requires the water bath technique to mix and emulsify at a temperature that is not too high.
Of course adding this vinegar to a salad with shrimp or crab is a fantastic idea.
Also very appropriate for a baked chicken, or a poularde.

Cider vinegar, included in the pack of 3 Edmond Fallot vinegars