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Fruits at Their Finest |
 Fruits, with their natural sweetness, are always an appropriate finish to a meal or the ideal answer to a sweet craving. Add a bit of pastry to the fruit, and the moment becomes even better! Classic fruit desserts such as cobblers, crumbles, and crisps, are effortless preparations meant to be assembled quickly without any fussiness. The results are simple and simply divine.
IN THIS ISSUE, we acquaint you with some of our favorite traditional fruit desserts. You’ll be prepared to visit the market in search of the moment’s best harvest of fruits and to begin baking. Baking dishes have never been more colorful or versatile; we’ll advise you regarding some of our best recommendations, and why they rank high on our list. We conclude with three classic recipes that provide a sweet finish to any summer occasion.
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Next Issue: |
"Ragin' Cajun" |
Store Information |
Store Hours:
Monday - Saturday
10 a.m. - 9:30 p.m.
Sunday
11 a.m. - 6 p.m.
Calhoun Square
3001 Hennepin Ave.
Minneapolis
(612) 824-4417
(888) 824-4417
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Kitchen Window Services |
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Equipment Rental |
For weddings, graduations, birthdays, anniversaries, company parties
-- or just because!
Outdoor Pizza Party
Let Kitchen Window help you create a one-of-a-kind outdoor party experience for you and your guests at your office or in your backyard. We personalize our services to fit your style – and your budget.
Our Rental options:
- Easy -- Rent the Party Kit
- Easier -- Party Kit & Pre-Prepped Ingredients
- Easiest – Hire our Chef
Serve up authentic calzones, deep-dish pizza and ultra-thin Neapolitan-style pizza with perfect, crispy crust using our outdoor pizza oven. The oven is designed to come to temperature quickly and offers temperature ranges from 250º to 800º. It features an
integrated wood tray that provides wood fired pizza oven flavor. The oven is large enough to bake a 17” round or 17x22” rectangle pizza. Kit includes pizza oven and pizza peel.
more info
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Taste Testing |
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Kitchen Window Online |
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Kitchen Window
is now on Facebook
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 Plan some fun with a cooking class at Kitchen Window! We have an incredible line-up of topics, menus and instructors. With hundreds of choices, a Kitchen Window cooking class makes a great outing with friends and family, as well as a wonderful date night.
Outdoor Kitchen Design - #3196 – Sunday, August 22 | 10:00 a.m.
Meet the Chef: McCormick and Schmicks - #3198 – Monday, August 23 | 6:00 p.m.
Grilling with Smoke, Vegetarian - #3199 – Tuesday, August 24 | 6:00 p.m.
Kimchee and More - Korean Cuisine - #3202 – Monday, August 30 | 6:00 p.m.
View All Cooking Classes You may register for any of our classes any time of day
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Join Us for a Special Event Beer Tasting
Hans importer for Lion & Kitchen Window will be hosting a beer and food tasting on Kitchen Window's Outdoor Patio. >> More Details |
Le Creuset French Heritage Event & Sale
September 11 & 12th
Join Kitchen Window as we commemorate the history, romance, style and function of Le Creuset cookware. Visit our store and our cooking school for two days of demos and samples, seminars and exclusive in-store promotions – all celebrating more than eight decades of Le Creuset cookware. Whether you’re a home cook, a collector, or you’re getting a head start on your holiday shopping, you won’t want to miss this exclusive two-day event! Visit Kitchen Window for:
• An Exclusive Display of Vintage Le Creuset Pieces
• Special Savings on In-Stock, Full Price Le Creuset Merchandise
• Demonstrations and Samples of Traditional French Fare
• Exclusive In-Store Promotional Deals
• French Boulangerie & Patisserie Seminars
• Complimentary Gift with Le Creuset Purchase of $250 or More
• Enter our drawing for a 5.5 quart Round French Oven
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Featured Cobbler and Crisp Items |
Baking and serving your cobbler is a one-dish affair. Choose a dish that matches the volume of fruit. Top each serving with a scoop of ice cream. What a delicious way to celebrate the end of summer!
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Knife of the Month - August |
KNIVES OF THE MONTH
Wusthof Trident 5" Serrated Tomato or Brunch Knife
The Wusthof 5 inch Tomato Knife is a bestseller and a great addition to your cutlery collection. The serrated edge can slice through tomatoes, sausages, crusty breads or pastries, and the unique fork tip allows you to serve your slices with ease. The Wusthof Classic 5 inch brunch & sausage knife is a great multipurpose knife. Its serrated edge slices through tomatoes, crusty bread, sausages, breakfast pastries and more.
Trident Classic 5" Tomato or Brunch
Suggested Retail $90 THIS MONTH $59.99
Trident Classic Ikon 5" Tomato or Brunch
Suggested Retail $115 THIS MONTH $79.99
Price valid in-store only
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COUPON
20% Off Any Baking Dish
with a $30.00 purchase
{THIS COUPON IS VOID}
Please subscribe to our newsletter to receive our next coupon
Limit one coupon per customer number and one per household.
Offer expires September 2, 2010 |
  
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Kitchen Window's Local Eats - Exclusive Dining Deals |
  Sen Yai Sen Lek
If you haven’t been to Sen Yai Sen Lek yet, now is the time is to check it out. The bright, fresh flavors of authentic Thai cuisine are perfect for these hot summer nights. The restaurant has won all kinds of best-of awards, including Best Thai food, Best New Restaurant and even the Thai Select Award (recognition from government of Thailand). But what we love most about Sen Yai Sen Lek is its heart. For owners Holly and Joe Hatch-Surisook, Sen Yai Sen Lek is more than a restaurant – it’s a family business dedicated to environmental and social responsibility. They actively build relationships with local farmers, growers and producers to source local ingredients whenever possible. The result is not only a menu of the freshest, best tasting ingredients around, but a sense of community that comes through in your dining experience. When you walk into Sen Yai Sen Lek, you feel welcome. The restaurant’s atmosphere is warm, lively and inviting with bright colors, comfortable tables and origami cranes hanging from the ceiling. The family’s sense of pride in the restaurant is apparent, and as a diner, you feel happy to be a part of it. Here at Kitchen Window, we know Joe Hatch-Surisook well – he brings his expertise and enthusiasm to our cooking school a few times a year, and his sell-out classes always earn rave reviews. His specialty is authentic Thai cuisine from the Isaan region, spicy hot dishes that feature fresh meats and vegetables served with sticky rice. We talked to Joe to find out what we should try from his menu during these Dog Days of Summer. Here are his recommendations: Miang Kam (lettuce wraps with toasted coconut, lime, onion, ginger, dried shrimp, peanuts and Thai chilies with a salty-sweet shrimp sauce); Som Tum and Neua Dat Deow (green papaya salad and sweet dried coriander beef); Pad Prik Khing (long bean stir fry with kaffir lime leaves and Fischer Farm pork). And if you stop in before September 5th, he’ll give you $5.00 off your purchase of $25.00 or more.
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-------COUPON-------
Receive $5.00 Off
Any Purchase of $25.00 or More
Limit one coupon per table. Offer valid through 9/5/10.
Sen Yai Sen Lek
2422 Central Avenue
Minneapolis, MN 55418
612-781-3046
www.senyai-senlek.com
HOURS:
Mon.-Thurs.: 11 a.m. -9 p.m.
Fri & Sat: 11 a.m.-10 p.m.
Sun: Closed
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Fantastic Finales - Classic Fruit Desserts |
Generations of cooks before us have been combining summer’s fruit bounty with their culinary imaginations; we’ve been left with a rich legacy of wonderful fruit desserts. The names of the different concoctions are intriguing and entertaining all by themselves! Make a few of these fruit and pastry combinations and you’ll discover distinct personality traits in each -- all worthy of a repeat performance.
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Today’s Le Creuset stoneware bakers not only offer a beautiful variety of color, they have a sturdy composition that makes them endlessly versatile in today’s modern kitchen. Like Le Creuset’s classic enameled cast iron and enameled steel products, Le Creuset stoneware is meant to last and become a classic heirloom in your home.
Practicality - Baking in stoneware provides even, steady heat to the food. Unlike metal pans where the bottom and edges burn before the center is done, stoneware absorbs and distributes heat more slowly at first and retains heat longer after baking. The quality glaze of Le Creuset stoneware provides a naturally non-stick surface.
Versatility – Le Creuset bakers feature All-in-One versatility. Bake, slice, serve, and store all in one dish. Reheat your dish in the oven or microwave the next day. The specially formulated stoneware is tempered to perfection that allows it to perform at high temperatures, up to 500°F, and store at 0°F freezing temperatures. The bakers move easily between the refrigerator, freezer, oven, table, microwave, broiler, and finally dishwasher.
Durability – Le Creuset’s bakers are further distinguished in quality by their durability assessed in several ways. The firing and glazing processes create an “even” piece of stoneware. This means that Le Creuset bakers are resistant to chipping and scratching. The hard glaze refuses to stain, or absorb odors or flavors. Together, these characteristics provide a safer cooking scenario and easy clean-up routines.
Style -- A distinctive feature of all Le Creuset products are the bold, beautiful colors of their glazes and enamels. Choose from several sizes of bakers in the same hue, or mix-and-match your bakers across a variety of colors. The classic glazes and smooth stylings of Le Creuset bakers provide a graceful, ready-for-the-table presentation. Each baking dish is styled with handles that are easy to grasp even with thick hot pads or mitts; this allows for greater confidence when transferring a finished dish from a hot oven.
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Le Creuset, as a company, has rich and colorful history. Begun in 1925, Le Creuset started with their classic enamel-on-cast-iron French oven – a classic still today. This quintessential pan was the result of an expert in iron casting and another expert in enameling meeting and combining their talents. The company flourished and became the standard in culinary tools. During WWII, the factory in Northern France was co-opted by the German Wehrmacht for the making of grenades. After the war, it was back to business and a renewed flourishing of their enameled cast iron products. Le Creuset also produces quality stoneware products, and enamel-on-steel products. The first color, an orange known as “Flame,” is still a classic. Other distinctive Le Creuset colors include Kiwi, Caribbean, Cherry, Black Onyx, Cobalt, Dijon, White, Dune, and two newly unveiled colors, Lilac and Cassis. |
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Kitchen Window Smart Cobbler and Crisp Making Tips |
Tip #1: When transferring a frozen, filled baking dish to the oven, begin with a cold oven and allow the dish to heat as the oven preheats. Lengthen baking time to accommodate defrosting. Check the center of the fruit dessert or casserole for doneness with an instant read thermometer.
Tip #2: For crumb toppings calling for oats, choose regular oats. “Quick-cooking” oats may absorb the fruit juices too quickly creating a mushy crumble instead of a crispy crumble.
Tip #3: Check your collection of hot pads and oven mitts for holes or thin spots. Ensure kitchen safety with potholders that protect but are not too thick or clumsy. New fabrics and styles are available that provide insulation yet allow for greatest dexterity when handling hot items.
Tip #4: At the risk of stating the obvious, a scoop of a rich vanilla ice cream is the perfect accompaniment to a fruit cobbler or crisp. The warm cobbler with the cold ice cream is a great sensation along with the complementary flavors.
Tip #5: Choose a baker for your cobbler or crisp that matches the volume of your recipe. Fruits will release their juices and bubble up during baking. Allow enough space at the top to avoid an oven spill.
Tip #6: For a presentation variation, use individual ramekins or au gratin dishes to bake your fruit dessert. Take care not to overfill and serve on a charger while still warm.
Tip #7: Le Creuset’s enameled cast iron French ovens will also turn out perfect cobblers and crisps. They have the added advantage of being useful on the stovetop for making slumps and grunts.
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Q: Do I need to peel the fruits used in my desserts?
A: This is a matter of personal preference and the quality of the fruit being used. Tough skins will soften during baking. Most stone fruits, for example, nectarines, plums, and apricots, will not require peeling. You may wish to peel apples based on their variety, age, and your desired results.
Q: The fruit dish was delicious, now what’s the best way to clean the baker?
A: The sugar in fruit can caramelize along the edges during baking potentially challenging clean up. Simply fill the baker with water and allow to soak for a while until any residue is softened. Unless glazed all over, including the bottom, it’s advisable not to fully immerse bakers in water; just fill the inside when soaking.
Q: My baked fruit dessert was very runny and juicy when finished. How can I get it to “set-up” better?
A: Fruits vary in their water content and in their pectin content. Pectin is a natural plant component that when released from the fruit causes the juices to gel. Common fruits high in pectin include apples, plums, currants, and citrus fruits, Low pectin fruits include apricots, blueberries, cherries, peaches, strawberries. For low pectin fruits, add a tablespoon of cornstarch to every 2-3 cups of prepared fruit.
Q: What is crazing?
A: Crazing, in the context of ceramics, appears as a fine spider web of cracks on the baking dish. Crazing represents cracks in the glaze and is undesirable in several ways. Cracks in the glaze may hold food and not clean well leading to an unsanitary condition. Crazing is often a precursor to cracking of the entire piece of pottery. Choose quality ceramics that resist crazing.
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From
Michelle H. |
At Kitchen Window, we strive to offer everything you need to outfit your kitchen, stock your cupboards, host a fabulous dinner party or give the perfect gift. And we are excited about the products we carry – we don’t just sell them, we use them in our own kitchens everyday. Check out our new feature – Kitchen Window’s Staff Picks – to get to know us and the products we love.
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Staub Coq au Vin Cocotte
The 6 quart oval shaped Coq au Vin Cocotte is perfectly designed for concentrating and melding the flavors of your stews and other slow cooking dishes.
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Michelle H.
Inventory Manager
Michelle has been with Kitchen Window for the better part of four years. She’s a Culinary Institute of America graduate who’s into reading about food and making coffeecakes, chocolates and braised meats. Michelle’s pick is the 6 qt. Coq au Vin Cocotte by Staub because, as she says, “Every meal is more festive with a rooster at the table.” |
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Rustic Fruit Desserts: Crumbles, Buckles, Cobblers, Pandowdies, and More by Cory Schreiber and Julie Richardson, copyright © 2009. Published by Ten Speed Press, a division of Random House, Inc. Photo credit: Sara Remington © 2009.
A Gourmet Magazine Cook Book Club Selection
James Beard award-winning chef, Cory Schreiber,
and Portland’s Baker & Spice, Julie Richardson
This charming book showcases a year’s worth of fruit deserts in every way imaginable. Organized by season, the authors walk us from the orchard and berry patches, to the oven, and on to the table. Whether a crisp or a crumble, or a cobbler or slump, the recipes highlight fruits at their seasonal best. Each recipe begins with an opening context that puts the dessert into perspective while highlighting the accompanying pastry technique. We are schooled toward success in achieving the right crumb or batter consistency for each pastry type. The close-up photography is sumptuous and mouth-watering. We were reminded of fruit desserts from our grandmother’s table and simultaneously treated to the latest trends in fruit and pastry desserts. Overall, a delightful addition to our summer! |
Three Classic Fruit Dessert Recipes |
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Nectarine, Boysenberry and Almond Crisp
View recipe
The toasted almonds dancing on the top of this crisp were our favorite part of this summer dessert. The deep purple of the berries dominated the color of the crisp, but the dual flavors of the nectarines and berries paired beautifully in flavor and taste. The author recommends baking this crisp in a shallow baker to improve evaporation of these two very juicy fruits.
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Apricot Raspberry Cobbler
View recipe
Part cake and part biscuit, the cobbler batter pushes its way up through a generous heaping of apricots and raspberries. The result is a luscious collage of cake and fruit in every spoonful. The fruit juices released during baking form a perfect sauce for the cobbler. A scoop of vanilla ice cream would fit nicely on top of this dessert.
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Double-Crusted Pluot Crisp
View recipe
If you can’t get enough of the crispy topping on your fruit dessert, this recipe is for you. There’s a double dose of streusel, one on the bottom, and one on the top, that vies for center stage in this crisp. While pluots, (a plum and apricot cross), are featured in this version, nearly any stone fruit or combination of fruits would be absolutely perfect with this crust.
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Share this email with a friend or invite someone to join you for a cooking class.
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Skip the main course and jump straight to a fruit cobbler or crisp dessert!
From all of us at Kitchen Window
Kitchen Window
Calhoun Square - 3001 Hennepin Ave.
Minneapolis, MN 55408
612-824-4417 -- 888-824-4417
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