We’ve decked the halls with boughs of greens, brought out the holiday goodies and we are BUSY both in and out of the kitchen. Welcome Foodies! You are entering your comfort zone! It’s the last month of the year packed with all manner of celebrations, activities and traditions. Will you start some new ones or do you take comfort in the familiar? As you may guess, I’m a sucker for tradition. Even though from a culinary point of view I am always open to try new things, it wouldn’t be the holidays without those foods that signify comfort to me – tourtiere, my mom’s old Christmas cake recipe, Prime Rib for Christmas dinner and holiday baking throughout the season. Yum. We foodies love our food all year round but this is the time of year we tend to pull out all the stops. We splurge on something we’ve never had or something that evokes a past memory. A special cheese, a pricey ingredient, crab or lobster or an expensive cut of beef. Or perhaps it’s a sweet treasure – shortbread baked like you remember, caramels covered in chocolate, French marshmallows or a tiny perfect chocolate truffle. We know from how many times some of you have checked whether the Lucques olives have arrived that savoury items are also highly prized. We have olives and oils, condiments, jams and spreads, spices and salts and lots of interesting products beautifully packaged and ready for entertaining or gifting.
We like to think we are modern and forward thinking but in reality we are pretty old school. When our system crashed last month we remembered how to add and check you out without technology (thank you for your patience with that debacle) and sadly our class registration is still done manually (check out the new release below!!) That said, we wear that badge of honour with pride. Our holiday windows were decorated with handmade items, made with love by my wonderful team and reflect what we want to be for you. We want to be your people. Part of your neighbourhood, the ones you go to for that special gift, advice, food and sometimes just a good food chat. You will always get personal service, food made with love and an honest opinion. There may not be free shipping or black Friday deals but we will help you to your car with your packages and talk you through how many cheeses to buy for your gatherings. Personalized shopping tips from our expert elves will get you out the door with a few more things struck off your list. Personal service is what we can and do offer. So, from our PCE family to yours, we wish you a wonderful holiday season whether that means sparkling parties, quiet winter evenings of contemplation and all that’s between. See you on the other side!
2025 Winter Cooking Classes!
Tuesday, January 7, 2025 SHEETPAN DINNERS (7:00pm-9:30pm)
Sheetpan puff pastry caramelized onion tart
Sheetpan winter panzanella
Sheetpan sesame chicken and vegetables
Sheetpan apple crisp
Tuesday, January 14, 2025 FRENCH BISTRO (7:00pm-9:30pm)
Smoked salmon mousse
Pork in a green peppercorn sauce
Pommes Aligot
Raspberry creme brûlée
Tuesday, January 21, 2025 NONNA’S KITCHEN (7:00pm-9:30 pm)
Shrimp Fra Diavolo
Arugula salad with lemon and Parmigiano Reggiano
Cacio e pepe pasta
Butterscotch Budino
Tuesday, January 28, 2025 A NIGHT IN MARRAKECH (7:00pm-9:30pm)
Creamy lentil soup
Moroccan chicken Bastilla pot pie
Bean Salad with warm spices
Labneh Tart (This tart is such a show stopper!)
Tuesday, February 4, 2025 IT’S SUPER BOWL! (7:00pm-9:30pm)
Dirty martini dip
Honey Jerk drumsticks
Sloppy Joe sliders
Chipotle Shrimp quesadillas
Sunday, February 9, 2025 HALEY BAKES CHOCOLATE LOVERS (12:00pm-2:30pm)
Triple chocolate mousse cake
White chocolate raspberry tart
Brown butter chocolate chip cookies
Devil’s food chocolate cupcakes with toasted coconut frosting
Tuesday, February 25, 2025 LET’S THAI ONE ON! (7:00pm-9:30pm)
Beef Satays
Cashew chicken
Coconut rice
No churn coconut ice cream
Tuesday, March 4, 2025 GLUTEN-FREE #4! (7:00pm-9:30pm)
Crispy calamari
Coq au vin
Glutenfree Späetzle
Caramelized Coconut Rice Pudding
Tuesday, March 11, 2025 PUB NIGHT (7:00pm-9:30pm)
Fish Goujons with lemon tartar sauce
Bangers and Mash
Red onion gravy
Banoffee Pie (Graham crust, bananas, toffee, whipped cream)
Sunday, March 16, 2025 HALEY BAKES SPRING BAKING (12:00pm-2:30pm)
Lemon poppyseed tea cakes
Fruit custard tart
Buttery, flaky cheddar and chive biscuits
Carrot cake with cream cheese frosting
Tuesday, March 18, 2025 FISH (7:00pm-9:30pm)
Tuna Tartare
Scallops in a lemon butter sauce
White fish puttanesca
Salmon cakes
Tuesday, March 25, 2025 - MEXICAN (7: 00pm-9:30pm)
Chiliquiles
Delicious and speedy Mole sauce with chicken
Cilantro lime rice
Mexican Hot Chocolate Pie
IN THE STORE
Stocking Stuffers, Hostess and Teacher gifts
So many unique choices! We’ve tried to corral what we’d like to find in our stockings in one spot so you don’t need to do too much thinking! To me the perfect stocking content includes something practical (pocket thermometer, wood board cream, mini spatula, wooden spoon), something sweet or indulgent (candy or a specialty ingredient) and something expected (chocolate and a clementine or two). We also know they are personal so take a look and see what inspires you! Our expert elves can help you with hostess and teacher gifts too.
Entertaining Essentials
From Wine glasses, Cocktail accoutrements, Napkins (linen or posh paper), small nut/olive/chutney bowls, special sweets and biscuits, cooking utensils, Emile Henry bakeware, All Clad cookware, Specialty foodstuffs, Prepared meals, dips & most importantly CHEESE! We have everything to make your Holiday sparkle
Gift Baskets and so much more!
Sometimes the most indulgent thing to receive is something you wouldn’t buy for yourself. Our custom baskets are thoughtfully curated with high quality, handpicked items to suit every taste and preference and are perfect for friends, family, clients, employees or hosts. Isn’t it great when you don’t need to know someone’s size or colour preference? Handpick the items yourself in store or tell us what you know and we’ll look after the rest!
CHEESE NEWS
You choose what you want or we are happy to make the choices for you. Prices are based on the weight of the products chosen and we can work within whatever your budget is. Are you looking for crowd pleasing favourites for 12 or a higher end curated board for a small gathering with foodie friends? Either way we will make it look fabulous with the addition of dried fruit, nuts, seeds, olives, chutney and garnish. All you need to do is remove the lid and it is ready to roll! Let the nibbling begin!
GLUTEN FREE CORNER
Chocolate Biscuit Cake
Mint and Pistachio Chocolate Fridge Cake ⬧
INGREDIENTS
3 1⁄2 ounces (100 g) Mint-Flavoured Dark Chocolate; roughly chopped into 11⁄4 inches (3 cm) pieces
7 ounces (200 g) Dark Chocolate (70% cocoa solids); roughly chopped into 11⁄4 inches (3 cm) pieces
4 1⁄4 ounces (120 g) Unsalted Butter, cut into 3⁄4 inch (2 cm) cubes
3 1⁄2 ounces (100 g) Lyle's Golden Syrup
1⁄8 teaspoon (1 ml) Salt
3 1⁄2 ounces (100 g) Dried Cranberries; soaked in 2 tablespoons (30 ml) of rum for 30 minutes
6 ounces (170 g) Digestive Biscuits (I use Schar) roughly broken into 3⁄4 inch (2 cm) pieces
3 1⁄2 ounces (100 g) Pistachios; chopped
Instructions:
Line a 11" x 7" baking tray or glass dish with parchment paper and set aside
Put both chocolates, butter, golden syrup and salt into a large pot. Heat stirring constantly until all is melted.
Add cranberries, rum, ;biscuits and 3/4 of the pistachios to the chocolate. Using a spatula to combine everything togther, transfer to a prepared tray , smoothing the top and sprinkling with remaining pistachios.
Refrigerate for 2-3 hours until completely set. Slice into bars. Keep in the fridge and serve fridge cold