New Products
If you're anything like me, you tend to fall into "food ruts" where you buy and make the same things over and over again. Fortunately, our stores can add an element of adventure and diversity to your diet. That's because our chefs continue to experiment with new recipes, and our buyers are constantly scouring the world (and the food shows) for fun and exciting new items. Among those we have added recently are Sweetgrass Dairy artisinal cheeses, fabulously chocolaty Noon Pies, GUS sodas, Jacques Torres Chocolate, and incredibly juicy Giannone Air-Chilled Chicken. For descriptions of these toothsome new taste treats, and a more complete listing of new products, click here.

Here Comes Balducci’s!
For those of you keeping score at home, the transition from Sutton Place and Hay Day to Balducci’s is now about halfway complete. After our new management team took over in November, we started the process by lowering prices on hundreds of items in December. In January and February we cleaned the stores from top to bottom, and hired many new associates. In March we added nearly 1,000 great tasting new products. Then in April we introduced our new uniforms and product signs, and also added many convenience products such as organic milk, baby food, pet food and household cleaners. Still to come: facilities upgrades, more new products, the Balducci’s name on the outside of stores – and next winter, a brand new store at 8th Avenue and 14th Street in New York!

Upcoming Special Events

• June 12-13: Big Apple Barbeque Block Party in NY’s Madison Square Park
• June 13: Last day to enter our Perfect Picnic Give-away
• June 19: Big Wine Events in Bethesda, Pikesville and Reston
• June 19: Taste of Reston: join us as we serve up some of our favorites
• June 20: Father’s Day: treat your Dad to some fantastic eats

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One of the most exciting things I’ve discovered in my first months on the job is the archive of hundreds of classic Balducci’s and Hay Day recipes. These are the recipes that have made our stores famous. Some date back to Balducci’s founding in 1916; others are the handiwork of our current chefs. Some have been published (check out the Hay Day Country Market Cookbooks, available in our stores), or printed in catalogs and websites; others kept a very delicious secret. What a culinary treasure trove!

This month we’re celebrating the start of outdoor entertaining so I’ve chosen a few that really set the season in motion – try them at your next party or for a Father’s Day treat!

• Blueberry Lemonade: refreshingly light and unique, this drink is terrific on its own or as a mixer.
• Cold Cucumber and Tomato Soup: cool and tangy to get you in the warm weather mood.
• Roast Salmon Provençal: fried peppers and mushrooms make this dish unique.
• Roast Asparagus with Tarragon Mustard Butter: a delicious vegetable dish.
• Sunset's Lentil and Seed Salad: crunchy and flavorful, a great complement to an outdoor meal.
• Angel Food Cake with Strawberries and Cream: buy our pre-made cakes with the above coupon or make your own – the delicious topping is the best part!

Win one of our Perfect Picnic gift sets! Each of our stores will be giving away three terrific prizes:
• $500 Weber Grill and Supplies*
• $250 Deluxe Picnic Set
• $150 Picnic-in-a Crate & Barrel Rolling Backpack Cooler
If you haven't already done so, enter to win by clicking here. Contest ends June 13th.

*$200 Indoor Grill at NYC store

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This month, Chef Steve Petusevsky checks in from Weston, FL, where they have no cicadas but where spring has nevertheless arrived with a vengeance. Petusevsky currently runs "Chef Steve's," a new restaurant concept that features what he calls "Carried Away Food." A longtime consultant to the natural foods industry, Steve authored the Whole Foods Market Cookbook (Random House, 2002), and has been a regular contributor to Cooking Light, Vegetarian Times and many other food magazines.

Tip of the Month: Blend your own cooking oil and save money.

"A lot of people ask me what oil they should cook with at home. Most chefs make a blend of 60% canola oil and 40% extra virgin olive oil for sautéing in their restaurants. The combination of these two oils enables you to cook healthy pan-sautéed dishes with bold flavor. The canola oil has a high smoking point, allowing you to cook quickly at higher temps, while extra virgin olive oil has a wonderful flavor that canola oil lacks. Stores sometimes sell their own pre-blended oils – which can be quite expensive – but you can also do the same thing at home and save money. When cooking Asian dishes, a mixture of 60% canola oil and 40% dark sesame oil works wonderfully."

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Now that the “stone” fruits – Cherries, Peaches, Nectarines, Plums – are here, how do you pick out the ripe ones? Your Mom (like mine) probably has a knack for it, but our produce buyers have shown me that there's more than luck involved.

With cherries, a change from a light red to a deeper red signals a more intense flavor. But that change occurs while the fruit is still on the tree: it does not ripen at all after it has been picked, so what you see in the store is what you get. Hence you should look for bing cherry displays that contain a lot of firm, darker red ones, but with enough lighter ones to provide a basis for comparison. (Two-tone Rainier cherries are a different story. These are ALL delicious!)

With peaches, nectarines and plums, you want to select fruits that have just a little bit of “give” when you apply gentle pressure – and it will be easiest to determine this if the fruit is at room temperature, not necessarily when it has just been wheeled in from the back cooler. Avoid fruits with obvious bruises (the side edges of the wooden crates in which our fruits are displayed can cause bruises, so inspect carefully). When you get your fruit home, do NOT refrigerate it unless it is already fully ripe. Fruit can be force-ripened by placing in brown paper bags, isolated from other fruits.

Do you have any shopper's tips to share? Email them to us at feedback@suttongourmet.com.

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"One recent night, my son Solomon was feeling grumpy and out of sorts. I invited him to help me make dinner which, to my surprise, he was willing to do. It had been a while since Solomon, who is seven, had cooked with me. By the time dinner was ready, Solomon was back to his bouncy self. He said, 'Mom, cooking with you got rid of my blues.' He got such a thrill out of opening cans by himself, slicing olives (with a plastic serrated knife) and mixing the sauce that he’s volunteered to help us make dinner several times since.

Ever since our kids were babies we have tried to welcome them in the kitchen. Before they were walking, they’d bounce in their jumpers in the kitchen doorway or spin in their exersaucers while I made dinner. Atop our sturdy stepladder, when they were toddlers, they’d 'wash dishes' in the sudsy kitchen sink while I cooked, or make their own 'dinner' out of flour, food coloring, water and soap, giggling when we pretended to taste their foul concoctions.

Now Solomon and Celia are old enough to help make dinner and set the table. Sometimes it takes extra patience to let the kids help in the kitchen. I have to admit that I am often in too much of a hurry to relinquish control. But when they do help, I try to find tasks that they can do all by themselves, and I try to hold my tongue if cheese isn’t sprinkled evenly or peeled carrots retain some skin. I also make sure to keep sharp objects far away and teach the kids to keep their hands away from the stove and oven.

There is an added benefit to cooking with kids: I have noticed that Solomon and Celia are more willing to try eating something new if they’ve had a hand (or two) in making it. Even an involvement as simple as choosing the shape for our pasta makes them feel a sense of pride and accomplishment, and makes them more likely to dig in at dinnertime.

When time and patience allow, we have found that cooking dinner is a great way for parents and kids to spend time together during busy weeknights."

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• Attention red wine lovers:
Too hot for Cabernet? No need to despair, it’s almost summer and the drinking is rosy… or Rosé. Perfect for a hot afternoon, Rosé is a refreshing alternative to red wine and is great choice for outdoor grilling. Try Vignerons Tavel Rosé—just $12.99—at our Maryland, Virginia, and DC stores. Read more…

• Free Tasting Events:
Balducci’s Big Wine Events are free and a great opportunity to sample wines from around the world. Our next events are on June 19th in Maryland (Bethesda and Baltimore) and Reston, Virginia. Read more…

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We’ve Gone Nuts for the Hazelnut
Hazelnuts, hazelnuts, hazelnuts! They seem to be everywhere these days – and with good reason. Cited by famous diets like South Beach, hazelnuts are full of heart-healthy mono-unsaturated fatty acids, protein and antioxidants… but I really love them for their delicious taste. And, after some research, I've determined that we have more than 50 different ways to satisfy a hazelnut craving at our stores – try our marvelous Toscani Bread, Loacker Hazelnut Cube Cookies, and many more delicious treats. Click here to see a full list of hazelnut goodies.

My favorite product of the moment: La Tourangelle Hazelnut Oil. This product is great on salads and perfect for dipping bread.

Want to add even more hazelnut flavor to your life? Try these delicious recipes:

– Blackberry and Hazelnut Sundaes
– Raspberry-Hazelnut Scones

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Thanks again for reading! Look for our next newsletter just before the Fourth of July, with special holiday savings offers.

What did you think of this email? What would you like to see next time? Do you have any shopper's tips to share? Let us know: feedback@suttongourmet.com.