Herma’s News – Inside Herma’s Kitchen, Father’s Day Gifts, Cocktail Time, Balsamic
Let’s hear it for the gentle men with old-fashioned souls and new-fashioned hearts, who cherish women, respect nature and children and have a passion for justice, freedom and the arts. – unknown
Dear Customers,
The beauty of June is all around us and it is up to us to embrace it. We are so glad Father’s Day takes place this weekend as it gives us the perfect excuse to celebrate with family and friends outdoors.
This Saturday as you shop for Father’s Day and fill your Herma’s basket with gourmet goodies, be sure to see Herma in her kitchen as she will, once again, have something special for you to try.
This Week in Herma’s Kitchen
Saturday, June 17th, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.
We love our NEW line of products from Texas. New Canaan Farms’ jellies, jams, barbecue sauces, salsas and more are really something special and we look forward to having you try them. Visit Herma in her kitchen this Saturday for some delicious food tastings.
New Canaan Farm’s Jams, BBQ Sauces and Salsas
To find out more about this delicious line of foods and how it may be used, click on the link below or go to our blog section at hermas.ca.
Father’s Day Gifts
Mistral for Men
We carry an abundance of Mistral for Men products that pamper – hydrating, nourishing and cleaning the skin. We absolutely love their fragrances which are intoxicatingly masculine with amazing sex appeal.
At Herma’s find…
Luxury Soap – Eau de Parfum – Shave Cream – Post Shave Balm – Exfoliating Face Wash – Face Moisturizer
Everest Whiskey Glasses
This whiskey glass includes a replica of Mount Everest – a symbol of bold ambitions and the relentless pursuit of achieving life’s goals. The summit of the mountain breaks through your choice of drink which gently aids in aerating the whiskey as it is being swirled. Store the glass in the freezer to make use of the glass’ Chill Charge System embedded within. This allows whiskey to chill in less than 18 seconds.
Wrapped Gift Certificates, Gift Baskets (for him) along with steaks, barbecue sauces and BBQ tools are all wonderful choices for Father’s Day.
Emile Henry’s Pizza Stone
The Emile Henry French Ceramic 14-inch pizza stone is lightweight and highly versatile, whether you are baking pizza in your home oven or outside on the grill. – Good Housekeeping
Not just pizza!
This ceramic stone tray is also the perfect platform on which to bake a Pizza Cookie with Fruit (peaches, kiwi, raspberry, strawberry, blueberry and creamy white cheese), to warm Loaded Nachos or toast Crostini Appetizers. Also consider making a Peach Pizza with Balsamic Glaze (Place thinly sliced peaches and sliced Prosciutto on top of cheese and thin layer of pizza sauce. Bake 15 minutes at 415 F and maybe broil for a minute more. Before serving, drizzle with Balsamic Glaze and sprinkle with basil and grated Parmigiana.)
Note: When baking pizza, always have the temperature reached and piping hot before pizza is placed in oven or on BBQ.
Fuse & Sip’s Cocktails & Mocktails – Making summer special.
We now offer Fuse & Sip’s Rimmers, Instant Infusion Cubes and Rose & Jasmine Bud Garnish in addition to the Infusion Kits we know and love.
Cocktail & Mocktail Infusion Kits
These kits contain all-natural dehydrated fruit, herbs, flowers, and organic cane sugar. Simply add to your favorite alcohol (or water), infuse (on stove or in fridge) and top with sparkling water. At Herma’s find Cranberry, Orange & Lime Electrolyte, Mulling It Over, Frosé All Day, Perfectly Peared, Some Like it Hot and more.
NEW Cocktail & Mocktail Rimmers
Add a little extra something special to your favourite cocktail or mocktail by wetting the rim of your glass and placing into one of Fuse & Sip’s special blends. We carry the following…
Berry (delicious blend of dried strawberries, with organic cane sugar & pure sea salt) – Citrus (dried grapefruit, orange & lemon with organic cane sugar & pure sea salt) – Cosmo (dried cranberry, orange & lime with organic cane sugar & pure sea salt) – Lime (dried lime with organic cane sugar & pure sea salt)
NEW Instant Infusion Cubes
Instantly create a delicious cocktail or mocktail with a cube or two. Once it dissolves in a splash of water just add something like beer, vodka, tequila or even water. Top with sparkling water and ice if desired. At Herma’s we carry…
Cosmo Instant Infusion Cubes (dried Cranberry, lime & organic cane sugar) – Moscow Mule Instant Infusion Cubes (dried lime, ginger, matcha green tea & organic cane sugar) – Orange Bitter Instant Infusion Cubes (dried clementine, gentian root & organic cane sugar)
Fuse & Sip’s small tubes of Rose & Jasmine Buds are beautiful, adding a very subtle flavour when sprinkled into your beverage for that special touch.
Herma’s Cheese Shop
We have the cheese that will make your picnic, patio dining and Father’s Day cookout a special occasion. When purchasing cheese or planning a cheese and charcuterie platter, be sure to ask Janis for her knowledge and expertise.
Say Cheese for Summer
Our choices…
Wensleydale with Lemon (England) A unique combination of the classic Yorkshire Wensleydale cheese and golden bits of candied lemon zest.
Paillot de Chevre (Quebec) A tangy, lactic goat’s milk cheese with subtle hints of hazelnut. Pair with a crisp Sauvignon Blanc, Reisling or Rosé.
Brebirousse D’Argental (Lyon, France) A sheep’s milk cheese – sweet, buttery and udderly sinful.
Charcuterie
Ask at the cheese counter to have Fennel Salami, Prosciutto and Porchetta Ham, fresh from Italy, sliced just how you like. Packaged salami, chorizo and different types of Italian ham may be found in our coolers.
Balsamic – Adding a whole new dimension to your food.
Use balsamic where it can really elevate your tasting experience with more complex flavour by placing a few drops on fresh berries, peaches, vanilla ice cream, grilled salmon, shrimp, steak, charcuterie, summer salads, bruschetta on crostini and as a dip sometimes diluted with olive oil for slices of crusty bread. It is amazing drizzled over hard, aged cheese like Parmigiana Reggiano, adding a whole new dimension to the tasting experience of this hard, salty cheese. And for a really special treat, drizzle over fried scallops sprinkled with sesame seeds. Consider serving scallops laid on a bed of asparagus.
Shopping for Balsamic – Knowledge is Power
3 Types of Balsamic
Traditional Balsamic (Look for the DOP stamp.)
Bottles labeled Aceto Balsamico Tradizionale di Reggio Emilia or Aceto Balsamico Tradizionale di Modena are produced in Reggio Emilia or Modena, Italy. – Only Trebbiano or Lambrusco grapes are used. – The juice from these grapes is aged in wooden barrels for at least 12 years up to 400 years to develop its unique flavor. – The best grade will contain only cooked must as its ingredient. – The casks that house the grape musk are made of different woods such as chestnut, cherry, oak, mulberry ash and juniper. – Its strict production regulations make it the costliest.
Condiment Grade (Look for the IGP stamp.)
Bottles labeled Balsamic Vinegar of Modena PGI, Condimento Balsamico, Salsa Salsamica or Salsa di Mosto Cotto, provide a depth of flavor similar to traditional balsamic vinegar, but at a more reasonable price which allows you to be more liberal with its usage. They do, however, lack the woodsy notes and complexity that is achieved from aging for longer periods in wooden barrels.
For quality IGP look for…Fewer Ingredients (The list of ingredients should have cooked must first and vinegar second) – Made by a traditional producer for three, five or seven years, if possible. – If the vinegar seems thick, it probably has a high percentage of grape must, which is what we want. – Should be made in Modena or Reggio Emilia, Italy. – Costs approximately $30 to $40 for a good-sized bottle.
Beware of the Imposters
Some vinegars may claim to have been made in Italy, but without an I.G.P. stamp, the ingredients could come from anywhere. – There are some vinegars on grocery store shelves that use the word balsamic that are really just vinegar with sweetener and coloring. They may be made with wine vinegar, white vinegar or cider vinegar, and they’re industrially produced to emulate the texture and flavor of balsamic, at a fraction of the price.
Balsamic 101
To educate yourself more about Balsamic Vinegar go the blog section of hermas.ca or click on the following link.
Balsamic 101 – Herma’s Fine Foods & Gifts (hermas.ca)
Savings
Love Dreamfarm’s innovative kitchen tools? Select items are now on sale and marked with yellow sticker prices, up to 50% off. All sales final. No rain checks.
Wishing you the best as you embrace all the beauty that may be found during the month of June. We look forward to seeing you in coming days.
Sincerely,
Meredith Ender
Communications Coordinator
Herma’s Fine Foods & Gifts
