Zabar's Blog

This Weekend's Cheese Tasting

Join us on Friday or Saturday (at 3 and 5 PM) for a cheese tasting in our Cheese Department!  This weekend we're featuring Olga's Cheese Collection.  I stopped by the taste of Garrotxa - delicious!

Mother's Day gifts from Zabar's

Mother's Day is May 10th and is (surprisingly) just around the corner!  We've lined up some great gifts to send to your mom, near or far, to show her just how much you care.

From gift baskets with delicious and sweet treats to beautiful tea sets she'll use for years.  Start at our Mother's Day department but explore our whole site for something just right for your mom!

                      
      Mother's Day Basket                      Teaposy Tea for Two Gift Set

Zabar's In Excelsis

If you’re not already acquainted with the Insatiable Critic, Gael Greene, get to know her on her blog: Insatiable Critic.  (Yes, we do a little advertising with her, but that’s because we know how tasty she makes things.)

Here’s a fun find about Zabar’s circa 1978 in Insatiable’s Vintage section: Zabar’s In Excelsis

Enjoy this Week's Recipe for Mini Crab Cakes

Chef Matthew Dunn, a graduate of C-CAP, shares his recipe for Mini Crab Cakes. This is an easy recipe, one you shouldn't be afraid to try at home.

Enjoy!

Cheese Plate of the Week - American Artisan

Spring means many things but for a lot of people it means the beginning of farmer’s markets.  These glorious events full of fresh, farm grown produce and artisanally produced foods show off the many men and woman who work very hard to produce something that they are proud to put their name on. Often times it is done without fanfare or enormous success but that is ok because these wonderful people are doing it because they love what they do.

At Zabar’s, we work with as many of these artisans as we can because not only do we want to support them but they produce some of the best cheeses available.  We believe in these cheeses and want to share them with as many people as possible.  So this week we are featuring Cheeses that we believe personify the growing number American Artisan Cheeses.  First is the Blythedale Camembert from Corinth, Vermont.  This small farm of just 40 Jersey cows produces rich, rBST-free milk that makes a beautiful camembert reminiscent of the French original.  Next is Pleasant Ridge Reserve from Dodgeville, Wisconsin.  This cheese is a staff favorite and for good reason! Made from seasonally produced raw milk, this cheese has nutty, slightly sharp flavor that leaves hints of caramel and fruit in your mouth.  An inspiring story of vision, determination and attention to detail that has lead to the production of one of the finest American cheeses!  Last but not least is Great Hill Blue from Marion, Massachusetts.  This raw milk, non-homogenized cheese is a wonderful treat and great for any cheese plate.

You too can share the joys of eating superior products and supporting these tiny producers who have entrusted us with their pride and joy.  These cheeses are all award winners that are sure to win over your guests. So go ahead and enjoy a little taste of America!

How to Video: Make Mini Crab Cakes!

Get the Recipe.

Watch the Video:

This recipe was prepared using Marcus Cookware. 
Shop for Marcus Cookware at Zabars.com

Enjoy!

Happy Earth Day from Zabar’s

Don’t brown bag it…. Green bag it with these absolutely georgous and fashionable bags from KOKO.  Their insulated lunch totes easily transform from lunch tote to travel bag to on the town bag!

Check out these bags as well as our other “Travel Companions”

Cheese Plate of the Week: Reflection of Culture

Join us every week at Zabar's Cheese Department on Thursdays at 3 PM and 5 PM for weekly cheese tastings and lessons in four new cheeses.

Learn more about:  Zabar’s Cheese Plate of the Week 3

Spring Cheese Plate: Reflection of Culture

Each cheese has a story and once you hear the story, you have a glimpse into the lives of the people who worked so hard to make these cheeses.  With that in mind, we have chosen four cheeses this week that reflect the culture of their birthplaces.  First is Brie de Nangis.  For hundreds of years, the cheesemakers have been using the same recipe to create a cheese that is straight forward, hearty and memorable just like the people who make it.  Next is Lagrein, a cheese made in a dairy that has 4,000 farmers who each have an average of nine cows.  Small farms working hard to produce a cheese that is washed in the native wine and tastes more like meal than a snack. Using a recipe that dates back to the Romans and only the summer milk, cheesemakers in Savoie make Beaufort in huge wheels that only gets better with age just like the people who live in those mountains.  Last is Point Reyes Blue.  A new cheese that reflects the hard working, open minded American people who are willing to try something new because they think it could be great.  And they were right! This blue is the perfect blend of creamy, buttery milk with salty strength that works beautifully.  Enjoy these cheeses and the cultures they reflect.

Spring and Zabar's awaits

As you get ready to venture from your apartments and enjoy what's going to be really the first amazing spring weekend in NYC here are some really nice suggestions for a day in the park, trips to museums, watching the boats on the Hudson and trips to Zabar's to fortify you for each of them.

Enjoy Raphael Kadushin's exploration of the Upper West Side in his article, "Travel: West Side Story: the heart of New York" from The Star Tribune. (PDF version here)

I Love NY Cookies

Keep the stories coming!

We hope everyone has had a Happy Passover this year.  We want to thank everyone who wrote to us in response to the Passover Brittles recipe.  We loved hearing your stories of traditions and families together.  Thanks also to those who noticed a bit more sugar was needed!

And keep sending us your stories and comments, we love hearing them.

Here is a nice note we received from Randie from Allentown, NJ.  We’re so glad to hear the brittle went over so well!

My family thanks you, my husband thanks you, my friends thank you and I thank you.  Even my cousin in Las Vegas thanks you, because I forwarded her the recipe.  What a pleasure.  Thanks to you we didn't have to eat any of those awful $15, store bought cakes that taste like cardboard with icing!  I made two batches of the chocolate chip and two batches of that same recipe, but with slivered almonds.  There were guests who asked to take some home!!!  And it lasts.  We've been noshing on those four batches all week.
 
All I can say is, thanks again.
 
Randie
Allentown, NJ