Howdy readers!

Phew, April sure was a jam-packed Month at the Deli! Thanks to everyone who included a little piece of Zingerman’s in their April, be it in the form of a kooky Zingerman’s Candy Manufactory Easter Creature, delicious charosets & macaroons, or a classic Rueben — newly featuring local sauerkraut from the Brinery — before processing to UM Graduation!

Now if these April Showers would kindly move aside, I’d love to bounce right into May! This month, throughout the Deli, we’re celebrating foods Made in Michigan — and what better way to live this theme than to welcome a new product to the shelves that’s made right over in Novi?

Bell Stone Toffee made its way to my desk via Pat Stone, the confectioner, and a very enthusiastic consumer of said toffee named Bob. I’ll admit, I was a little skeptical, having spent almost two years of trying toffees that have been alright & pretty good, but nothing to write home about. I opened a bag of Bell Stone’s Milk Chocolate Toffee, grabbed a small piece, and took a polite nibble… and then started feeding pieces to anyone within my sight! Reina, the Next Door Manager, poked fun at me for my enthusiasm; I suppose I have a reputation as being a little bit hard to please. (Hey! I just take things seriously when it comes to finding you the best sweets possible!)

But don’t just take it from me; Ian Mays — an assistant manager here — consumed three bags in three days this past week. Don’t let him take what’s rightfully yours! Pick up a bag before he eats them all!

In addition to Bell Stone, here is a cheat sheet of our other Michigan Made sweets!

• Unsweetened baking chocolate, natural cocoa powder, and mendiants from Mindo Chocolate Makers (Dexter, MI)
• Truffles, caramels, and pâte de fruit (featuring Michigan grown fruit!) from Sweet Gem Confections (Ann Arbor, MI)
• Truffles and caramels (featuring Michigan ingredients — Right Brain Brewery beer, Sleeping Bear honey and more!) from Grocer’s Daughter (Empire, MI)
• Zzang! bars and peanut brittle from Zingerman’s Candy Manufactory (Ann Arbor, MI)

And of course, while not officially within my chocolate & confections purview, it’d be silly to overlook our fantastic morning pastries, extraordinary cakes & tortes, and a whole mess of pies that have marched into our pastry case — all produced at Zingerman’s Bakehouse on the Southside of town!

Similarly, grab a scoop of our traditional Sicilian gelato, produced at Zingerman’s Creamery — next door to the Bakehouse! I’m particularly loving on the Honey gelato, which features a Michigan clover honey. My kind of ambrosia.

Gelato Tasting!

While on the topic of gelato — come join us for our Gelato Social — Soda Jerk Style on May 17th! What better way to celebrate the beginning of warmer weather and cooling treats? We’ll prime your palate diner-style with savory sliders & salty-fatty latke fingers, before opening the gelato floodgates! We’ll indulge in gelato milkshakes, petite gelato sandwiches, miniature make-your-own sundaes, and a chilly adult beverage or two.

And, as with all of our tastings, we’ll extend a 20% discount to any purchases you make that evening; the perfect way to stock up on favorites and new finds!

RESERVE YOUR SEAT

Lastly — but very important if you want to stay out of Mom’s dog house — Mother’s Day is Sunday, May 13th. Read on for my list of favorite sweets for mom.

Bell Stone Toffee

Over the course of a year, countless product samples make their way across my desk. This toffee initiated some rarely seen unbridled enthusiasm on my part! The ingredients are simple (chocolate, pecans, butter, & sugar), belying a sublime texture and the perfect balance of salty and sweet. Grab a bag and guarantee a spot in Mom’s good graces.

Flora Confections Nougat

Flora Lazar’s petite French-style nougat batons are a perfect not-too-sweet treat for Mom; soft & slightly chewy egg & honey nougat, nestled around nuts and dried fruit. Available in two flavors: Traditional (almonds & pistachio) and Locavore (Michigan cherries & pecans). Don’t miss this sophisticated treat from the Midwest!

Amedei Chocolate

Living up to its Italian pedigree, Amedei charms us with its smoothness. The Toscano line offers creamy, well-balanced blends that are less about being “challenging” and “wild” and more about tapping into and satisfying simple, chocolate pleasures. Available in White (swoon!), Milk, 66% Dark and 70% Dark.

Sweet Gem Pâte de Fruit

These classic French confections have Michigan all over them! Ann Arbor’s own Nancy Biehn of Sweet Gem Confections combines a small handful of ingredients with Michigan fruit headlining the show! A pop of color and bright flavor — making a wonderful addition to any box of treats. Available by the piece (a great way to round out a box of truffles!) or as a 6 piece sleeve.

Chocolat Moderne Avant-Garde Bistro Bars

These bars from Joan at Chocolat Moderne are downright sinful! The collection’s name & abstract expressionist appearance highlight Joan’s playful experimentation in her confectionary kitchen. Snap off a small square to reveal a miniature bonbon, filled with roll-down-your-chin caramel. Available in Blood Orange Bergamot, The Lover (Passion Fruit & Cardamon), and Oak-Smoked Sea Salt.

Béquet Caramels

A staple of many Mother’s Day shopping lists. These exquisitely buttery chewy caramels from Montana are sweetened with brown and white sugars, slowly cooked down and caramelized, building layer upon layer of flavor. We’ve tasted lots of caramels and have yet to find any that holds a candle to these!

French Honey-Sweetened Hard Candies

Jacques Dahan, our friend in French sweets, recently introduced us to this line of hard candies. We were particularly enamored with the floral & herb options! These frosted marble-like candies are sweetened with honey, which does a wonderful job of highlighting, rather than overpowering, their delicate flavors. Available in Verbena, Rose, and Violet.

Guido Gobino Hazelnut Spread

We’ve had more than one Mom purchase a jar of this, explaining that this treat will be hidden away for her exclusive enjoyment! Guido Gobino, established in the 1940s and located in Turin — a hotbed of Piedmontese hazelnuts, hand-selects and roasts only the best of the best nuts, which make up a whopping 35% of this gianduja’s weight. Silky smooth on the tongue, creamy (yet not cloying) milk chocolate, and a long nutty finish. Spread it on a butter croissant for an Italian spin on pain au chocolat!

Yours in chocolate,

An original in every ‘whey’, shape and flavor. Jesse Meerman and his family have been making organic cheese in Coopersville, MI for a while now. He and his siblings have kept the family farm thriving by adding cheese, a CSA and farm store to their dairy farm. Polkton Corners is a mold-ripened cow’s milk cheese that combines the flavors and texture of young gouda and cheddar combined — an original in every whey.

Fresh Ricotta Cheese Our ricotta is very fresh and made locally by the folks at the Serra Cheese Company in Clinton, MI. It’s got a light, fluffy texture and a really clean, milky flavor. Ricotta is incredibly versatile: use it in your favorite Italian recipe or simply dress it with fruit and honey for a quick, healthful breakfast or dessert.

Great Lakes Cheshire Cheese We think that John Loomis’ take on this classic cheese has hit a particularly great stride. Made from the un-pasteurized, certified organic milk of a single herd of the rare Dutch Belted breed of cow, it’s got that creamy, crumbly texture and those buttery, tangy flavors we love so well. Even if you’ve tried it before, ask us for a taste again!

Tracklements Smoked Trout This amazing, whole, bone-in trout (1 lb each) is smoked by our friends at Tracklements, just down the street. Perfect for breakfast, a picnic or simply a nice candlelit dinner. However your eat them, we know you’ll enjoy them.

Zingerman’s Corned Beef by Sy Ginsberg Corned Beef has been the center of the Deli menu for 30 years now. Lots of things have come and gone but the Corned beef that we served in the beginning is the still the same great original recipe that Sy Ginsberg has been making since he first hand delivered our order back in 1982. Take some home with you today and play Deli sandwich magician in your kitchen. It comes in both lean and regular.

Marqués de Valdueza Olive Oil Beautifully balanced and smooth, this blend of four olives from Extremadura, Spain has an exceptional flavor. It’s excellent for simply dipping fresh bread into and enjoying straight up, though its flavor lends well to dressing salads and vegetables.

Biolea Olive Oil From the small village of Astrikas in the northwestern part of Crete, this deliciously fresh olive oil is made with organic koroneiki olives, stone milled and then cold pressed. Superbly balanced and rich- the care and attention to detail they give to their olive oil is evident in every bottle.

Moscatel Reserve Sherry Vinegar Sweet Moscatel wine blended with sherry vinegar from the region of Jerez- this beautiful vinegar is semi-sweet and full flavored. It makes a perfect ingredient for seasoning, marinades and sauce reductions.

]]> http://www.zingermansdeli.com/2012/05/may-2012-made-in-michigan/feed/ 0 http://www.zingermansdeli.com/2012/05/may-specials-2/ http://www.zingermansdeli.com/2012/05/may-specials-2/#comments Tue, 01 May 2012 10:58:32 +0000 Zingerman's Deli http://www.zingermansdeli.com/?p=7849 Olive of the Month: Lucques – All time staff favorite!

The Languedoc region of Southern France is the native soil of these addictive olives.  A favorite at the deli and rightfully so.  Firm, nutty and rich without the added saltyness of many brined olives.

$9.50/half lb

Zingerman’s Creamery Cheese of the Month! Little Napoleon The little cheese with a big complex. The Little Napoleon is made by very gently hand-ladling the cheese curd into molds to allow for proper drainage and the fullest flavor development. This small, mold-ripened goat cheese has a butter colored mold rind, which develops blue mottling with age. When very young (two weeks) this cheese has a soft creamy texture and a gently acidic flavor. As it reaches middle age (two to three weeks) the cheese is semi-firm and develops a full, savory flavor. At one month, the cheese is firm to hard with a pungent goat flavor. $5.99/ea (reg. $7.99/each)

Sandwich of the Month! HUBBUB What’s the racket amongst sandwich fans? Breakfast Food! Breakfast for lunch. And dinner. And of course, breakfast. Our Breakfast BLT is off the charts, on the deliciousness scale, but due to space constraints, “BST” or “Breakfast Serving Time,” at the Deli is only 7am-11am. So! We present for your all-day enjoying pleasure: a Hard-boiled egg Under Bacon Beneath cheddar and the Usual BLT fixin’s. In simple sandwich terms, that’s applewood smoked bacon, a hard-boiled egg, cheddar cheese, lettuce, tomato, and mayo on an onion roll! The acronym may be a bit of a reach, but we think this sandwich is worth clamoring about. $12.99/one size

Zingerman’s Bakehouse Bread of the Month! Jewish Rye bread Made with a traditional recipe for chewy, crusty rye bread. Real rye like this is hard to find these days! $4.50/ea Special Bakes! Scallion Walnut Farm bread baked on 5/4 & 5/5 Our crusty, slightly sour farm bread with toasted walnuts and fresh chopped scallions. Cranberry Pecan bread baked on 5/11 & 5/12 Making a special appearance for Mother’s Day weekend! And what a great gift or brunch treat it would make! How do we pack so much flavor in 1¼ pounds? This is a dense loaf loaded with dried cranberries and toasty pecans. Potato Dill bread baked on 5/18 & 5/19 Roasted potatoes, fresh dill and scallions mixed up in a round of our chewy tangy sourdough. Great on a tuna melt or toasted with cream cheese. Loomis bread baked on 5/25 & 5/26 Tangy farm bread with chunks of Zingerman’s Creamery Cheshire cheese and roasted red peppers from Cornman Farms. It’s a ZCoB trifecta and a Zingerman’s exclusive. Blueberry Buckle 5/26 Saturday delivery Perfect for Memorial Day weekend! A buckle is an American coffeecake that dates back to colonial times. Our sweet and moist version has a bounty of wild blueberries, sweet butter, a touch of orange and cinnamon, and is topped off with a remarkable butter-crumble crust.

Cake of the month: Buttermilk Cake – 20% off!! Buttery yellow cake filled with raspberry butter cream and covered in smooth vanilla butter cream. Please enjoy our cakes at room temperature, your patience will be rewarded.

Zingerman’s Next Door, Drink of the Month! Café de Olla Inspired by a classic Mexican coffee drink made using Chicago-based Jo Snow syrup (cinnamon, cloves, molasses, brown sugar and a splash of orange), our house espresso and Calder Dairy milk – Great hot or iced. $3.50/each Spice it up! Add Café de Olla syrup to Mochas, Iced Tea, Cappuccinos, Brewed Coffee, Cream Soda, and more!! 75¢ extra

Zingerman’s Coffee Company, Roaster’s Pick! Peru Andes Reserve Notes: Flavors of sweet summer melon with a hint of brightness in the finish. Exceptionally well-balanced with an almost creamy mouthfeel. Located more than a days drive from Lima, this unique coffee comes from the northern region of Peru, a breathtaking region filled with coffee-producing communities along the slopes of the Andes Mountains. This area is well known for producing highly sought out quality coffee. This Andes Reserve is a blend of coffee from the various communities around the state of Lambayeque and San Ignacio that make up organized cooperative groups. With the help of PROASSA, these cooperatives are able to commercialize their product for a direct sale to Zingerman’s importer in New York. Like many coffee producing countries, small farmers drive Peru’s coffee production, the majority own less than a few acres. When these producers come together with the help of an exporter, their coffee is milled, analyzed for quality, and made available for the international market. Without such access to foreign markets, coffee producers would earn much less for their product by selling into the local /national coffee market. Peru HB Andes Reserve is a unique coffee that comes from the hard work of remote coffee farmers and the expertise of a professional exporter, all with the mission of commercializing their product to improve the quality of life of farmers, developing the communities in which they live, and protecting the natural environment they live in and depend on for their livelihoods. $18.99/ 12 oz bag

]]> http://www.zingermansdeli.com/2012/05/may-specials-2/feed/ 0 http://www.zingermansdeli.com/2012/04/construction-montage-by-jude-walton/ http://www.zingermansdeli.com/2012/04/construction-montage-by-jude-walton/#comments Thu, 19 Apr 2012 15:10:08 +0000 Zingerman's Deli http://www.zingermansdeli.com/?p=7800