| April 2010 • ISSUE NO. NINE |
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HAPPY COWS, BEAUTIFUL CHEESE
We've got a lot going on this month! First of all, we'd like to offer our heartfelt thanks to all who voted for us in Eat Magazine's Reader's Choice awards. And we just got back from an amazing field trip to Moonstruck Organic Cheese on Salt Spring Island - we wanted to show our support and appreciation for this incredible farm. That's a wheel of their gorgeous Blossom's Blue above.
Our first C-One events, sparkling wine tastings, were a smashing success. Not that anyone got smashed - it was all very civilised and educational. Thanks to all who joined us. We've got some new classes as well as some more fun new products to let you know about and, finally, the blog is back! For real, this time. We missed you. Please peruse at your leisure.
All the best,
Charelli's
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 Hospice Days
Every 8th and 26th of every month 20% of all cheese sales are donated to support Victoria Hospice. |
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MOONSTRUCK ORGANIC CHEESE
 The Cheese Chicks headed over to Salt Spring last weekend, to visit Moonstruck Organic Cheese. As many of you know, in February they had a small recall related listeria testing, which they took very seriously. It had to do with their drainage, which has since been re-hauled. There have been no reported illnesses and no subsequent instances found. For a tiny operation like Moonstruck, any setback can have a devastating impact on the business; it was really important to us to visit them and show our support. We've enjoyed their organic cheese for years and we have the utmost respect for how well they treat their beautiful herd of Jerseys. Read more about the farm and the cheese-making process and see some pictures of adorable, pampered cows.
We also stopped in to visit the goats at David Woods and sample the wares at Salt Spring Vineyards. All-in-all, it was a wonderful day. If you haven't been over to the islands for a while we seriously recommend setting a day aside for some exploration.
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Charelli's tip - if you make it over to visit, keep an eye out for Crow Bar chocolate. Neither too bitter nor too sweet, too soft nor too crumbly, it's a perfectly balanced bar of near-perfection. And Salt Spring Vineyard's Pinto Gris is delicious for sunny-day sipping. The proprietors were kind enough to pair it with some local smoked oysters. Amazing. |
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C-ONE UPDATE
The next addition to our calendar is gluten-free baking taught by Janice Mansfield, owner and operator of Real Food Made Easy. Pictured at left is one of her vegan loaves made with Timtana flour. Classes will be $60 and the schedule so far is as follows:
May 15: gluten-free breads
June 19: gluten-free quickbreads and muffins
July 17: gluten-free cookies and bars
And here's our updated wine tasting line-up:
May 11: Wines of Australia with Sharon & Louise
May 27, 28: Wines you should have tried by now with Ernest sold out
June 10: South African Wines with Ernest sold out
June 17: Summer Whites and Rosés with Ernest sold out
June 24: The Great Wines of Alsace with Sharon & Louise
July 8: BC Wines with Sharon & Louise
July 15: Barbeque Wines with Ernest
Sept 16: Southern Italian Wines with Ernest
Sept 23: Northern Italian Wines with Ernest
Please call, email, or drop in and see us if you're interested in joining us!
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49th PARALLEL COFFEE  We have really nice new coffee from Vancouver. 49th Parallel custom roasts top-quality beans sourced from around the world to a level of quality that only total obsession can obtain. Certified organic and fair trade coffees are available, and they do a really good job of connecting all their beans to the countries and farms they are obtained from. You can also check them out on flickr for more insight into their roasting process. Yet another local, environmentally responsible business with a delicious product, that we're really happy to be working with.
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HURRAY AND THANK YOU!
We're very grateful to have been recognised in the following Eat Magazine Reader's Choice Awards categories:
"What local specialty food shop or deli has changed or influenced how you cook or what you buy?"
"Where do you go for hard-to-find ingredients?"
"Who do you turn to for dependable advice, tips, recipes or information?"
Fools. Oops - did we write that out loud?
You love us, you really love us! Honestly - thank you. It means a lot to us.
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ICE TROPEZ
We blame Nicole for this one. Those of you who took part in the Olympic festivities may have also noticed this hot new European import amongst the general hype. We couldn't possibly describe it better than they do themselves:
From the glamorous and chic town of St. Tropez in the French Riviera, playground to jet setters, models and millionaires, comes Ice Tropez and Ice Tropez 0% Infused Water.
Exclusively created by Gregoire Chaix, owner of St. Tropez's hotspot "Bar du Port", to please the fine taste of his ultra hip clientele.
Ice Tropez comes in a unique and very stylish single serving bottle which was designed by famous French architect and interior designer Christophe Pillet, renowned for his contribution to landmarks such as Hotel Sezz, the new flagship Lacoste Store on "Les Champs", and of course... le Bar du Port located in the breathtaking harbour of St.Tropez.
Lacoste! Les Champs! Le Bar! How could we resist?
See? Now this can be you. (Viewer discretion is advised.) No need to thank us. We're just glad we could help.
All ridiculousness aside, it's actually really good. And if you're inclined to give it a try our discretion is assured.
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NEW AND RECOMMENDED
Here's a quick list of a few of our new and favourite products.
Fraser Valley Almond Butter Crunch: Oh my goodness - buttery brittle dipped in chocolate. This is another company that sucker-punched us with their sample bag. Now we can't stop. Let us pass the favour on to you.
Vivani Chocolate: New chocolate! We love new chocolate. Well, we love all chocolate. But this is German chocolate - very serious business. And very delicious.
Golden Star White Jasmine Sparkling Tea: A fermented, sparkling tea-based beverage. They have some fun pairing notes.
Cancoillotte a l'Ail Rose: Cancoillotte is like velveeta... but French. So, like the German chocolate, it's serious. It's a soft, runny cheese that spreads on bread, and can be served either warm or cold. You could call it lazy-boy fondue, or compare it to just having the middle of a gooey wheel... or you could read the history of it on wikipedia. It has a pedigree; it's a real cheese.
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Charelli's
2851 Foul Bay Road, Victoria, BC V8R 5G5 (View map)
Phone: (250) 598-4794
Shop Hours
Tuesday - Saturday: 10am - 5:30pm | Sunday: 11am - 3pm | Monday & Holidays: closed |
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