New pantry section in the store!

We always try to have fresh products at home, but we are aware that there are times when an unforeseen event prevents you from going 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 we 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 are opening 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 a traditional, tasty and healthy cuisine!

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 she inspires us to know how we can use them to get round dishes. Do not miss their ideas, they will give you play!

Living in a small city has its advantages, commuting is easier, more things are done in less time, and life is much calmer. But I have always missed the variety of food products that can be found in a big city, especially when I think of something a little special, those that manage to transform a simple dish into something much more sophisticated, that help us to resolve an unforeseen commitment by assembling a wonderful aperitif 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's an advantage that those who live in whatever city they live in, big or small, have little time to get lost among the shelves of gourmet shops, or find it impossible to get from here to there to gather such variety of different and appetizing products, selected with the same affection with which books, pans, and other utensils for traditional and healthy cooking are chosen, which is the hallmark of this online store. Store that is now open to the creativity and imagination of those of us who love to cook at home, to make our meals increasingly 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 shades, wonderful sauces, sea salts, spices, mustards, chutneys, jams , bomba rice and carnaroli and also pasta. There is no shortage of premium preserves: tuna and belly, and of course, a space for vegetables -broad beans, glass peppers, asparagus or white thistle, all of the highest quality and from artisan producers.

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

There are also sweet cookies, and of course the selection is exquisite; Walkers butter ones are wonderful, and Jules Destrooper ones are also very tasty. 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 the toppings or chocolates. Mixed with a few ounces of chocolate, it nuances its flavor and makes it incredibly perfumed. It can also be added to coffee or infusions to take advantage of its qualities for health (cardiovascular benefits, strengthening of the immune system).

Another option is to add it to biscuits or cakes, substituting part of the fats it incorporates (butter or oil), it also allows you to reduce 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

“Bouquet of butter with truffle”. I imagine a nut of this tasty butter on 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 point of originality and distinction.
It goes great with fresh pasta, simply cooked, that touch of softness that the butter gives it together with the scent of the truffle means that it is not necessary to add anything else.

FOUR SAUCES TO SHOW OFF

The range of sauces offered by the Claudia & Julia pantry is magnificent, but we are going to stick with four references.

“Hot mango sauce”. Incredible 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 point due to ginger that makes it very special. Ideal to accompany wok-fried vegetables, tempura prawns.
To accompany simply grilled pork tenderloin it is spectacular. Or if we stew it with a previously poached onion we can add it to make a hot sauce.

“Mustard sauce with honey”. It is a very versatile sauce. Great with meats, for example to marinate a round of veal and then roast it in the oven. More informally, 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 sliced ​​bread that we can shape first by flattening it with a rolling pin and then cutting it with cutters. A fantastic appetizer.

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

“Vinegar with Espelette pepper pulp”. Although it is actually a vinegar, since I have fruit pulp, I am going to include it in this section of sauces. It is powerful and very tasty, perfect for drizzling 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 drizzling over Brie cheese on toast. And when hot it will accompany any game dish fantastically; incorporating some whole raspberries can be very colorful and original.

ESSENTIALS FOR YOUR STEWS

The wines and vinegars incorporated into meat or fish can profoundly change the flavors, provide background aromas that are not clearly identified but that make a dish special. You have to always select them of good quality, since it will greatly influence the result.

In the Claudia & Julia Pantry we can find three very interesting vinegars, which are in fact sold in Edmont Fallot packs, of very good quality: they are Jerez 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 nice touch.

"Cider vinegar" (apple). Although it goes perfect with shellfish or fish, I really like how it looks 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 Béarnaise 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 bain-marie technique so that it mixes and emulsifies 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 pularda.

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