Monday, November 26, 2012

 


Bella's Tour of Trees Slk Floral Arrangement

Our Annual Extravaganza has gotton even better!

  Now featuring Tour of Trees! 

So, kids, this is the deal.  You grab friends and/or family and bundle up.  Run on downtown to watch the lighting of the Christmas Tree.  There will be Hot Chocolate and singing children.   So sweet - sob.  Then make your way to the shops that are staying open late. 
It's McCall's kick off to the holiday season and It. Is. Fun. 
So Make a Date.  It's a good tradition! 
Community.  Get Local.  Great Specials.  Food.  Drinks
 


Sunday, November 18, 2012

           Bella's 10th Anniversary - Week 3!!!

Tour of Trees Arrangment

 

This is a photo of last year's gorgeous floral arrangment for the Holiday Tour of Trees.  Because of the overwhelming response, we have put something very similar together for this year.   We will accept bids from now until the Christmas Tree Lighting and Evening Shopping Extravaganza on November 30th. 
 

Aebelskiver Demonstration

Saturday, November 24th, from 1 - 4 pm with Jodie Lea

Taste these fun and delicious scandinavian treats and learn how easy they are to make. 


 

We Call it White Saturday!  Small Business Saturday!

No Crowds, a ten minute commute (tops), parking with ease and great gift specials.  Why would you ever leave town? 

 

Thursday, November 8, 2012

SALE OF THE DECADE

This sale is for you if you are Red or Blue
Short or Tall
Big or Small
From Cascade or McCall
Really, Anyone at All! 
 
Disclaimer: If you are mean, this sale is not for you.  There is a big boxy store
in the Valley where you can pay more.  You should go there. 
 
This post is also a coupon!  SAVE 15% OFF EVERYTHING IN THE STORE!  It is the official ticket to change your life in a small, but very good way. You may now wear the smug smile of satisfaction for your smart and money savvy purchases. Thanks, also, for shopping locally.
Share with your friends.
Some exclusions must apply, of course. Just a couple of suppliers who are too big for their britches.
 
 
 


Friday, November 2, 2012

10th Anniversary in Business

Our Anniversary Month Begins!! 


ELECTION DAY
Since you'll be out and about anyway, wear your, "I Voted" Sticker in to Bella Kitchen and receive a free gift.  Our thanks for your participation in our democratic society and for shopping locally! 
 
FREE DRAWING ALL MONTH LONG
 
Our Suppliers have joined in our celebration by donating to our cause. 
In the spirit of Transparency, any donors to Bella's Anniversary Proposition will be available to the public.  This rug was donated by Mad Mats, a division of Mariachi Imports.  You can win it by coming to Bella Kitchen and dropping your name.  Into a bucket.  Drawings to be held each Saturday in November.   You could be the lucky winner!!  The odds of winning at Bella Kitchen are
 102,000,038 times better than winning the lottery.
 
UNDER PRESSURE?
A Free Cooking Demonstration
with Billy & Pegan Cook
These very nice and super talented people will drive all the way from Twin Falls to show us the magic of getting pot roast on the table in one hour.  Not just any pot roast...
The Best Pot Roast Ever
Risotto
and, as an extra 
Black Bean Soup!
 
If you are on our email list you would also be receiving an amazing coupon.  Are you?  Would you like to be? 
 
 
 
 
 

Saturday, October 20, 2012



BELLA'S 10TH BIRTHDAY! 

If you don't shop at Bella Kitchen during the month of November, you may want to check your SMART O METER!!  

The Beginning



The New

 SCHEDULE OF EVENTS 

Saturday, November 3rd

Complimentary Bundt Cakes
Door Prizes
We might open a bottle of wine...

Saturday, November 10th
Pressure Cooking Demonstration with the "Cooks"
(Really, that's their name).
The Best Pot Roast Ever
Risotto
Black Bean Soup
In just minutes...
1 pm - 4 pm
  

Tuesday, November 6th

Election Day! 

Wear your "I Voted" sticker to the store and receive a free gift!

But Wait - There's More!

Saturday, November 17th
An Abelskiver Demonstration with
Jodie Lea, the world's newest and most enthusiastic expert. 

Bring the Kids for this one!!
1pm - 4pm


And Finally the Beginning of the Holiday Season!

 THE EIGHTH ANNUAL HOLIDAY EXTRAVAGANZA
AND CITY CHRISTMAS TREE LIGHTING
More Prizes and Great Discounts
Port Wine and Chocolate Truffles
Music
Friends
Community
FUN!

Saturday, February 25, 2012

Brunch is Best!




Brunch is an easy, fun, and typically less stressful entertainment opportunity for friends and family. Room temperature foods, small bites, and family style or buffet service all come together for a low stress mid-day visit. Many dishes made ahead of time and simply pulled out of the fridge at service time - champagne corks popped and poured. Juice or fun white wine blends with grapes like viognier, semillon blanc, and riesling and dark rich coffee. We started serving brunches instead of dinners for special occasions when the family was visiting - it let us all get together and navigate snowy roads in daytime, spend a few hours together, then make it home in the light of day and left the rest of the day free for all of those important day-off activities; like napping.




Brunch tables beg creativity and fun. Flowers! mix-matched champagne glasses, wine goblets, colorful table linens, foods from Italy, France, and Aunt Berdie's tamale pie all share the same space on the sideboard. Last night's pizza with a poached egg can become a new favorite (surprisingly delicious with a white Rhone blend.) The rules of engagement for Brunch are much more relaxed than for a dinner party. Conversations and bold flavors rule. Ties are certainly optional.




As you plan your next social/kitchen event - consider the very civilized approach of Brunch. Give your kitchen the chance to show off your whimsical side!



Pictured: Northwest Portland Pepperoni pizza leftovers with Basted Eggs: Use last night's pizza - trick is to get the crust crisp by heating it on top of stove in skillet - fry eggs in non-stick add a tsp. of water, top with a lid to steam finish the eggs. Serve over pizza with fresh cracked black pepper; chili flakes or sri racha to taste. Easy peasy!

Saturday, December 10, 2011

Oh, The Humble Tortilla!




My little brother was allergic to gluten long,long ago, before it was fashionable. As a result the family used corn tortillas for many things including pizza crusts. In fact, I didn't know that flour tortillas existed until I was a teenager. The warm toasty smell of a tortilla being fried for hamburger tacos, or the taste of the crispy-cheesy-almost-burnt edges of a pan of enchiladas tumble me back in time to favorite growing up flavors.



So there I was watching PBS on a Saturday and Rick Bayless takes my television and myself first to the streets of Mexico city where people are making these amazing tortillas filled with all kinds of goodness, then through the magic of televsion I'm next in his home kitchen where right before my eyes he whips out tortillas, quickly, gracefully, and with an ease that immediately challenges me to do the same. So, I try it.




They are delicious. They are easy. They are infinitely more wholesome than the factory made tortillas.



To make them you can use Masa Harina (corn flour) and mix 1 cup masa with one cup water including the juice of 1/2 a lime and some salt. Mix together in a bowl, it will seem a bit on the dry side. Let it rest. Then roll it out - a golf ball's worth makes an appropriate sized tortilla. OR you can check at your local grocery and see if you have fresh masa available; ours is sold in a 2# bag and is next to the Mexican cheese in the refridgerator aisle. This is our favorite of the two. The texture and flavors of the fresh masa are just richer than the dry masa.



Possibly the coolest part of the whole process, is that you get to use a device to make them - the tortilla press. An elegant and simple tool that uses the mechanical advantage of Archemides' lever to help press out a quick stack. Bella has them for you. I put a plastic bag on each side as a no-stick liner, place the golf ball of masa in the center, give it a squeeze, open, rotate, give it a second squeeze then onto a medium hot steel pan to toast for a couple of minutes, flip until it starts to pillow on the second side. Then into a kitchen towel to steam while I work on the next one. For absolutely the best in quesadillas: after you are finished toasting your tortillas; put a sprinkling.handful of your favorite cheese on the hot toaster pan you have been using and place the tortilla directly over the top of it all - push down a bit to help melt it evenly and when it is appropriately gooey and crusty, use a spatula to peel it all up and off. Really, really good.