Tag: ottawa artisan deli

Chinese New Year: Year of the Rooster

We may be almost a month in to 2017, but the Chinese New Year has yet to begin. The year of the Rooster will officially commence on January 28th, 2017.

The history of Chinese New Year is quite storied and varies from source to source. “It is unclear when the exact beginning of the New Year celebration in China is. Normally, it was said to start from the year end religious ceremony during the Shang Dynasty (1766 BC – 1122 BC). A few believe that it started from as early as Emperor Yao and Shun (~2300 BC). At the beginning, the date of celebration varied from mid-winter to early spring. With the maturity of the solar base calendar, Emperor Wu (157 BC – 87 BC) of the Han Dynasty (206 BC – 220), established the first day of the first month as the beginning of the year, where it remains. According to tales and legends, the beginning of Chinese New Year started with the fight against a mythical beast called the “Year”. The “Year” looks like an ox with a lion head and inhabits in the sea. At the night of New Year’s Eve, the “Year” will come out to harm people, animals, and properties. Later, people found that the “Year” fears the color red, fire, and loud sounds. Therefore, for self-protection, people formed the habit of posting red Dui Lian in front of their house as well as launching fireworks, and hanging lanterns at year end.”

To celebrate the beginning of the new year we will be creating some authentic Chinese dishes. From freshly made dumplings to our very own Piggy Market fortune cookies we think there’s no better way to ring in a new year of possibilities than with some delicious food. Make sure to stop by to pick some up for yourself!

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Ottawa pork back ribs

Why Eating Fresh is Best

 

Eating is a necessity of life, but the approach that most people take when it comes to it could use some adjustment. While some eat to live, others live to eat…so, the question is who’s in the right? Both ways are technically correct (as it’s necessary to eat to sustain life), however that doesn’t mean that you should ever sacrifice quality in order to satisfy a need.

Being mindful of the choices you make in life is important, especially when it comes to what you consume. Eating a diet rich in foods composed of fresh ingredients can be quite beneficial to your overall health and well-being. If those fresh ingredients are locally sourced from farms/markets you’re then also supporting local initiatives which is a great way to further build communities.

At The Piggy Market we pride ourselves on using fresh ingredients that are locally sourced and making the bulk of our creations in house. All non-in house items are locally sourced as we believe in supporting our local farmers and businesses. If you want to feel good about the items you’re eating (knowing that they’re fresh and from local sources) pay us a visit..you’ll be glad you did!

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A New Year’s to Remember

The end of the year is nearly here which means that if you haven’t started planning for how you’re going to ring in the new year that now is as perfect of a time as any! Now, this doesn’t mean that you have to spend a lot of money in order to create the best memories, but it does mean that that the more thought and creativity that is put into things, the better start to 2017 you’ll have.

Here are the steps to creating a memorable new year’s eve:

“Keep things cozy and host a party at home

(Unless you really want to ring in the new year out somewhere fancy, in which case we recommend Origin Trade!)

No need to go out and rent a space for your party. Hosting at your house or apartment is not only affordable, it’s also more comfortable for both you and your guests. It also  gives you the opportunity to actually enjoy the party yourself and connect with all your guests. Limit the invite list to a handful of close friends.

Ask everyone to bring their favourite drink

This strategy can also liven up the party by giving guests a variety of new drinks to try. Also, know in advance how everyone who has been drinking plans to get safely back home. Is public transportation available? Is someone a designated driver? Or can guests crash at your place for the night? Don’t wait until 1 a.m. to decide how to handle an obviously impaired guest.”

Most importantly make sure that the menu is fresh, varied and delicious (which is where we can help out greatly). Whether you plan on snacks and lighter fare (cheese boards/charcuterie, Jamaican patties, etc) for your guests to nibble on, or want to go all out for a full and hearty meal, we have everything you need to ensure that it will be a success.

The Piggy Market family wishes you and yours a safe happy and healthy end to 2016 and start to 2017!

 

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Roasting the Perfect Holiday Turkey

 

The holiday season is here, which means creating wonderful memories with friends and family over delicious food and drinks. We love getting to be a part of different festive celebrations in various communities throughout the city through the fresh and local offerings we provide. Our ready to eat (or simple reheat and eat) options are great, but it’s the things like cooking a turkey to perfection from start to finish which can sometimes be tricky…which is why we want to be as helpful as possible!

Here are some steps to ensure you cook the perfect turkey this holiday:

  • Tuck wing tips underneath body of turkey.
  • With fingers, separate skin from turkey breast. Stuff softened butter under skin.
  • Season the inside cavity of the turkey with salt.
  • Using kitchen twine, cross the legs together and tie them securely.
  • Season turkey all over with freshly ground black pepper.
  • Put turkey into roasting pan. It’s ready to roast.

Important Note: If you’ve brined your turkey cook it for 15 minutes/lb at 350 degrees. Non-brined turkeys should be cooked for 20 minutes/lb at the same temperature. It’s also suggested to cook the turkey breast side down for the first hour and then flip it breast side up for the remainder of the cooking time. Also, if you’re going to make stuffing, cook it on the side; refrain from stuffing your bird before cooking it as raw juices will drop into the stuffing, and you will need to cook the turkey to an internal temperature of 165 degrees, which will overcook the turkey.

Make sure you stop by The Piggy Market this week to get a fresh Scotch Line turkey and our famous stuffing to help make your holiday feast a memorably delicious one!

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Exterior signage for The Piggy Market

What being an Artisan Shop Really Means

 

There are many times when a lot of trendy buzzwords get thrown around simply because they are popular, but sometimes there isn’t a lot of real comprehension behind the word, which means it can either get misused, or get lost in translation completely. The word ‘artisan’ is one of those words. As of late, many brands have used the term to describe their particular offerings but aren’t actually artisans themselves; they used the word to bring about a new and special type of attention to themselves which may not even work for their specific audience.

The question then is: what is a true artisan in the first place? The term is defined as ‘a worker in a skilled trade, especially one that involves making things by hand.’ That right there should eliminate many of the artisan items you may have seen out there. Chances are the bigger the brand, the less likely they are to be making anything by hand (it’s still possible of course, just less likely).

True artisans usually only make things in limited quantity as supplies may be limited or because they do not want to jeopardize/saturate the overall quality of the final product. At The Piggy Market we are happy to call ourselves and be considered by many as true artisans. From the freshly baked bread, to full on take home meals made with some of the freshest and locally sourced meats, everything is crafted by hand and made and/or completed in house. Our non store made products are sourced from true artisans as well. Whether it’s cheeses, salamis, preserves, and honeys, Dave and the team make routine visits to their suppliers and friends to make sure they’re getting the best, and making new contacts in the community as well. In doing this, we are able to offer a full and authentic Piggy Market experience for our customers. We strive to ensure that everything we make is of a certain standard and quality in order to facilitate said experience. Stop by to see our piggy process in action and get familiar with true artisans.

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Perfect Pairings

Peanut butter and jelly, french fries and ketchup, and your home with anything from The Piggy Market are some examples of perfect pairings. Some food items are able to thrive quite well on their own, however sometimes the addition of another item will serve to heighten certain flavours and improve the overall culinary experience that one will have.

Take for example seasoning; all of our finely cut artisan butchered meats are fantastic and provide their own unique flavour profiles on their own, but without the basics of salt and pepper to properly season them to help to bring out those flavours, the meat can’t truly be appreciated. We proudly carry the Vancouver Island Salt Co product line of flavoured seasoning salts that will help elevate any type of meat to another level of flavour!

When you take some of our freshly baked bread and add some of our amazing jam and jelly options (such as the Moss Berry Farm Jams, Ashton Naturals and Top Shelf Preserves product lines) you transcend that already delicious and flavourful bread into something new and exciting for your taste buds to enjoy.

Visit The Piggy Market today to create your own perfect flavour pairings with our many tasty options!

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