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2022 April

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IS MUSTARD A CONDIMENT OR INGREDIENT FOR YOU?

The FRENCH PANTRY bon FOOD Boutique - MUSTARD

MUSTARD

And just like that, we are envisioning the classic summer picnic with burgers and hot dogs in America. But wait, we’ve found there is so much to this condiment than meets that first bite! So why is it Americans use Mustard as one of their go-to condiments and leave it shelved when prepping meals that crave more flavor and exceptional taste?

MISCONCEPTIONS

Are you thinking of mustard as more than a condiment? Americans' most common misconception is that mustard can only be used as a condiment and not as an ingredient or an ‘enhancement’ to a dish. One of the properties of mustard is that, when used as an ingredient, it intensifies all the other ingredients and flavors. So, why not?

A LITTLE DIJON GOES A LONG WAY

Depending on where people are from, they use Dijon differently. In France, it is the best kept secret ingredient bringing a boost of taste and life to recipes. Whereas the vital ingredient for creating the satisfaction of a vinaigrette is MUSTARD! We encourage all home cooks, from novice to advanced, to add Mustard to their favorite recipes. Like ours, your classics need a new life, a BOOST of pungent flavor so unique and aromatic. A touch of FRENCH PANTRY mustard is just what the chef is craving!
We share Truffle, Herbs de Provence, Bordeaux Wild Pepper, Chipolte, and Tomato Herb Mustards for your liking and imported from France. Each is a qualifying ingredient to boost flavor and leave a lasting impression to accompany a delicious tasting meal! Check boncook.com for recipes, or add to your favorites for the best taste! Now Trending is our French Pantry Marinade over Pork Tenderloin.

BE AWARE OF SMELL, TASTE, AND TEXTURE

When sampling mustard, do so in three steps:

The first step is to SMELL

What does the smell tell you? Light, heavy, mild, hot, complex, simple, sweet, or savory?

The second step is to TASTE

Taste the Mustard to experiment. What do you imagine pairing with this taste? Meat, Chicken, Fish, Eggs, Pasta, Salad, Potatoes, Marinade?

The third step is to discover the TEXTURE

Lastly, the texture also affects the use. Something with a lot of texture and seeds works well to thicken a sauce or a marinade, as we have done in our Pork Tenderloin Marinade used for meat, chicken, fish, vegetables, or potatoes. Through experiment, you will experience the nuances of flavor until they are no surprise.

EVEN PEOPLE WHO DON’T LIKE MUSTARD

People find the taste they enjoy when Mustard is adequately paired with other ingredients. No need to be the star in a recipe, just the one that brings all others together to intensify flavor with a pleasing taste for everyone!

BE LIMITLESS!

Cooking brings about the adventure of tasting, with no rules for a limitless playground of pairings for taste suited to build on your imagination and creativity, resulting in a satisfied and mature palate. We believe one good taste deserves another, and through the marriage of quality ingredients, you will enjoy not good but exceptional taste in every meal. Try something new, share tastings and pairings with friends, and enjoy every meal you create!

Good food and great taste belong at home!

From our bon COOK kitchen to yours, 

Cheers!

Wednesday, April 27, 2022 Cindy Juncaj
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WHAT'S AN OLIVE OIL BLEND?

What is an Olive Oil Blend?
 

 

We know everyone has had a moment where you are ravishingly hungry and sit down to enjoy your dinner, and at first bite, you are disappointed with the lack of flavor! Typically, our next step is to reach for the salt - that doesn't quite do it, and we try pepper, which is still not entirely correct, and we finish our meal and move on. Sometimes, we realize it could be better in these moments, but how? 
 

In cooking, we use oil in some form for most recipes, and what if a small amount of oil blend could bring about the flavors our palette is craving with a flavor profile that makes the difference from ok to a great tasting food?
 

Have you noticed many new oil choices in the marketplace? We are all asking the same questions: What is that, how do I use it, what does it taste like, and what are the ingredients? You may have even picked one or two oils or blends, placed them in your cart, and then returned them to the shelf due to a lack of knowledge of use or ability to taste before buying.
 

Ask no more. We've answered the questions and have done the work for you! It's no secret that some of the best olive oils come from California, home to the harvest and curated blends in our French Pantry Line. Our French Pantry Oil Blends are a Blend of Canola Oil, and Extra Virgin Olive Oil then infused. Oil Blend ingredients have been quality tested and vetted for taste by our food experts in the US and France. No more dilemma and worry if one component will bring out the optimum flavor when mixed with another.
 

With fine selections of oil blends, you'll up your flavor game with any sauté using the unique choice blends of Roasted Garlic, Tuscan Herb, and Herbs de Provence. We share our obsession with homemade dressings for salad lovers using Meyer Lemon, Tahitian Lime, Sweet Basil, or Rosemary.
Not only for the
sauté, but we also found many discoveries in baking and roasting by adding a little oil blend. The flavor becomes pronounced and delicious.

Olive Oil blends meet the taste that many people crave, from sweet to savory, light, and alluring. 
Bon COOK French Pantry Olive Oil bends are the essence of simplicity in cooking with their pungent flavor. They assist in cooking well at home to make good-tasting food.

Next to Olive Oil, Canola is next in line for quality. Our French Pantry oil blends are made with Canola Oil and Extra Virgin Olive Oil and infused. Canola is used for infused oil blends because the oil is light and smooth, and flavors are married for outstanding taste.
 

Unlike the many myths circulating on the Internet today, Canola Oil is not made from the rapeseed plant. Canola oil is made from the crushed seeds of the canola plant and is among the healthiest cooking oils. It has the lowest saturated fat content of any oil commonly consumed in the US, at just 7%.   
 

Although low in saturated fat, canola oil is very high in healthy unsaturated fats, it's an excellent source of omega-6 fatty acid and linolenic acid, and it is higher in omega-3 fatty acid alpha-linolenic acid (ALA) than any other oil commonly used. These fats are essential in the diet because the human body can't produce them. 
 

With so many myths about canola oil, it is essential to know why it is the best blend choice and not conclude that all canola oils are made with GMOs and are unhealthy. When oil is heavy, flavors don't infuse well. To keep the oils with bon COOK's core promise of quality and innovation.

Canola is the better blend choice because of its health properties and ability to enhance the overall taste of the infused blend. Whether a novice or advanced home chef, our Oil Blends are available to assist you through your discovery of preparing great-tasting food with surprise and delight from your kitchen!


From the bon COOK kitchen to yours,

Great taste belongs at home!


 

 

 

 

 

Thursday, April 14, 2022 Cindy Juncaj – Partner and Founder, bon COOK
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WHAT'S YOUR EVOO IQ?
WHAT'S YOUR EVOO IQ?
 
With the explosion of gourmet ingredients in markets today, many copycat products of lesser quality are finding their way into shopping carts, even though consumers are savvier today than in the past. When the conversation around ingredients encounters debate, people want to be in the know! We've found consumers are searching for quality and are willing to take the time to educate themselves about the food they buy, where to find the best ingredients, where the food is sourced from, and how it is made.
 
We believe top quality comes from small batches of food made to maintain the integrity of the ingredients and finish with a rare and elevated taste.
One of our favorites is our EVOO imported from Provence in the South of France.
French olive oil is rare, and France produces only 5000 tons of olive oil per year. Compared to the rest of Europe, this is only 10% of the annual olive oil production. The warm climate offers perfect conditions to make the very best EVOO in Provence. Typically harvested in autumn using a cold-pressed technique, our olive oil is the first pressed and produces a high-quality grade with only 1% acidity. This olive oil is good tasting on its own, but it also pairs beautifully with our salts and peppers alongside a French Baguette. We can't help but boast and know that it must be pure for anything to be exquisite.
In Provence, the French use the country's varied olive oils. Used in sautéing foods, marinades, added to salads, sauces, dips, and as a finishing oil to add that unique and exquisite taste to any meal.
The bon COOK Pure 100% French Extra Virgin Olive Oil is unfiltered with superior taste and is showcased in a recognizable French couture bottle to share a little piece of France with you!
 
Introduced in our French Pantry line of food from France in 2021, we are proud to share this rare, fine-tasting EVOO that is certain to up the game on EVOO IQ with its light and satisfying flavor profile; like a good wine, it is not easily forgotten! With various uses, one of our favorite ways to enjoy this EVOO is with a homemade French Vinaigrette that we must share with you!

 
 
Bon COOK French Vinaigrette
 Whisk all ingredients together and toss in a salad.
 
One half Cup French Pantry EVOO
One tsp of French Pantry Tomato Mustard
Three  tbsp of French Pantry Traditional Balsamic
Juice from one fourth lemon wedge squeezed
One fourth tsp Honey
Salt and Pepper to taste

From our bon Kitchen to yours,

Enjoy the life of a bon COOK!

Cindy Juncaj

 
Thursday, April 7, 2022 Cindy Juncaj
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bon COOK is the essence of the kitchen, born to influence and inspire meaningful cooking experiences at home and within our communities.


            

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