Holiday 2016 Newsletter
OUR BEST WISHES FOR A JOYOUS HOLIDAY SEASON.
Darrell Corti and the Corti Brothers Family
PANETTONE, PANDOLCE AL VASO, VENEZIANA, PANDUÇE GENOVESE
When panettone arrives, it’s holiday time. Together with our traditional panettone we also have the new Pandolce al Vaso and this year the Genovese style Panduçe. Due to favorable exchange rates, panettone prices have come down and we are passing these on to you, our customers. Please take advantage of this!
BARDI PANETTONE
BASSO: low shape, traditionally boxed, kilo size, $21.29 (#4100)
ALTO: classic, tall shape, traditionally boxed, kilo size, $18.79 (#4101)
GLASSATO ALLA NOCCIOLA: with hazelnut glaze, kilo size, wrapped, $23.59 (#4102)
SENZA CANDITI: only raisins, no candied fruit, kilo size, wrapped, $20.59 (#4103)
CIOCCOLATO FONDENTE: low shape, chocolate glazed, kilo size, wrapped, $24.19 (#4104)
PANDORO: tall, star shaped New Year’s cake, no fruit, vanilla sugar, kilo size, boxed, $19.99 (#4105)
BAGHI PANDOLCE ALL’ALPIANE: Baked in a jar.
BAGHI PANDOLCE ALL’ALPIANE we offered also at Easter and it was a great hit. The 60 hours raised dough, with mother leaven, stone ground Italian wheat, Belgian butter, cage free fresh eggs, and house candied Calabrian oranges, is baked in a WECK thermal resistant jar to produce a jar baked bread. Then it is injected with Vignalta Alpiane, the noted orange muscat dessert wine produced in the Colli Euganei. This is a slightly moister type of bread than panettone and can also be used as the base for other dessert preparations. It is unique, delicious and comes in its reusable jar.
BAGHI PANDOLCE ALL’ALPIANE 26oz (WECK re-usable jar) $19.99 (#4106) $107.00 cs/6 (#4106C)
GRONDONA PANDOLCE ANTICA GENOVA (PANDUÇE ZENEISE)
Twenty years ago we offered Genovese Pandolce (Panduçe) and then stopped. Now we have it again. The GRONDONA PANDOLCE ANTICA GENOVA style–now 80 years old--is very different from the Milanese style of Bardi and Loison. Panduçe is a firm, friable cake which is enjoyed cut into wedges by each diner. It has the texture of a thick, fruit filled shortbread, which is probably the origin dating to medieval times of this type of cake. It is a short dough, “pasta frolla,” not a raised bread, filled with candied fruit (apple, pear, pineapple, orange rind, sultanina) and Pisa pinenuts, baked until firm. This baking allows the cake to be kept for some time without losing quality. Remember, these exotic dried fruit filled cakes were due to the fact that Genoa was a trading republic and had access to all of the spices and flavors of the Orient, something most of Italy did not. It is a very different type of panettone and you should try it.
GRONDONA PANDOLCE ANTICA GENOVA 750g box $19.99 each (#4107) $143.00 cs/8 (#4107C)
LOISON PANETTONE and VENEZIANA
This season, LOISON has produced another exceptional flavor for panettone. It is a rose petal jam cream filling. Unique, it is delicious. All of Loison panettone are one kilo size except for where noted. There are the two Veneziana. One with amarena cherry and cinnamon and the other with Alpiane passito wine.
MANDARINO, with the peel of the Late Mandarino di Ciaculli (Palermo), boxed, wrapped. $31.49 (#4108)
AMARENA, with large, candied black cherries, boxed, wrapped $30.89 (#4109)
MARRON GLACÉ, filled with candied chestnut cream, boxed, wrapped $32.59 (#4112)
FICO, with pieces of white Calabrian Dotato fig, boxed, wrapped $34.39 (#4113)
LATA, in the new tin design for this year, “Place Settings” 750g $29.99 (#4114)
CREMA, vanilla pastry cream filling, wrapped, with bow $26.99 (#4115)
LIMONE, limoncello cream filling, wrapped, with bow $26.99 (#4116)
TORCOLATO, raisins plumped in Maculan Torcolato wine, wrapped, bow $29.99 (#4117)
CHINOTTO, with candied green Chinotto citrus pieces, boxed, wrapped $32.59 (#4118)
ROSA, with rose petal jam cream filling, boxed, wrapped $31.59 (#4119)
ALBICOCCA & ZENZERO, with candied apricot and ginger pieces, boxed, wrapped $33.99 (#4120)
PANETTONCINO, the smallest made, 100g, boxed $7.29 (#4121)
VENEZIANA AMARENE & CANELLA, large black cherries and cinnamon, boxed , 550 g $21.99 (#4122)
VENEZIANA ALL’ALPIANE, with Vignalta passito wine Alpiane, kilo, wrapped, with bow $29.59 (#4123)
MAGNUM PANETTONE, cello wrapped with bow
3 KILO SIZE $66.99 each (#4124)
5 KILO SIZE $116.99 each (#4125)
10 KILO SIZE $218.79 each (#4126)
TWO NEW JAMS FROM CAPAY VALLEY: Blenheim Apricot and Aprium
Apricot jam is probably one of the best loved jams made. APRIMUM is probably a fruit which you may or may not have heard of. BLENHEIM APRICOTS are now endangered and are on the SLOW FOOD ARK. They are probably the best apricots and certainly one of, if not the oldest, variety we have in California. But they are delicate which puts them into the “hard to deal with” list of fruits, hence on their way out. Apriums on the the other hand are a cross of apricots and plums, thus their name. But it is a very complex cross with about 75% of apricot genes and 25% plum. Usually available during June, apriums were developed in the late 1980s by Floyd Zaiger. Their flavor is sweet with an intense apricot taste with some orange. The plum factor is its dense flesh.
CAPAY VALLEY is an organic fruit and vegetable producer just north of Sacramento in the Capay Valley. From their fruit, they have had these two jams produced so we can enjoy them throughout the fall and winter since both are late spring/early summer fruit. On toast in the morning or with yoghurt or cheese for dessert, they are a delicious condiment that you should not miss.
CAPAY VALLEY BLENHEIM APRICOT JAM 9.5oz jar $8.99 (#4127) $97.00 case/12 (#4127C)
CAPAY VALLEY APRIUM JAM 10oz jar $8.99 (#4128) $97.00 case/12 (#4128C)
VINCENTE DELICACIES FROM SICILY
VINCENTE is an Italian word meaning “winning.” In this case, VINCENTE DELICACIES, means a small, Sicilian based company started in 2006 by a couple of thirty-something Sicilians, based in Bronte, the center of the island’s famous Green Pistachio production.
There is Bronte Pistachio cream and Sicilian hazelnut cream, Blood Orange marmalade, Fico d’India (prickly pear) jam, and Sicilian strawberry jam. If you are Sicilian, have Sicilian friends, love Sicily, or just want some delicious products, here is a selection that is, frankly, “out of this world.”
NUT BUTTERS
Bronte Pistachio PDO Cream, 180g jar, $13.89 (#3754) cs/6 $75.00 (#3754C) WONDERFUL!
The pistachio butter is perhaps the epitome of grown-up nut butter. More runny than normal peanut butter, this “cream” produced from Bronte pistachios, harvested in odd numbered years, is simply delicious. Spread on panettone, pan d’oro or just toast, this raises nut butter to another level. Perfect for making ice cream.
Sicilian Hazelnut Cream, 180g jar, $10.99 (#3755) cs/6 $59.00 (#3755C)
A hazelnut butter that makes all other pale in comparison. Also perfect for making ice cream.
PRESERVES
Sicilian Arancia Rossa (Blood Orange) Marmalade, 260g jar, $9.99 (#3756) cs/12 $107.00 (#3756C)
Confettura Extra Sicilian Fico d’India (Prickly Pear) Preserve, 260g jar, $11.99 (#3757) cs/12 $129.00 (#3757C)
Confettura Extra Sicilian Strawberry Preserve, 260g jar, $11.99 (#3758) cs/12 $129.00 (#3758C)
THE GOOD STUFF WATERMELON RIND PICKLES
Lightly sweet in traditional fashion, these pickles are smooth crunchy and almost addictive. Not often found any more, they are a necessity for ham and other smoked pork meat. Even smoked turkey or chicken. Their sweetly spicy flavor and smooth texture compliment smoked flavors perfectly.
THE GOOD STUFF WATERMELON RIND PICKLES $9.99 pint jar (16 oz) (#3759)
CORTI BROTHERS 2015 AMADOR COUNTY ZINFANDEL: A Fifty Year Commemorative Wine
This 2015 Amador County Zinfandel is a commemorative wine. It commemorates the 1965 Amador County Zinfandel made as a home wine that, in 1968, convinced Bob Trinchero of Sutter Home Winery in Napa Valley to begin buying Amador County grapes. A lot has happened in the last fifty years.
The original 1965 Amador Zinfandel was made as a homemade wine by Charles Myers, an English instructor at Sacramento City College, who in 1972 would become a winery owner, opening his Harbor Winery in West Sacramento, CA. Charles’ home winemaking showed Bob Trinchero of Sutter Home how good Amador Zinfandel could be at a time when few wineries actually bought Amador County grapes. Most went to home winemakers in the Bay Area. At that time there was only one winery in Amador County, D’Agostini, which had been there in one form or another since the 19th century. The first new winery in Amador County was to be Cary Gott’s Monteviña which was created in 1970. By that time, Sutter Home had already produced two vintages of Amador County Zinfandel.
In May, 1968, Bob Trinchero, Charles Myers, and I went to Amador County and drank a bottle of Charles’ 1965 Zinfandel which convinced Bob that he should look to Amador County for grapes. The harvest of 1968 was the first year of a Napa Valley winery using Amador zinfandel and also labeling the wine with the appellation of Amador County. (Christian Brothers and Gallo had been buying Amador grapes at that time, but did not label any wine made from them with the Amador appellation.) Sutter Home was the first out-of-county winery to label its wine made from Amador grapes with the Amador appellation. Others would follow.
Since I have Charles Myers’ home winemaking notebook, I tried to make the wine following the notes which Charles wrote about making his wine. The grapes in 1965 were picked October 2, fermented with champagne yeast (the most common wine yeast at the time), pressed off on October 8 at 5% Brix, aged in one used small wood cask and in glass demijohns; racked four times during the year, and bottled August 15, 1966, just before Charles resumed teaching. So: very little time on the skins, very little time in wood, early bottling, and no fining or filtering, just the addition of metabisulfite at racking. It was very simple winemaking. According to Charles’ notes, he paid $75.00 the ton for 500 lbs of grapes which gave him 150 bottles of finished wine. This was his first Amador Zinfandel wine. He would make other vintages and in 1972 made his first commercial wine from Amador zinfandel at Harbor Winery.
In making our 2015 Amador Zinfandel, we asked Andis Winery in Amador County to make it for us. Mark McKenna, the winemaker, was enthusiastic about doing this project and used hillside grown, head pruned vines of some 50 years of age, picked September 3, 2015. Fermentation lasted 10 days with Champagne yeast; the wine was pressed at 2% Brix, and some of the new wine put into neutral oak barrels and the rest in flextanks rather than in glass demijohns. It was bottled on September 1, 2016. This production produced 290 cases of 750ml bottles and 10 cases of magnums. The bottles were bottled with Stelvin caps rather than corks since I am a great fan of Stelvin and I think Charles would have concurred. The magnums have corks.
A unique thing about this wine is that the label has a portrait of the original winemaker on it done by the noted Sacramento artist Wayne Thiebaud. In the early 1960s, Wayne and Charles were colleagues at Sacramento City College and in 1963 Wayne painted the image of Charles reading, which is on our label. In Wayne’s opus, the picture is called “Man Reading.” We asked Wayne if he would concede the use of this image for this one time bottling, and he graciously allowed it.
Corti Brothers Amador County Zinfandel 2015 is a sort of mirror of what happened in 1965. Fifty years later, wine tastes have changed and in no small part to the effect Amador County zinfandel had on the California wine market. Tastes changed and there is now a completely different profile of Zinfandel as a wine in California. According to the classic wine texts of the early 1960s and before, Zinfandel was always a light, fruity wine, described as such by most wine writers of the time. Amador County changed all of that. And it was begun by a really well made, homemade wine, from 1965.
If you want to experience the 1968 tasting, then buy a case of this wine to insure you will have some to try when three years old. Very good now, the sip, sip, sipping, may leave you with only a few bottles or none, three years from now.
CORTI BROTHERS AMADOR COUNTY ZINFANDEL 2015 13%
$24.99 750ml (#4129) $269.00 cs/12(#4129C) $49.00 magnum (#4130) very limited
UNDERSTANDING WINE CHEMISTRY: WATERHOUSE, SACKS, JEFFERY
When was the last time you thought about a description of wine? Here’s one: “...(a) dry table wine is a mildly acidic (pH3-4) hydroalcoholic solution.” This is about as far as one can get from another description from the Italian artist Michelangelo Buonarrotti: “Wine is sunlight bound together with water.” A new book, UNDERSTANDING WINE CHEMISTRY, co-authored by three wine chemists, Andrew Waterhouse from UC Davis, Gavin Sacks from Cornell, and David Jeffery at the University of Adelaide has just come out. This is the ultimate wine geek book which anyone with a modicum of pretension to understanding wine should own and read. Although this is a work which might seem daunting at first glance, but since the authors also teach, the work really takes one easily through notions which you might not have thought of since you got out of a chemistry class. (The first quote is from Understanding Wine Chemistry.)
There are three parts to this work of 443 pages. Part A: Wine components and their reactions (ethanol, acids, esters, etc.) Part B: Chemistry of Wine Production Processes, involving everything in the “making” of wine; and then Part C: Case Studies: Recent advances in Wine Chemistry--giving the latest 2016 information. Five years in the writing, this is a work for the “neophyte, connoisseur, production hobbyist or aspiring professional.” You can purchase the book on Amazon or through the bookstore on the UC Davis campus. I recommend you buy it. It really is the current “last word” on the subject, a remarkable successor to a corpus of technical works emanating from the University of California and others on wine production, since the end of the 19th century. ISBN 978-111-8627808.
ACETO BALSAMICO TRADIZIONALE: Castello di Vergnano
No, this is not a new producer. CASTELLO DI VERGNANO is the current name of SAN GEMINIANO, the estate we have imported since 1982 that produces the ACETO BALSAMICO TRADIZIONALE which we introduced to this country. The two sisters who ran San Geminiano have split and the new name, Castello di Vergnano is, in fact, the medieval name of the castle on the property. In effect, nothing has changed.
Perhaps I should point out three products, PASSIONE PER BALSAMICO, which is the estate bottled balsamico that we also have in the Consortium bottles. They are not a different product, just estate bottled. Since the control of Aceto Balsamico Tradizionale has become a governmental one, estates can bottle their own product but just can’t use the Consortium bottles. They also have to call it a “condimento” rather than Aceto. You, the customer saves money.
CASTELLO DI VERGNANO
ACETO BALSAMICO TRADIZIONALE VECCHIO 1970 (AS15) $83.99 100ml (#4131)
ACETO BALSAMICO TRADIZIONALE EXTRA VECCHIO 1855 (AS19) $139.99 100ml (#4132)
ACETO BALSAMICO TRADIZIONALE EXTRA VECCHIO 1650 (AN12) $499.99 100ml (#4133)
CASTELLO DI VERGNANO PASSIONE PER BALSAMICO 8 $35.99 100ml (#4134)
CASTELLO DI VERGNANO PASSIONE PER BALSAMICO 12 (AS15) $45.39 100 ml (#4135)
CASTELLO DI VERGNANO PASSIONE PER BALSAMICO 25 (AS19) $94.99 100ml (#4136)
CASTELLO DI VERGNANO MASTRO ACETAIO (3 years old reduced grape must) $16.99 250ml (#4137)
VALOBRA SOAPS: The last of a Ligurian tradition
Why is Corti Brothers selling soap? When you need to make a gift and alcohol or foodstuffs may not be appropriate, these soaps from VALOBRA, the last soap maker on the Italian Riviera, might be just the thing. And then there is another reason: I just enjoy them! They have wonderful scents, the lather is exquisite, packaging opulent, and they last a long time. These are expensive soaps. But then, what really fine product is not expensive? Corti Brothers offers Valobra Soaps during the holidays and once customers have tried them, they just keep ordering them. We have them in stock all the time. Unfortunately, soaps are taxable items.
PRIMULA: Super fatted soap with lecithin, scented with primrose. 100g bar $12.49 each (#4138 )
CALENDULA: An extract of calendula flowers; emollient, for delicate skin. 100g bar $13.99 each (#4139 )
GLICERLANOLINA: A blend of glycerine and lanolin for dry skin 100g bar $12.49 each (#4140 )
RESEDA: Scented with Mignonette (Reseda odorata), for delicate skin in winter. 150g bar $13.99 each (#4141)
LATTUGA: Lettuce extract, for removal of makeup and sunburned skin. 150g bar $13.99 each (#4142 )
BURRO DI CACAO: Rich in cacao butter which softens skin while cleansing. For dry skin 100g $12.49 (#4143 )
VITAMINA A e CAROTENE: With wheat germ oil and vitamin A, for sensitive skin. 100g bar $13.99 each (#4144 )
BALSAMO: A brown colored soap. For oily skin that flakes easily. 200g bar $16.49 each (#4145 )
VITAMINA E: Vitamin E keeps skin soft. A velvety lather for very delicate skin.100g bar $13.99 (#4146 )
PRATOLINA: Made with vitamin A and E, for all skin types. Light lavender scent 120g bar $12.99 each (#4147 )
FOUGÈRE: Excellent for skin that reddens easily. Royal fern scent. 100g bar $12.49 each (#4148)
MANDORLA: A glycerine and almond oil barrette; can be broken in half. Almond scent $12.99 each (#4149 )
VALOBRA GIFT TIN: Contains a bar each of Lattuga, Vitamin E, Reseda, Vit. A & Carotene $68.29 (#4150)
OLDER VINTAGES FOR HOLIDAY DRINKING
It seems that the holidays are the times when older, finer, more expensive bottles are opened and enjoyed. There seems to be a necessity to do this especially when friends not seen for a time or long lost are around. The special bottle is truly an occasion. As wine merchants, I think it is our duty to offer some of these bottles that allow you to be able to have on hand wines that you might not drink all the time, nor have in your own cellar, but which lend an atmosphere of great hospitality. Here are some of these choices which we have cellared, and all you have to do is buy and open. Since these wines are relatively old, care should be exercised when opening (you do need a good corkscrew) and they should be purchased with a bit of forethought since they may have deposit and then will need decanting. From this list we would ask that you limit your purchase to one bottle only of any one wine. This is a LIMITED STOCK. All 750 ml bottle size. Please write in, or verbally request as there are no order codes for these vintages.
Vintage Port: 1970 Taylor $240 - 1977 Dow $290 - 1963 Warre $366 - 1963 Dow $348 - 1977 Sandeman $310 - 1964 Guimaraens (Fonseca) $120
California: 1989 Duckhorn CS Howell Mtn $229 - 1978 J. Phelps Eisele $350 - 1991 Opus One $405 - 1999 Paul Hobbs Hyde Pinot Noir $129
Italian: 1978 Frescobaldi Montesodi $140 - 1990 Antinori Tignanello $290.
These prices are net and do not assort for discount.
CORTI BROTHERS EXQUISITE WHISKEY RESERVE: The last bottling
With this bottling of CORTI BROTHERS EXQUISITE WHISKEY RESERVE, we come to the last bottling of this run of whiskey. The whiskey is the end product of what we have had bottled using the influence of the Mission del Sol barrels. This Reserve bottling is the whiskey with the longest time in Mission barrels. Once it is gone, it is gone for good.
Exquisite Reserve Whiskey is a bourbon which has been double wooded. It has spent part of its life in its original charred white oak barrels, and then it was transferred for about 26 months to the Mission barrels which have held and aged Mission del Sol wine since 1972. Exquisite Whiskey has been very successful since we introduced it in 2014. It has taken on a collector’s tinge, but in reality it is just a very good drink. If you want to have some in your cellar, now is the time to get it.
CORTI BROTHERS EXQUISITE WHISKEY RESERVE 90.5 proof $59.99 750ml (#4152) $323.00cs/6 (#4152C)
COCCHI VERMOUTH AMARO
This vermouth is a new iteration of the Vermouth di Torino made by Cocchi. It is called VERMOUTH AMARO, Dopo Teatro. It is a slightly more bitter vermouth that traditionally was drunk after the theater (movies.) The Italian habit was not to enjoy a sweet, but instead something slightly bitter and rich which would not leave you with a sugary taste. This form was very popular at the end of the 19th century and up to the WWII period. All Cocchi has done is re-activate an old recipe that it once produced.
Dark in color, opulently spice scented, with a rich mouth feel and the tang of bitterness to balance its sweetness, this is vermouth for drinking by itself, not as a mixer (although one could.) It is also wonderful just by itself after dinner when you don’t feel like dessert. It is just now available for this season’s enjoyment.
COCCHI VERMOUTH AMARO Dopo Teatro 16% $21.79 500ml (#4153) $117.00 cs/6 (#4153C)
A VERY SPECIAL BUY: PENFOLD’S BIN 169 COONAWARRA CABERNET SAUVIGNON 2009
Corti Brothers bought a very special offer of this wine which had been discounted some $900.00 the case. We are passing the savings on to our customers. BIN 169 is a Special Bin wine from Penfolds, an iconic Australian producer, made entirely from Coonawarra cabernet to show the particular character of the red soil of the area and the Cabernet it produces.
First made in 1973, then called Bin 169 from 2008 onwards, Bin 169 shows contemporary Penfolds winemaking emphasizing regionality and aging in fine grained French oak. In the 2013 The Rewards of Patience, Penfolds latest compendium of all Penfold wines in every vintage to that date, this is written about the wine: “Deep crimson to purple. Intense blackcurrant, ginger, mint aromas with underlying savoury notes. Generous and substantial wine with cassis, herb garden flavours, slinky dry...Finishes chalky firm with a longtail of cassis, herb notes....A lovely wine with great potential. Keep for awhile. Drinking Window: 2016-2035" Andrew Caillard MW. Stock:15-6pak cases.
PENFOLDS BIN 169 COONAWARRA CABERNET 2009 14.5% $119.99 750ml (#4154) $647.00 cs/6 (#4154C)
M&CP FARMS NEWEST OLIVES: CALABRESE STYLE “OLIVE CUNZATE”
CALABRESE STYLE olives from Maurice Penna in Orland are the product of his indefatigable search for new olive preparations. Produced to be like Calabrian olives with hot pepper, these are made from pitted small green Sevillano olives. Using a new technology, these olives are cured yet remain firm. Packed with olive oil, herbs and hot pepper flakes, typical of Calabrian cuisine, these will be a very welcome addition to your antipasto service. Slightly crunchy, but not salty, enjoy them as they are or use them in dishes calling for olives. You are limited only by your imagination.
M&CP FARMS CALABRESE STYLE “OLIVE CUNZATE” 11.5oz jar $4.99 (#4155) $53.00 case/12 (#4155C)
STOCKFISH (Stoccafisso) and BACCALÀ (Salt Cod)
We have just received a new shipment of RAGNO quality stockfish from Norway. This is completely different from salt cod. It is merely eviscerated fresh cod from the North Atlantic off of Norway’s western coast that is simply air dried. Ours has been beaten between rollers to flatten it. This is the product to use for making Bacalà alla visentina or Stocca-fisso accommodato. Stockfish is one of the oldest fish preparations known. It was a Viking staple, then went to Italy and never left. It needs to be soaked in cold water changed twice a day for at least seven days. We can supply a delicious recipe for a dish traditional in the German speaking Alto Adige called GERÖSTEL DI BACALÀ.
BACCALÀ, with two “c,” is salt cod. Again, the best comes from Norway. And it comes with skin and bones. This salt cod takes about three days of soaking in cold water changed twice a day. The quality we have will soak up and appear almost like fresh fish. This is the fish to use for brandade, creamed codfish or cakes, or any Portuguese preparation.
There is another type which is without skin and bones, packed in approximately one pound plastic bags. If you are really in hurry, it will soak up in one day (24 hours). For the real thing, however, try the Norwegian.
STOCCAFISSO (Stockfish) RAGNO quality $39.99 per lb. Average wt. +/- 2 lbs. (#4156)
NORWEGIAN SALT COD (Bacalhau-bacalao) $18.99 per lb. Average wt. 2-4 lbs. (#4157)
CANADA SALT COD, Skinless and boneless, $17.99 per lb. Average wt. +/- 2 lbs. (#4158)
COTECHINO AND LENTILS: INDISPENSABLE FOR NEW YEAR
LEVONI COTECHINO is a large, unctuous sausage from Modena, Italy. It is one of the glories of Italian pork products. Cotechino is eaten typically during the cold months, especially New Year and served with cooked lentils. (This is to follow the tradition of fat and plenty for the New Year.) Ready to heat in boiling water in its bag, this is mindless cooking. And lentils don’t take any time at all.
LEVONI COTECHINO $13.99 500g box (#4159)
BARTOLINI UMBRIAN LENTILS $4.99 500g bag. (#4160)
FREEZE DRIED PORCINI MUSHROOM SLICES
PORCINI MUSHROOMS, the Boletus edulis family of mushrooms, are probably the fancy work horses of culinary mushrooms. This is a completely new style of preparation, where the sliced porcini are freeze dried, rather than air or oven dried. The result is that one can use the freeze dried form, soaked for a few seconds in water to re-hydrate them, and then proceed as if they were fresh mushrooms: texture is like fresh porcini, characteristically slippery. Both have a place in the kitchen. These freeze dried Porcini are very new to the market and you certainly should try them. They do not substitute for normal dry porcini, but wonderful to use as if they were fresh. The 40 g tin equals 500 g fresh porcini.
FREEZE DRIED PORCINI SLICES (Equivalent to 500 g of fresh porcini.) $49.99 40g tin (#4161)
LAST BUT NOT LEAST, A SAVORY AND SWEET: TUERCA DE MAIZ AND CANDIED PECANS
CORTI BROTHERS TUERCA DE MAIZ is a requisite nibble for drinks. Toasted corn kernels, delicately salted and rather addictive. An easy way to entertain at holiday time. Just put them out and let your guests help themselves.
CORTI BROTHERS TUERCA DE MAIZ $3.99 one pound bag (#4162) $21.00 case 6 bags (#4162C)
BLACK BOW SWEETS CANDIED PECANS are made in Carpenteria, California with fresh pecans, sugar, egg white, cinnamon, and salt. Brand new to Corti Brothers, even more addictive than the above.
BLACK BOW SWEETS CANDIED PECANS $8.99 4 oz box (#4163) $14.99 8 oz box (#4164)
TERMS OF SALE: This list supersedes all others. All taxable items, such as wine, beer, or spirits will be taxed at the rate of 8.5%. This is for all sales since we sell in California. Foodstuffs are not taxable. Shipping will be charged at prevailing rates. PLEASE NOTE: In extreme weather, either hot or cold, please give us a shipping address where your order may be properly received and stored. Corti Brothers cannot be responsible for items left without protection.