German Bitter’s Maker, The Bitter Truth, Goes American

The Bitter Truth, a brand of cocktail bitters and flavorings, is officially bringing its award-winning products to the United States.  At The Meadow we’ve carried The Bitter Truth for a while now, but the move to take on an national distributor signals a big ramp-up in their North American marketing efforts.  Some flavors will apparently not be introduced here, though Jennifer and I will continue to order those from Germany directly as long as they allow us to.

Founded in 2006, by mixologists Stephan Berg and Alexander Hauck, The Bitter Truth offers bartenders a broad range of cocktail seasonings and flavors.  The products that will be available in the U.S. include the award winning Celery Bitters, Old Time Aromatic Bitters, Orange Bitters, Lemon Bitters, as well as the Bittermens Xocolatl Mole and Grapefruit Bitters. All bitters are priced at $15.95 for a 200 ml bottle. A coveted item by bartenders around the world, The Bitter Truth Bitters can now be purchased nationwide.

Originally used as a pharmaceutical elixir, bitters were one of the main ingredients in the earliest cocktail recipes. With the resurgence of classic cocktail culture and growth of contemporary mixology, The Bitter Truth’s products have found great favor amongst the best bartenders in the world.  The Bitter Truth line of products helps bring complexity to cocktails and are intended to be another tool for bartenders and mixologists to create unique, creative and innovative cocktails.

“Bringing the bitters to America has been our dream,” says Stephan Berg, co-founder of The Bitter Truth, “but finding the right importing and distribution partner has been our greatest challenge. The Classic and Vintage Artisanal Spirits Portfolio has the background in specialty spirits and nation-wide reach that we need in order to make this a success.”

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Thanksgiving at The Meadow – Brine Your Turkey!

The Meadow

Time to brine your Turkey! Try our very own Thanksgiving turkey brining recipe, for

moister, more tender, richer-flavored Turkey than you ever thought possible.
The secret,

predictably enough, is in the salt! Recipe here>>

A reminder, we still have space in the Dec. 7th Chocolate Class, looking at the dark

beauty of chocolate from birth as a bean to transcendence as a bar! Tickets here>>

Thanksgiving Table

Himalayan salt block with Venchi 75% dark chocolate and strawberries, catapulted into

a new flavor orbit will with a fresh and clear Halen Mon Silver salt from Wales.

Special Holiday Hours: staying open late!

  • November 27 to December 11, open Mon-Sat 10-7, Sun 11-6.
  • December 12 to
    24, open Mon-Sat 10-8, Sun 11-6.
  • Closed Christmas Day.
  • December 26 to 31, open Mon-Sat 10-7, Sun 11-6.
  • Closed New Year’s Day.

Come in and taste some of the wonderful new wines, or sample a chocolate, or make a

flower arrangement for your desk or the dining room table.

Cheers!
Jennifer & Mark

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The Meadow – Classes & News

The MeadowGift Basket from The Meadow

Baskets

Celebrate fall or warm up for winter with a basket of everything you need. A combination of salt, wine, chocolate & flowers will keep you in the pink as the weather cools. Pick from our own selection of pre-designed baskets, or put together one for yourself. Click here to start assembling your perfect basket.

Plus, baskets are handy for packing or storing things, and Mark has a bunch of new salts (somewhere in the neighborhood of a dozen), so if you haven’t tried Kona or Timbuktu or Fiori di Trapani, come by and we’ll sort you out with something new.

Three New Classes at The Meadow

The Meadow will host three public classes in November and December. If you would like to arrange a private event, give us a call!

BittersBitters and Vermouth – 11/23/2009 – Bitters and vermouth, the two powerhouses of flavor in the world ofcocktail mixing. Gone are the days when a sticky bottle ofsupermarket-industrial vermouth gathered dust in the back of thecupboard, and the bitters bottle lurked eternally, an ancient thingforgotten in the shadows.

The Meadow now offers a huge selectionof the finest artisan bitters of the world: cardamom, whisky barrel,celery, rhubarb, lavender, and many more! And vermouths, from the gentlecaress of Dolin dry to the volcanic passion of Punt e Mes, there is nobetter way to take your drinks to their limits of flavor, aroma, andbody. This tasting class will take in the new vista of artisan-madebitters and vermouths, discuss how and why they’re made, and dive into waysto use them to their full potential. Must be 21 years of age to attend!Plenty of sipping included.

Monday, November 23, 2009 – 7:00pm to 8:30pm – $25 – Remember to print out your online receipt and bring it with you for admittance.

Click here to purchase tickets for this class>>

salt  classArtisan Salt Tasting – 11/9/2009 – Once you start to think about salt as a strategic ingredient in your cooking, everything changes. This class will explore how to take advantage of the unique character of artisan salts, from the classic fleur de sel to the novel smoked salt. During a survey of the basic types of artisansalt we’ll discuss novel but immensely effective approaches to using salt in every food from snacks like popcorn and guacamole, to dinners like leg of lamb and mushroom risotto, to desserts like tarte tatin and semifreddo. And we won’t forget cocktails. The event now includes a demonstration of cooking on Himalayan Salt Blocks. The class is accompanied by wine, plus there’s always a bite of chocolate to send you off into the night. Space is verylimited, so sign up quick!

Monday, November 9, 2009 – 6:00pm to 7:30pm – $20 – Remember to print out your online receipt and bring it with you for admittance.

Click here to purchase tickets for this class>>

Chocolate, from Bean to Bar- 12/7/2009 – The chocolate bar: dark and impenetrable, an immaculate mystery wrappedin silver foil. Chocolate bars are the ultimate way to experience thefull complexity of chocolate, and the only way to explore theinnumerable variations in color, aroma, mouth-feel, and flavor. Join usfor an exploration of chocolate, from the humble bean slipping aroundinside the silken purse of a cacao pod in a tropical rainforest to themasterpieces in dark and milk chocolate calling like polychrome parrotsfrom the shelves of your favorite chocolate shops. We’ll tastechocolate in its various forms along the way, savor the art of seriouschocolate tasting, and finish with a few creative ideas for enjoying onyour own. Wine included.

Monday, December 7, 2009 – 7:00pm – 8:30pm – $25 – Remember to print out your online receipt and bring it with you for admittance.

Click here to purchase tickets for this class>>

fajitas on  salt blockSeven Salt Blocks Fresh in from the Salt Mines!

Seven of our most popular salt blocks are now back in stock and ready for your fruit, cheese, fish, steak, sushi, salads, and more. We carry the widest selection of salt plates, platters, bricks, and bowls in the world so that you can find the perfect block for your culinary needs.

Wholesale supplies available.

2×2x2 Cubes
9×9x2 Extra Large Blocks
8×8x2 Large Blocks
8×4x0.75 Serving Trays
8×2x0.75 Sushi Sticks
6×9x2 Large Tiles
4×4x4 Large Cubes


Parameswaran’s Pepper is Back in Stock!

Playful and a touch wild, but sophisticated and regal, like a Ferris wheel in the Tuilleries of Paris, crack this pepper and release the unfathomable depths of the world’s greatest pepper. Parameswaran’s Black Pepper is a mixture of Karimunda and Panniyor varieties of black pepper, specially selected for their flavor and quality. The vines grow up to 30 to 40 feet high on host trees (silver oaks) and are harvested only when fully ripened on the vine. A vine may
be harvested 10 to 12 times by men who climb bamboo poles made specially to prevent damage to the vines. After drying and cleaning, the pepper is immediately packed on the plantation to preserve its peak flavor.

Each jar of Parameswaran’s Black Pepper is about six inches tall and includes whole stems with the peppercorns still attached. Just put the pepper, stem and all, into your pepper mill and you’re good to go! Click here to buy.
We think it’s in a class by itself, the finest black pepper in the world.

Parameswaran’s White Pepper is more intense, with clear, wonderful floral notes setting it in a class by itself among white peppers. It comes from ripe (black) berries that are soaked in daily changes of spring water for 20 days before the outer black husk is removed. The result is an entirely different, fresher range of flavors and an almost imperceptibly more aggressive heat. We can’t get enough. Try it on melted goat cheese & frisée salad and Marlborough Flakey sea salt. Click here to buy.


New Artisan Bitters on the Shelves, Plus Wines Now Available Online

With colder months ahead of us and the fixing for grandma’s roast hen with winter roots suddenly suddenly back in the fridge (salted with sel gris!), it’s time to think of the wines that will bring comfort and spice to your meals. We’ve expanded our selection in the last few weeks, and brought most everything we carry to our website to boot. Over 90 new wines are up online, and we’re working on reviews for each. Please feel free to share your thoughts!

We’ve also continued to expand our selection of artisan bitters. Cocktails, coffee, ice cream, waffle batter, sauces, you name it, bitters offer amazing ways to make fun and creative new dishes, or add a special extra flavor to your cocktails. Celery, chocolate, lavender, peach, orange, and more – we have the tartness, zest, sweetness, and pungency you need to make your drinks distinctive and lively. Click here to see our full selection.

We hope to see you in the shop or at a class!
Jennifer & Mark Bitterman

The Meadow
salt – chocolate – wine – flowers
503-288-4633 – 3731 N. Mississippi Ave. – Portland Or

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The Meadow News & Salt Classes

The Meadow

Please join us for two great salt classes at The Meadow:
Himalayan Salt Block Cooking Class July 27th, 2009
Int roduction to Artisan Salt Monday, August 5th, 2009

Also, The Meadow’s salted chocolates are back in stock, and back in force! Below, our 75% dark chocolate from São Tomé, combined
with six different artisan salts. Available in the shop and online here>>

Salted Chocolate

Himalayan Salt Block Cooking
Spend an evening cooking and serving a variety of foods, from cold appetizers and snacks to sautéed
vegetables and meats to an unusual dessert. Heating, cleaning, and storage will also be discussed. We’ll
also explore the opportunities to create new flavor combinations by shaving Himalayan pink salt with salt graters.
Class includes includes snacks, wine, and an in-depth discussion of everything you ever wanted to know (and everything
you never knew you always wanted to know), about salt!
July 27th ~ 7pm to 8:30pm ~ $30 per person ~ Reserve now>>

Introduction to Artisan Salt
Learn the tricks to using artisan salt to make every food you eat pop with flavor, texture, and better nutrition.
With a glass of wine in hand, we’ll explore the astonishing powers of artisan salt. Discussion also will touch on the
perils of using industrially-made salts, from iodized table salt to kosher salt. Our trek will take us across the seas
where six artisan-made salts are made, and explore how they can be used as finishing salts and curing salts,
in cooking and in brining, and more. The event includes wine.
August 5th ~7pm to 8:30pm ~ $20 per person ~ Reserve now>>

We hope to see you there!
Jennifer & Mark Bitterman

The Meadow
salt – chocolate – wine – flowers
503-288-4633 – 3731 N. Mississippi Ave. – Portland OR

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Salt Class: How to Cook with Artisan salt

The  Meadow

Salt Class May 18: Howto Cook with Artisan Salt

Learn the principles and practicals to using artisan salt. With a glass of wine in hand, we will explore theastonishing
potency, beauty, and nutritional value of unrefined salt. Discussionwill range from the perils of using industrially-made salts
to the pleasure and importance of hand-harvested sea salts. The class will cover six artisan-made salts, from cooking to
finishing, from breakfast to dessert. We willalso talk about how to cook with Himalayan pink salt blocks. To conclude the
evening, we will taste a favorite dark chocolate selected from our collecton of nearly 300 chocolate bars.

Space is extremely limited, so please sign up now!

Monday, May 18- 6:30pm to 8pm – $15 per person – click to reserve>>

The Meadow
salt – chocolate – wine – flowers
503-288-4633 – 3731 N. Mississippi Ave. – Portland OR

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