Uncategorized

Drinking with Pete DAC Holiday Wine Tasting

It was a winter night, the full moon was shining down, and a sold-out crowd was ready to hear about Pete’s Holiday Faves from Marczyk Fine Wines. Pete brought 10 wines to taste, and by the end of the night there were some obvious winners.

We started with the Gruet Blanc de Noir sparkling, a sexy grape, and a deal at under $20.

Then on to the X white. Both X wines are big blend fruit bombs from northern CA. “I could drink this every day” was the comment. Under $15 you actually could…

Daisy Hill Sauv Blanc was super light, super fresh.

Secateurs Chenin Blanc, well here’s what one guest had to say:

By now people were chatting, Pete was shouting, but he powered through. It’s hard not to want to catch up with friends at a festive event!

Moving on to the Sottimano Dolcetto d’Alba, a great conversation started about rating wine. Pete hates it. We hate it. Why?

Let’s say you visit a small town in Italy, and they serve you their local wine. And it’s great. Actually, you love it! But if that same wine ended up being rated by Mr. Parker, it would most likely get a low rating, even though it perfectly represents the vernacular “which uses locally available resources and traditions to address local needs”. And if that makes it special to you, then the hell with ratings.

An exciting Colorado wine that we all love love love is the Alfred Eames Syrah. “I would put this up against any other Syrah” Colorado vintners are making huge strides planting grapes that love the high and dry climate, and turning them into wines that can go grape to grape with any other American wine.

The X red blend: “these guys blend this shit right.” ‘Nuff said.

And to close the evening, a very special Madeira from Blandy’s. Maderia is a fortified wine from Portugal. They can be tooth-achingly sweet, or rich and complex, like this one. It is a beautiful way to end an evening.

Many thanks to the DAC for such a fun event! It’s a beautiful club!

Hidden soy in food

We got an email from a customer recently, asking about soy in food. Here was Pete’s reply: “Nearly all feeds contain some amount of soy.  We have some growers who may not include any soy in their feed, but I will have to verify.  I could check with one of our chicken growers as he pasture-raises his birds, but I think he may supplement at some point with commercial feed.  Much bison (our included) is finished on a ration which includes a small amount of soy, so ours is out of the question.   We purchase a couple whole grass-fed beef each year: this would be an option.  It is possible that our Heritage Turkeys have not received soy, but I will have to check.  And almost ALL lamb has been at very least supplemented with commercial feed.  For clarity, by commercial, I mean ‘produced by others–not the farmer’ these almost always have some percentage of soy in them.” Learn something new every day!

My name is Erin, and I’m a chocoholic.

I have begged for and stolen chocolate, eaten entire bars of bitter-sweet and even gobbled up those pieces that fell on the ground when you weren’t looking. I am recovering.

The 10-Minute Mug Brownie is a quick and easy treat for one made using basic pantry ingredients, and the microwave. Yes, a microwave.

Unlike other cocoa powders that may leave a grainy texture in your treats, Ghirardelli Unsweetened Cocoa Powder refines their flakes to a size 50% smaller than other brands for a brownie that will melt in your mouth. And boy, is it smooth.

1 Tbsp butter
2 Tbsp granulated sugar
2 Tbsp all-purpose flour
1 Tbsp Ghirardelli Unsweetened Cocoa Powder
1 Tbsp milk
¼ tsp vanilla extract
Dash of salt

1. In a microwave-safe mug, soften butter for approximately 15 seconds.
2. Add sugar, flour, Ghirardelli Unsweetened Cocoa Powder, milk, vanilla and salt, and stir together.
3. Mix in any other treats you may fancy (I like walnuts and chocolate chips).
4. Microwave for one minute. The top of the brownie should look solid but glossy. If it doesn’t, microwave at 10-second intervals until it does.
5. LET YOUR BROWNIE COOL FOR A MINUTE. Failure to follow this step will result in mushy brownie and burned mouth.
6. Top with your favorite Sweet Action Ice Cream (I like Crunchy Peanut Butter and Salted Caramel… they’re all delicious), milk, or whipped cream. Or don’t. It’s still good.
7. Eat it!

Whit’s Picks – 10.11.2011

Whitney is the merchandising guru at Marczyk’s. She touches practically all the Marczyk products, so has lots of time to consider how to use them. Here is her November pick, with recipe! Enjoy.

Picks of the Month:  Kabocha Squash and Niman Ranch Chipotle and Cheddar Sausages

Here in Colorado, the cold weather has arrived!  Our Denver trees are dusted with snow, and the market is abundant with local squash of seemingly endless varieties.  While I tend to like pretty much any kind of squash, I have to admit that Kabocha is my all-time favorite.  If you’ve never tried Kabocha squash, you are really in for a treat.  Also known as the Japanese Pumpkin, the Kabocha is more intense, sweet, and vibrant-colored than regular pumpkins.  The skin of this squash is edible when cooked, but since this soup is pureed it is best to remove it and use for making pumpkin stock.  I used “Sunshine Kabocha” for this recipe (the bright orange-skinned variety) but green Kabocha would work just as well.

Marczyk Fine Foods squash

What you’ll love about this soup is the wonderful flavor contrasts of spicy and sweet.  If you remove the seeds from the chipotles before adding to the soup, you will get a milder, smoky heat.  If you want some sinus-clearing spice, there’s no need to remove the seeds.  It might just be the tastiest cold medicine you’ve ever sipped!  The addition of Yukon gold potatoes gives the soup a more creamy texture and thick body.

This soup also has my new favorite sausage from Niman Ranch, the uncured chipotle cheddar flavor.  There are so many reasons why Niman Ranch is one of our favorite suppliers here at Marczyk’s - from their humanely raised “never-ever” meats (as in, never ever treated with hormones or antibiotics) to their environmentally sustainable farming practices - but the best thing about their meats is really the taste.  These juicy and flavorful chipotle cheddar sausages have little pockets of melted cheese and the wonderful, smoky, spicy taste of chipotle.

Spicy Chipotle-Kabocha Soup
serves 8

1 large Kabocha Squash (about 5 pounds whole, any color)
1 large yellow onion, halved and sliced
3 T butter
1/4 cup white wine
4 cloves garlic, minced
about 3 (1/4 of a can) Chipotles in adobo sauce, seeds removed and chopped
2 cups Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and diced
6 cups of vegetable stock

Salt, to taste

4 Niman Ranch Chipotle Cheddar Sausages, sliced

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.  Prep the squash:  halve the Kabocha and scrape out the pulp and seeds.  Fill a large, shallow pan with about 2 inches of water.  Place squash halves cut-side down in the pan and place in the oven.  Roast until squash is very soft, about 30 minutes.

In a large pot over medium-high heat, melt butter.  Add onions and cook until golden-brown and caramelized, about 10 minutes.  Add garlic and saute for 1 minute.  Deglaze pan with wine and add chipotles and potatoes.  Add stock and bring mixture to a boil, then lower the heat to allow the soup to simmer.

Once squash is cool enough to handle, peel away the skin, scraping any stubborn bits off with a spoon.  Stir the Kabocha flesh into the soup and continue to simmer, covered, until potatoes are completely soft and the liquid thickens, about 30 minutes.  Using an immersion blender (or a blender or food processor), puree soup until smooth.  Season with salt.  Add sliced sausages and cook another 8 minutes, or until sausage is nice and hot.  Remove from heat and serve immediately.

You’ve got to stand for something, right?

You’ve got to stand for something, right? Me? It’s the abolition of the Designated Hitter rule. You? It’s lunch at Marczyk Fine Foods on Colfax. Seriously.

Summer pies

Marczyk pies taste authentic because they are. We peel our own apples, stew fresh rhubarb, and render Niman Ranch leaf lard for the crust! One taste and you’ll know that it’s real, and not one of those “fresh baked” pies from other grocers. (What that means is that they bought frozen pies from a wholesaler, and baked it in their ovens.)

Our summer pies include apple, cherry, strawberry rhubarb, coconut cream, banana cream, and blueberry.

New Seasons, New Faces

You may have noticed a few things you haven’t seen lately in the produce department at Marczyk’s; fresh, Colorado-grown, organic brussels sprouts, on the stalk, sweet Italian peppers and the most beautiful apples you’ve ever seen - straight from the western slope.  

We’re excited this fall to be working with some of Colorado’s best farmers, carrying some of the tastiest produce in the world.  Berry Patch Farms in Brighton, Colorado is sending us peppers of all types, from green and yellow bells to sweet narellos and jalapenos.  Their cilantro is cut fresh every week and our customers have been loving BPF’s vine-ripe tomatoes for months now.  

Munson Farms in Boulder is responsible for most of the wide variety of pumpkins and squash you see in the store these days.  Bob Munson and his crew picked every one of these exotic breeds specifically for us.  After a summer full of their incredible corn, give a Munson gourd an hour in your oven and see if it doesn’t change your perspective on pumpkins.  Kevin bet me that I wouldn’t sell the 60lb Long of Naples squash on the front table, so take a look ’cause this baby will fill your freezer for the winter.  It’s the best 75 cents a pound you can spend!

Ela Family Farms continues to stock our tables with apples; from buttery, sweet goldens to tart and juicy johnathans and perfect, school-lunch galas.  You won’t find a bad apple in this bunch.  Look forward to apple cider, and check out their jams, butters and sauces in the grocery section.

Finally, Elaine Granata keeps us in stock on her specialty veggies like fairytale eggplant and baby-bell peppers.  From her Denver urban farms throughout Capitol Hill, Elaine delivers artisan produce directly to our shelves.  With leeks, summer squash and purple scallions on the shelves this week, it’s almost better than having your own garden.

Local fruits and veg aren’t the only specialties you’ll find around the produce cooler.  Our staff is fresh too!  

I’m Dave and I grew up picking berries and running rhubarb in Oregon’s Willamette Valley.  A year ago I was crunching numbers for the Man, but after a stint cooking in the Puget Sound, I couldn’t be happier here at Marczyk’s.  Dustin darkened doors around eastern Washington and Boise, Idaho before he showed up here and traded graphic for gastro artistry.  Angela is our newest add-on, she comes to us from Ohio and if you can get her to stop smiling, she might tell you about her favorite way to cook beet greens.  You just might find Marlena sneaking away from the check stand to lend a hand in the produce department, us newbies couldn’t do it without her. 

This week, watch for the most beautiful green bell peppers ever grown and take advantage of apple season while it lasts!  We’re stoked to be setting a new standard in our corner of the store, selling the best food that our corner of the world has to offer.

Good Eating!  

Dave

Turkey FAQ’s: Colorado heritage turkeys

Where do you get your heritage birds?

Marczyk Fine Foods gets heritage birds from Dallas Gilbert in Bennett, CO, about an hour east of Denver. Dallas raises Blue Slates, a turkey that was almost extinct 10 years ago. They live in giant pens out on the plains, with open air canvas tents to keep them out of the rain. They are fed an all vegetarian diet. They are about 6 months when they are processed. Marczyk Fine Foods is the only Colorado retail outlet for these birds.

Do I need to cook the Heritage turkeys differently?

Yes. Heritage turkeys are leaner and smaller than broad-breasted whites, so cook them fast at higher temperatures. Heritage turkeys should be cooked at 425-450 degrees F until the internal temperature reaches 140-150 degrees F. Butter or oil can be added under the breast skin to add flavor and moisture during roasting. We have also had great success with confiting the legs and roasting the breast, which of course requires taking them apart.
You won’t need to cover the breast with foil to keep it from drying out while the rest of the bird cooks. The smaller breasts on the heritage birds create a better balance between the dark meat and white meat, which means roasting a bird to perfection is much easier since white meat cooks more quickly than the dark meat.

Are turkeys all that Dallas raises?

No, he brings us heritage chickens now, and will provide us with Christmas geese. Dallas runs a co-op, and supplies Colorado individuals and chefs with duck, goose, duck eggs, chicken and turkey sausages, livers, and other poultry products.

And here’s a crazy thing: Dallas uses donkeys to guard the turkeys from coyotes! Here they are:

For more images of the farm go to our photo fun page.

“Mad about Mushrooms”

 (Nathan W. Armes, Special to The Denver Post)

Denver Post reporter Bill Porter gets to the heart of the secret mushroom society in Colorado. http://www.denverpost.com/food/ci_15870726. Pete Marczyk recently brought home quite a few VERY LARGE Boletus, sliced and fried them. Meaty, like chicken. For other mushroom recipes go to our Marczyk recipe page.

Butchering 101

We brought our cameras along and watched Jimmy the Butcher cut up the hind quarter of a cow. It was quite the learning experience! I wish we could share all of the images with you right here, but they all won’t fit in the blog. For the full story, complete with pictures and descriptions, please visit our facebook page. Here are just a few images to get you started. (Warning: pictures may be graphic.)

This is the hind quarter, which is one of the back legs, from butt to calf, of the cow.

Mmm...that's a good lookin' short loin porterhouse. The Butcher's not bad either.

Here he is cutting the bottom round and the top round off.

Come visit us at the corner of 17th and Clarkson and pick up a steak!