News
Our Holiday Gift Guide is Here! November 17 2017
It’s gift giving time and we want to make that as easy as possible for you. Here is our 2017 Holiday Gift Guide filled with goodies for everyone on your list from Grandma Terry to Baby Felix. Well, maybe not the baby but you get the idea!
GIFTS OF WARMTH
The holidays are filled with gatherings of friends and family that give us the warm fuzzies. Here are a few gifts that will literally warm you up from the inside out.
P & T Tea Bags: Our selection of teas from this German tea producer include Tip of the Morning, a traditional black tea blend; Berry Pomp, a fruit tea made from dried berries; Pu Er Bai Ya, a pure Chinese white tea guaranteed to warm you all of the way through; and Mighty Green Tea, a rich Japanese Sencha green tea full of all of those components guaranteed to improve your health.
Undone Chocolate Cacao Tea: This is drinking chocolate’s lighter cousin. While still having a distinct chocolate flavor Cacao Tea is much lighter than rich drinking chocolate making it perfect to sip on later in the day. If you’re feeling especially festive, use the cacao shell tea as an infusion in your favorite vodka to have a Chocolate Martini when celebrating with friends.
Rococo Chocolates Drinking Chocolate: Winter wouldn’t be complete without a delicious cup of rich drinking chocolate. This mix from Rococo Chocolates is pure dark chocolate making it perfect to mix with water or milk for a very rich drink sure to warm you on the coldest days. The drinking chocolate can also be substituted in your favorite recipe in place of cocoa powder making that chocolate treat even more indulgent.
D.a.T. Sauce: This hot sauce provides a different kind of warmth using chilis to warm you up. We’ve done a lot of testing and this hot sauce is great on EVERYTHING! The perfect size for a stocking stuffer, pick up a bottle or 3 to give to your favorites this year.
GIFTS OF HOSPITALITY
The holidays are all about taking care of the ones you love whether it be at your place, theirs, or an impressive destination. These gifts are all about spreading the hospitality that comes along with the festive season.
The Matzo Project Matzo Crackers: These crackers might scream Passover but are actually perfect for Hanukkah, Christmas, Festivus and the New Year. They make the perfect vessel for the rich, stinky cheese at your cocktail party or pair them with cream cheese and smoked salmon as a perfect brunch item. With their quirky packaging these Matzo Crackers are also the perfect conversation piece during those slightly awkward moments at your neighbor’s holiday gathering.
Pasta Tonight Gift Set: This gift set contains Semolina Artisanal Pasta Strozzapretti, Due Cellucci Tomato Sauce and FIVE Extra Virgin Olive Oil. The combination of the three products makes an amazing and easy weeknight meal but are also special enough to serve for a festive meal. Add a bottle of red wine and await you’re all set!
Essie Spice Sauces: Essie’s sauces liven up any event starting with your taste buds. Try the rich and savory Coco for Garlic or sweeten your dish up a bit with a splash of TamarindOh!. This year Essie expanded her line beyond sauces introducing her Fi:Ye Collection. This collection includes handmade items for the kitchen and the table. The Fi:Ye Small Dinner Plates are the perfect addition to your holiday table-scape. Head over to Essie’s site to learn more about this amazing project.
GIFTS OF JOY
The joy of the holiday season should be spread around all day, every day. These items are perfect to pop in your bag for the unexpected meeting with a friend or to treat yourself to a little joy while out doing your holiday shopping.
Tiny But Mighty Microwave Popcorn: It doesn’t get easier than popping a bag of popcorn into your microwave and hitting start. Pop ahead of time and pack in your bag for a delicious snack on the go. If you don’t finish the entire bag, don’t fret, use the remaining kernels to make a garland to decorate your tree.
Nuts About You Ranch Salad Almonds: While Ranch Salad sounds more like a summer staple, these almonds are great year-round. Enjoy their great taste and the energy coming from this super food. We’ve found these to be the perfect size to tuck inside your ski jacket for a quick snack before your next run.
Rococo Chocolates Holiday Bars: The flavors Gingerbread Spice Milk Chocolate, Christmas Pudding Dark Chocolate, Gold, Frankincense & Myrrh Dark Chocolate and Moroccan Mint Dark Chocolate scream Happy Holidays! The packaging is so beautiful you don’t even need to worry about wrapping paper. Perfect for everyone on your list big and small.
We are also able to curate custom gift sets to fit your needs. Please contact us at hello@juliesbeet.com or 917.951.6527 for more information.
Happy Holidays!
Julie
Celebrate our 2nd Anniversary! April 14 2017
Wow! I cannot believe that two years ago today I hit the button that made the Julie’s Beet Website Live! That’s right, today marks our second anniversary. I’m not sure I knew exactly what I was getting into 2 years ago but it has been an amazing adventure. The best part has been getting to share my knowledge of food and our amazing artisans with all of you.
In honor of our second anniversary we are having a Two is Always Better than One Sale. This is true of shoes, socks, glasses of wine and the products from our marketplace. We’ve featured products from artisans who joined the collection in our second year. Just add any of their products to your cart between now and April 30 and we’ll automatically add a second product from the same artisan to your shipment at no extra charge. That gives you two times the opportunity to taste and experiment with these amazing items. The artisans included in the sale are Artion Greek Foods, Cacao Prieto, Due Cellucci Tomato Sauces, EssieSpice, Paul + Pippa, Rick’s Picks and Tiny But Mighty Popcorn. You can shop the entire sale here. Visit our Facebook page during the sale to learn more about each of these artisan.
Who knows what the next 365 days will bring but I know I cannot find out. What will the new food trends be? What new artisans will be find to add to the marketplace? I hope you’ll stick with me for the journey ahead.
Happy Friday,
Julie
New to the Marketplace - Semolina Artisanal Pasta March 03 2017
By now you probably know we have an amazing new pasta as part of the marketplace, Strozzapreti Pasta from Semolina Artisanal Pasta. Strozzapreti is an elongated version of of cavatelli and is not something you’ll typically find on the shelves at your local supermarket. This is a pasta that needs a lot of attention when it is made and you’ll often find hand-rolled versions on restaurant menus. When the ‘new’ Union Square Café opened recently in New York City, they had Strozzapreti on their menu. You’ll also find it on the menu at Marea in New York City prepared with jumbo lump crab, sea urchin and basil.
Strozzapreti translates to priest-strangler and there are a couple of legends to explain the name. One is that gluttonous priests were so enthralled with the savory pasta that they ate too fast and choked on it. Hopefully, you’ll show a little more restraint when eating this amazing pasta. It is perfect paired with a simple tomato sauce like the ones from Due Cellucci Tomato Sauces. Strozzapreti also makes an amazing ‘mac’ and cheese.
At Semolina Artisanal Pasta, founder Leah and her team, use the finest Durum Flour available in the United States to make their organic pasta. Then they cut the pasta with bronze dies. This creates a rough texture on the outside of the pasta which makes is perfect for ‘sticking’ to sauce. I recommend keeping a bag of this pasta in your pantry. You will impress all your guests with the flavor of the pasta even if you are only able to cook it in boiling water and toss it with a little olive oil.
Leave a comment below and let me know your favorite way to cook Strozzapreti.
Happy Friday,
Julie
The Ultimate Baked Pasta February 24 2017
My youngest son turned one yesterday and boy was it a day! I’ve been busy getting ready for his party this weekend but wanted to share this amazing recipe for The Ultimate Baked Pasta. I used Due Cellucci Tomato Basil Sauce and our newest product Strozzapreti Pasta from Semolina Artisanal Pasta(more on this soon!). This dish is perfect for the chilly weather and is easy enough to throw together for a delicious weeknight meal.
Happy Friday,
Julie
The Ultimate Baked Pasta
Makes 6 servings
Ingredients
16 oz Semolina Strozzpreti Pasta
1 – 24 oz Jar Due Cellucci Tomato Basil Sauce
1 ½ cups Fresh Ricotta
½ cup Grated Parmesan Cheese
2 cups Shredded Mozzarella Cheese
Method
-Preheat oven to 350°F. Cook Semolina Strozzpreti Pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water until very al dente, drain.
-In a large bowl combine the cooked Semolina Strozzpreti Pasta and Due Cellucci Tomato Basil Sauce. Fold in Ricotta leaving large clumps. Spread about half of the past mixture in the bottom of a casserole dish. Sprinkle half of the Parmesan and Mozzarella over the pasta. Top with the rest of the pasta mixture and sprinkle with the remaining cheeses.
-Cover with foil and bake for 20-25 minutes or until the cheese is bubbling.
-Garnish with fresh basil, if desired, before serving.
Stock Your Pantry February 10 2017
We’ve just survived another round of snow here in New York. There is always a lot of hype prior to a snow storm about stocking your pantry. Since we don’t typically drive to the supermarket in New York I feel it is less of an issue than it might be in other places. I do however promote stocking your pantry with great food items to use in a pinch whether it be a snow storm or an unexpected guest. I know I’m always pushing products from our marketplace (that is my job!) but a quick survey of my pantry found the following items and here are some suggestions on how to use them.
Jacobsen Salt Co. Kosher Salt – This is a no-brainer. Good salt makes everything taste better and I pretty much use this salt on everything from seasoning a steak to brightening up a salad.
La Boîte Spice Blends – I have too many spice blends to count. After cooking the box of pasta from your pantry toss generously with your chosen spice blend and some olive oil before serving.
Rick’s Picks Phat Beets – These are good straight from the jar but are also great in a salad paired with goat cheese or blue cheese or whatever cheese is hanging out in your refrigerator.
Due Cellucci Traditional Tomato Sauce – Of course you could pour this amazing sauce over that pasta from your pantry OR you could use it as a base for a delicious tomato soup. Pair the soup with a grilled cheese sandwich and everyone in your house will be happy!
Lucy’s Granola – This a great breakfast option when you’re snowed in and don’t have anywhere to go. I recommend having breakfast in your pajamas when there is no place to go. Pour some granola on top of your yogurt for a delicious parfait. You can also sprinkle onto pancakes as they are cooking for some extra crunch and hidden deliciousness.
Paul & Pippa Biscuits – Is it a cookie? Is it a cracker? Well, these biscuits are both. The sweet flavors are great with a cup of tea and the savory would be great with that cheese from the refrigerator.
I’m sure if I moved some of the boxes of Cheerios around in my pantry I would find more products to tell you about but I think you get the idea. I hope you’re surviving the weather wherever you are. Remember you can order from our marketplace rain or snow or sleet or hail or sun!
Happy Friday,
Julie
Sneak Peak - New Year's Eve Menu December 30 2016
I am busy getting ready for our annual New Year’s Eve Celebration. I’ve decided to give you a sneak peak at this year’s menu. How many products from our marketplace can you spot?
I may add a few other surprise items to keep it interesting. For those of you attending… come hungry!
Happy New Year!
Julie
Devilled Eggs with La Boîte Izak N. 37 & Rick’s Picks Hotties
Caviar with traditional condiments(egg white, egg yolk, chives, red onion, crème fraiche)
Smoked Fish from Barney Green Grass with lemon wedges, toast points and crackers
Cheese Plate with Paul and Pippa Don Manchego and Tomato Bravo Biscuits
Baked Brie in Puff Pastry with Gus & Grey Jam
Simple Pizzas with Due Cellucci Tomato Sauce( cheese, mushroom & truffle oil)
Tiny But Mighty Microwave Popcorn
Rococo Chocolates Dipped Pretzels and Strawberries
Fudgy Brownies
Banana Chocolate Chip Cupcake Menorah
The Best Meal for a Crowd December 09 2016
It is amazing how fast time flies between Thanksgiving and New Years. We have just over three weeks left to make the most of 2016! I don’t know about you but I have a lot of family get togethers between now and the end of the year. I always want to make sure everyone is well fed, but also want to enjoy their company. This recipe for vegetable lasagna is always a hit. The best part is it can be made ahead and just heated on the day. Serve with a salad and some fresh bread for a quick and easy meal.
What are your go-to recipes for a crowd? I am always looking for new ideas on how to keep a hungry crowd happy.
Happy Friday,
Julie
Vegetable Lasagna with Due Cellucci Tomato Sauce
Makes 6-8 Servings
Ingredients
1 package(9 oz) lasagna noodles, oven ready
2 each green zucchini
2 each yellow squash
1 medium eggplant
1 – 10oz bag frozen spinach
16 oz ricotta cheese
8 oz shredded mozzarella
1 piece fresh mozzarella(about ½ pound)
1 –jar Due Cellucci Tomato Sauce
PROCEDURE:
- Slice zucchini, yellow squash & eggplant into ½ inch slices. Lay in a single layer on a baking sheet and drizzle with olive oil, salt & pepper. Bake in a 350°F oven for 20-30 minutes, until cooked through.
- Defrost bag of spinach and ring out extra water. Mix all the spinach with the ricotta cheese.
- Slice the fresh mozzarella into ½ inch pieces.
- Now you are ready to build the lasagna
- Layer 1 – Due Cellucci Tomato Sauce (generously coat the bottom of the baking dish(9x13 pan approximately)
- Layer 2- lasagna noodles(break into pieces so they don’t overlap)
- Layer 3 – single layer of zucchini & yellow squash
- Layer 4- more Due Cellucci Tomato Sauce
- Layer 5- noodles
- Layer 6 – Eggplant
- Layer 7 – fresh mozzarella
- Layer 8 – Due Cellucci Tomato Sauce
- Layer 9 – ricotta & spinach
- Layer 10 – noodles
- Layer 11 – Due Cellucci Tomato Sauce
- Layer 12 – shredded mozzarella
- Once the lasagna is assembled, cover with tin foil and bake in 350 degree F oven for 1 hour, take foil off for the last 10-15 minutes to make the cheese golden brown.
- If you’re making ahead. Let cool before placing in the refrigerator. Reheat in a 350°F uncovered for 20-30 minutes until heated through.
Visit our Showroom This Sunday October 21 2016
Is it summer or fall? The weather this week has me thinking of June or July but not October. As it turns out the weather will be more seasonal for our Fall Open House this Sunday. I’ve been busy all week getting the showroom ready. I hope you’ll be able to join the fun as we open our doors, welcome the fall and the busy holiday season ahead.
Here is a preview of all the excitement we have in store...
Due Cellucci Tomato Sauce Sampling: From 1:30-3pm, Stefanie, the creator of Due Cellucci Tomato Sauces, will be on site with her delicious sauces warmed up and ready to taste.
EssieSpice TamarindOh! Tequila Sunrise Punch: We are always looking for new ways to use our products and this recipe from EssieSpice is perfect. We’ll have a kid-friendly version as well.
Special Markdowns: We have a few specials cooked up for Sunday including Rococo Chocolates Bee Bars for just $1 each and Tiny But Mighty Popcorn at half-price!
Raffle Give Away: Enter to win a Big Apple Gift Set featuring all or our local artisans.
I hope to see you on Sunday. Here are the details one more time!
Julie’s Beet Open House
Sunday October 23rd, 11a – 5p
210 West 80th Street
New York, NY 10024
Happy Friday,
Julie
NYC Open House October 07 2016
In just a little over two weeks, we will be hosting another Open House at our NYC Showroom. This year, we will be highlighting all of our NYC based artisans. We hope you will be able to join us for a day full of amazing artisans and delicious food New York City Style!
Stefanie, the creator of Due Cellucci Tomato Sauces will be tasting her newest sauce, Spicy Arrabbiata Sauce. Be one of the first to taste this delicious addition to her already wonderful line of tomato sauces.
Sample a delicious cocktail using the sauces from EssieSpice. You’ll be able to take home the collection of all three sauces at the reduced price of $25. We will also feature samples from our local artisans La Boite, Cacao Prieto, Empire Mayonnaise Company and Rick's Picks.
Lots of other wonderful products will be available at reduced prices including Tiny But Mighty Popcorn and Rococo Chocolates. We will also be giving away one of our Big Apple Gift Sets featuring the amazing artisans from New York City.
We hope to see you there!
Here are the details:
Julie’s Beet Open House
Sunday October 23, 2016
11am – 5pm
210 West 80th Street
New York, NY 10024
Happy Friday,
Julie
Picky Eaters August 05 2016
Children, especially toddlers, are often called picky eaters. They love everything that isn’t good for them… bread, pasta, French fries, chocolate. As a young girl, I vividly remember my grandmother saying “There is no such thing as I DON’T LIKE!”. We were threatened to get more of whatever we didn’t like and were clever enough to try to use it to get more sweets. When I went to culinary school one of my instructors claimed you should never say you don’t like something but use the phrase “This food has never been prepared to my liking.” It definitely sounds more sophisticated than “I don’t like this food” but really says the same thing.
I’ve been making my sons food since he was a baby hoping early exposure would make him less of a picky eater. I made a puree of everything I could think of and he ate most of it. Then the pickiness set in. What I’ve discovered is that he usually has a favorite condiment that will get him to eat almost anything. I used to put hummus with everything and he would gobble it up. These days hummus seems to only go on pretzels or crackers. When I met Stefanie of Due Cellucci Tomato Sauces she said other parents claimed their kids would only eat things with ‘Stefanie’s Sauce’ on them. I was a little skeptical since my son doesn’t like tomatoes to begin with. I recently discovered Stefanie was right! My son still loves his pasta but now he wants it with tomato sauce. That is a bonus for both of us because he’s getting what he wants and I know he is eating something healthy. For young (picky) eaters I recommend their Traditional Tomato Sauce. If I try to sneak in some Tomato Basil Sauce I’m often advised to get rid of the green stuff!
Recently my son has developed a new found love of mayonnaise. We’ve been putting it on our proteins this week. I’ll write more about mayonnaise soon.
Happy Friday,
Julie
My Trip to the Summer Fancy Food Show July 01 2016
This week was the Summer Fancy Food Show in New York. It is a massive gathering of foodies from around the globe and a highlight for me each year. I love walking the show to see what is new and exciting in the food world, not to mention meeting wonderful artisans who are super passionate about what they do.
The show runs for three days in the summer in New York. I’ve been a bit busy this summer and ended up with just two hours at the show on Tuesday. I had a full schedule for those two hours… I wanted to meet with our current vendors and also look for new ones. I wore my sneakers so I could make better time through the aisles and the crowd was fairly thin, which made it a lot easier to get around.
I wish I could purchase all of the delicious products I tasted but there just isn’t room for that. I’ve made a wish list and plan to work through adding the products in that order. Stay tuned for some delicious treats from as far away as Berlin, Germany and as close as Brooklyn, New York. You’ll also see some new flavors from our current artisans Paul + Pippa and Lucy’s Granola.
The Winter Fancy Food Show is in San Francisco in January. I’m already planning my trip out west and hope to be at the show for more than 2 hours!
Have a great holiday weekend.
Happy Friday,
Julie
Delicious Passover Foods April 22 2016
Tonight marks the beginning of the Jewish Holiday of Passover. This holiday celebrates the exodus from Egypt of the Jewish people and incorporates the story of Moses, Pharoh and the ten plagues. As with most holidays, there are a lot of special foods for Passover. Unfortunately for this holiday, there are a lot of foods to avoid. That doesn’t mean you cannot have something delicious during the holiday.
I’ve taken some of the products from the marketplace to make these holiday staples even better.
Matzoh Pizza is a favorite at my house. This year, we’ll be using Due Cellucci Traditional Tomato Sauce to top our Matzoh. Just spread the sauce over a piece of Matzoh and cover with your favorite toppings. Then finish with shredded mozzarella cheese. Put under the broiler in your oven for about 5-7 minutes until the cheese is melted.
Chocolate Toffee Matzoh is one of my favorite Passover desserts. When you have to cut out leavened foods, there isn’t much to feed a sweet tooth but this always does the trick. Cover a baking pan with aluminum foil and place a single layer of Matzoh on the foil. Next heat one cup butter or margarine with 1 cup brown sugar. Stir constantly until the mixture comes to a boil. Pour over the arranged Matzoh. Place in a 350°F oven until the toffee topping is bubbling. Immediately sprinkle with one bag of chocolate chips. To make this even better we chopped up some Rococo Chocolates Dark Chocolate Sea Salt Artisan Bars and used them instead of Chocolate Chips. As the chocolate melts, spread it to cover the toffee layer. Cool in the refrigerator for 10 minutes, if you leave it too long it will become difficult to cut. Cut and enjoy.
If you are celebrating Passover, I hope you have a wonderful holiday filled with family, friends and delicious food!
Happy Friday,
Julie