Corti Brothers Newsletter for November 2008   Page 5   

Loison Biscotteria Gift Box. Elegant ribbon wrapped, dropfront gift box with above 6 varieties in 80g bags (16.9oz box) $24.99 box (#2170) Sold out.

Corti Brothers has offered rare production shoyu (soy sauce) from Japan for several years. Our discriminating clientele has taken to them. We have a new shipment of two of them, OwarinoTamari and Kanro Shoyu.

Marumata Owarino Tamari is produced by a family company established in 1834 in Taketoya, just south of Nagoya, Japan. Owari is the old name of this prefecture; thus, Owari no tamari is “tamari of Owari.” Made only from Japanese soybeans and natural sea salt, it is slowly aged in cedar casks for three years, and develops a sweetish, smokey, meaty full flavor and thick body. Not very salty tasting, but with thick body, it does not have added alcohol for stability and should be refrigerated after opening. Use it in western cooking where you want to give that elusive “umami”flavor to sauces and braises.

Marumata Owarino Tamari $14.89 360ml (#2171)

Yanai Kanro Mituboshi Yanai Kanro Shoyu $14.89 300ml (#2172) Kanro Shoyu is the rarest shoyu. It is a double fermented (saishikomi) shoyu which originated in Yanai city, Yamaguchi prefecture. The double fermented means that part of the water used in its production is replaced by an already made, unpasteurized soy sauce. Hence the “double fermented.” It is thick, intense with a deep creamy character. Not well known even in parts of Japan, but much prized in Kyoto cooking, it is used with sushi and sashimi, and is called “sweet dew.”

These two preparations of Norwegian codfish signal the change of seasons. Stockfish (Stoccafisso) is cod caught off the Lofoten Islands on Norway’s northwestern coastline in January, eviscerated, and hung up to dry in the cold Arctic air until June. This is one of the oldest known forms of preserved protein and is the origin of Lutefisk. Italian stoccafisso dishes, and the Venetian Bacalà mantecato and Bacalà alla Visentina develop from this process.

Stockfish produces a memorable dish in varying ways, but it takes forethought. It must be soaked in cold water, changed twice a day, for at least 10 days. Once re-hydrated, it is then cooked. Corti Brothers has recipes for your stockfish available for the asking.

Baccalà, Salt Cod, known as bacalao, bacalhau, is the same fish but very different from stockfish. This is cod, split and salted. Produced from Norwegian cod, it must be rehydrated by soaking in twice daily changed cold water for at least three days. It can be cooked as simply or complex as wanted. Using high quality salt cod such as ours, you are eating history. Soon, cod itself may be history.

Salt has now become everyone’s darling! There are more salts on the market than ever before. Detractors just say, “Salt is salt. All salt is equal.” But no, some salts are more equal than others. At one time in human history, just having salt was important. Now having the right salt is the height of fashion.

A salt that you may not have tasted yet is Kona Deep Sea Salt from Kona, Hawai’i. Produced from deep sea water–water brought up from at least 2,000 feet in the Pacific, where it is bacterially pure–Kona Deep Sea Salt has large, flaky crystals with that slightly sweet flavor of fine salt without its natural bittern. Kona salt is sun dried from concentrated deep sea water using the hot Kona sun in a purpose built, clean room, hot, hothouse. It is similar to Japanese Oshima Island Blue Label salt.

Kona Deep Sea Salt $9.99 8 oz. pouch (#2176)

As I have written before, I think these are the best canned olives made in California. Using only estate grown manzanillo olives, hand harvested–no more than seven per handful–when just starting to turn color and cured in the Graber fashion, these “olive colored” olives will make a relish tray sparkle. These are not strong flavored olives, but very smooth, silky textured ones with an almost buttery character. No other olive producer in the country makes these olives as good as Graber does. Depending on the harvest there are four sizes. With this harvest, we have all four available. I cannot think of a better non alcoholic gift from California than these olives.

Graber Olives Orchard Run $3.99 (#2177) Sold out.

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