Find specialty foods here! - A store I always like to shop for Italian and French food specialties is De Laurenti at the Pike Place Market. If you do nothing else, check out the cheese selection and charcuterie. You will also find a multitude of fancy olive oils and other excellent condiments. My favorite is the French cassoulet sold in a can. All you need to do is reheat it. It's as great tasting as the real thing. I usually spend at least fifteen minutes just browsing the shelves. There is always something new to discover when you visit this great shop!

Want homemade bread? - Now that you have bought your cheese and charcuterie and since you are at the market, already, you need to get some very good bread. You will find the best baguettes, viennoiseries (croissants- pains au chocolat-brioches) and pastries at the Panier - a "very French bakery". The owners are wonderful and I love their baked goods. They also have tables where you can sit and enjoy your breakfast while sipping their excellent coffee.

I hope to see you soon at the Market!

Previous Shopping Tips

Emeril and fresh herbs - Still a very resourceful place is Costco. Every time I shop there, I find something new. The latest are products sponsored by my good friend, Emeril. His name as well as his famous quotations, such as "Bam" or "Kick it up a notch" is displayed on the packaging of a selection of 3 boxes of fresh herbs - chive, chervil, rosemary, dill and oregano. 3 boxes for $3.99 (about $2.00 per box in regular food stores). You can also buy a container full of fresh basil.

Sweet Tuscan Melons! - Right now, as it is the season, you might want to taste the "Tuscan melon" that most of the grocery stores carry. It is as close as you can get to the famous melons of Cavaillon in Provence. They are juicy, sweet and flavorful. Serve the melon with prosciutto and you have a perfect, light and simple appetizer to serve with a chilled glass of Rosé!

A good place to buy your meat, located at the Pike Place Market, is called Don & Joe’s. It’s kitty corner to the Maximilien restaurant (behind the Flying Fish seafood place). I have been buying my meat there for the last 10 years and have never been disappointed. It is very good quality. Don, Tom and Allerey are very friendly and will give you sound advice on what piece of meat to choose. You can call in your order ahead (206) 682-7670) so all you have to do is hop out of your car and pick it up.

For the Truffles lover (not the chocolate one), but the famous mushrooms called “Black Diamond” there is a Seattle company that sells gourmet products online: www.gourmetfoodstore.com On this site you will find a selection of quite exotic French products such as foie gras, truffles, condiments, oils & vinegars and even French butter, cream and cheeses. This online store is a good resource if you like French products and want the convenience of ordering them from home.

Chocolate Cote d’Or: Since the day I left France, (15 years ago), I craved for this oh so tasty hazelnut Belgian dark chocolate that I always enjoyed eating with my after-lunch coffee. To my great surprise, I found this exact same chocolate called Cote d’ Or at Metropolitan Market. It’s the one I still appreciate when I go to France and it’s very good. If you can’t resist chocolate, don’t even start eating this particular one or you will never be able to stop.

French green beans. The famous haricot verts are so tender and tasty because they are so fine. For a short time during summer you can find them fresh in some places for a mere price of $8.99 a pound. The good news is that now you can have decent and relatively inexpensive alternatives. Two places that carry them on a regular basis: In the frozen section at Trader Joe’s and at Costco that offers them already precut, prepackaged and ready to go. The best way to enjoy them is to bring a pot of salted water to a boil, add the beans and cook until tender. Refresh under cold water and when you are ready to eat, reheat them with 2 tablespoons of butter and season with salt and pepper.

French baguette: I have been often asked where I am buying my bread or a good baguette. The answer is not quite obvious as we are faced with a multitude of choices. Now, almost every food store makes their own baguette (QFC-Metropolitan and even Safeway and Albertson). Here are my suggestions: if you are at the Pike Place Market, the only place to go for the best baguette in town is Le Panier. Otherwise, if you are downtown, next to the Pacific Place, try the baguette made by Il Fornaio. Even if it is Italian, I love it! If you are in the Pioneer Square district, I would go to the Grand Central Bakery and buy the small size rustic baguette (much better than the bigger size you find in almost every food store). Other options available closer to you are the French baguettes (not the sour one) made by La Brea bakery and found at Whole Foods and QFC in University Village. My advice would be to buy bread that has a lifespan longer than 24 hours that you can reheat in the oven two days later.

Cheese: Another question frequently asked to me is where to find good cheese. My response is simple, almost everywhere! Every food store has come up with their deli cheese section. Many of them are French, but the Italian, Spanish and local selection is quite extensive. Ironically, I have a hard time finding good French cheese that is not sold when they are already on their decline and taste like ammonia. It is true for cow cheese so do not hesitate to "stick" your nose in the cheese" or ask for a tasting bite. Be merciless if the cheese does not smell right, particularly because of the high price you have to pay for it. Be selective in your choices. You should have more luck with goat and sheep cheese. Also, check whenever possible, the French expiration date that is generally covered with the store expiration date sticker. You will be surprised to see there is quite a discrepancy between the two dates; sometimes almost two months difference. One place that seems to be more selective and careful with their selection of cheese sold to the public is the DeLaurenti deli store at the Pike Place Market. Ask for Connie, she is the best!