Cook's Helpers

Recipes from the Kitchen of Chef Yvonne

soup bowl

Gracious Goodness Starts at Home

A collection of recipes you can do at home to amuse yourself and amaze your friends. And if you need help (or the best ingredients), come in and see us at Wine & Words...& Gourmet, 220 W. Main St., Washington, NC

Ingredients note: Great food is based on great ingredients. Our kitchen-made salad dressings are a case in point. People are always asking me for the "recipe" for my vinaigrette dressings. I have to tell them, "Good olive oil, good vinegar...mix to taste. Voila! Great dressings." I use 100% Arbequina olive oil from the Siurana appellation in northeastern Spain. Then I add a great vinegar - Sherry Vinegar from Jerez, Spain; Balsamic Vinegar from Modena, Italy; Champagne vinegar from France or one of our Perel Flavored Vinegars from Napa, California.
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Nuovo Ravioli and Casa di Lisio Pesto

"Fast Food" that's Great Food

Nuovo logoNuovo logoWe had great success serving Nuovo artisanal pastas at the Back Bay Cafe. The Ravioli fit in with our menu of cuisine made from well-sourced, high quality ingredients. They cook up quickly and we served them either with our own kitchen-made sauces or with a drizzle of olive oil and a grating of fine Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese.
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Trois Petits Cochons

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Two little piggies at workTwo little piggies at workStarted as a small charcuterie by three Frenchmen in Greenwich Village in 1975, Trois Petits Cochons (Three Little Pigs) quickly made a name among the finicky foodies of New York City. In order to reach a national market, they moved to Wilkes-Barre, PA (where the rent is probably a lot cheaper). One of the original three piggies, Alain Sinturel, still owns the company and still makes pates and mousses from all-natural, high quality ingredients.
 
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Giacomo's Italian Salami

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Giacomo's Italian Market - Greensboro, NC

A member of the North Carolina Department of Agriculture’s Goodness Grows in NC™ program, using only NC based products and locally raised pork, beef, and chicken

Traditional coarse-chopped salami's made by hand from the finest ingredients
 
Salami Classico
Giacomo’s famous, world-renowned soppressata, the Classico offers to the discerning palate a robust flavor derived from perfect, natural fermentation. Timing and the right balance of salt and pepper provide an impressive soppressata that could rival any in Sicily.
 
Salami Milano
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Parmigiano-Reggiano

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The King of Cheeses for over 900 years

Once you've tried the real thing, you'll never be satisfied with that powdery stuff that comes in a round green box. We sell only Parmigiano-Reggiano that we cut from a 10 kilo (22 lbs) quarter wheel.

The name "Parmigiano-Reggiano" is a Protected Designation of Origin...just like "Chianti Classico" or "Rioja Reserva" in wine or "Siurana" on olive oil.
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Pickled Shrimp

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A great way to serve our region's freshly caught shrimp

Pair with a light-bodied red wine with some acidity, like a Pinot Noir or our Alaya Laya (Almansa, Spain) or serve a white wine with a bit of sweetness such as Vouvray or other Chenin Blanc wines

Based on a recipe from Anson Mills (www.AnsonMills.com)....
 
Ingredients
 
4 small bay leaves
1 teaspoon black peppercorns
1/2 teaspoon celery seed
2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
1 pound 16/20 shrimp (peeled & deveined)
5 Tbls Siurana extra-virgin Olive Oil (Spain) ♦
5 Tbls Champagne vinegar ♦
4 Tbls Fino Sherry ♦
3 Tbls fresh lemon juice
2 Tsp finely grated lemon zest
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Be careful about honey

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It's hard to keep up with the food safety issues that keep flooding in. Here's another one...this time about honey - Honey Laundering: tainted and counterfeit Chinese honey floods into the U.S.
This is another reason to buy locally sourced foods.  We carry local wildflower honey from Bil-Mar in Pantego, NC.  So support your good health while supporting our local hard-working bees and hard-working beekeepers. 

"Fix the Economy" Features

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All summer I’ve been talking about the miserable weather and the worse economy and about how everyone always talks about these things but no one ever does anything about them. Then with our “Wines that Can’t be Beat to Beat the Heat” we tried to help with the weather. Now, I’ll show you how Wine & Words helps with the economy by Featuring a selection of very good wines at nicely economical prices.
 
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