On Pleasureful Pastry

Gifting as an Expression of Relationship

On October 14, 2020

Doing the work we must do today – basically, creating value in the present – and attempting to plan for a tomorrow which, in the current environment seems almost unfathomable, feels very unsettling and even risky.

Yet, that is exactly the life strategy we’re given the opportunity to mold for ourselves, our businesses and our relationships.

Relationship has more importance for us now than has likely ever been so in our lifetimes. Adaptability – coded into our DNA – and a splash of resistance to extreme change confront each other head-on in each decision.

Gifting is an expression of love and appreciation in personal and business relationships. The season of gifting will shortly be upon us.

We offer the convenience of gifting and shipping to multiple addresses, and you may include a personal message to your recipient.

You may select either Essential Panettone Artisan Milanese or Essential Panettone Northwest. Please consider joining our gifting experience when the Essential Panettone season – three weeks only – opens on 23-Oct.

https://www.EssentialConfection.com

#essentialconfection

The Single Best Resource for Flavor Pairings

By lindanaylor

On October 10, 2020

In Panettone

Creating layers of flavor in any confection product, dessert or savory dish results from the practice of paying attention to affinity flavors. Affinity flavors are flavor relationships that are the epitome of flavor pairing.

The single best resource for understanding flavor pairing is The Flavor Bible. The book is used extensively by professional chefs, pastry chefs and avid home cooks to build a cook’s confidence in flavor relationships – not only on recipes. The authors, Karen Page and Andrew Dornenburg, also published What to Drink with What You Eat and The Vegetarian Flavor Bible.

Interestingly, the category of citrus has the unusual effect of being, not only an affinity for myriad other ingredients – many types of cheese, berries, fish and shellfish, greens and salad – it actually enhances flavors in its own category.

Lemons have the versatility to be a dominant flavor or they can contribute subtle background notes. Eureka lemons, very high acid and piquant, have, perhaps the greatest versatility. The Meyer lemon, actually a lemon hybrid, has far less acid, a very thin skin, luscious lemony-tangerine flavor and lovely perfume. Because its flavor is so delicate, the Meyer lemon is not well suited to supporting background flavor. Meyer lemons would never be recommended for canning as they contribute insufficient acid.

Both orange and lemon zest support the flavor of the finest quality European candied orange peel in Essential Panettone. Citrus is the perfume that wafts magically through the air when Essential Panettone is unwrapped and sliced.

The Essential Panettone order window – 3 weeks only – opens on 23-Oct.

Please join us.

www.EssentialConfection.com

#essentialconfection

The Story-Telling of My Youth

By lindanaylor

On October 6, 2020

In Panettone

Over millennia story telling has become a hard-wired feature of our consciousness. As a child, the master story tellers of Disney educated me on ideas and concepts beyond my young worldview. Each visual story elevated my understanding of what life was like and how I could imagine my future.

Features of the panettone origin story in Milan, Italy appeal to the scientific aspect of my brain as it relates to product development. Maximizing textural development by pushing sourdough starter to its limits lures me suggestively into the personal challenge of accomplishing it.

Essential Panettone has no commercial yeast. Its ethereal texture arises exclusively from the simplest combination of flour, water, the wild yeasts present in the atmosphere and the good bacteria that is inherent to us all.

The simplicity of those early stories still has great appeal for me, though the vehicle for my communicating them has taken a new turn toward the visual medium of video.

This is one small piece of the story of the finest quality panettone: Essential Panettone Artisan Milanese, and this season’s debut, Essential Panettone Northwest – each in a half-kilo size.

Italian Christmas cake on wooden table. Homemade Panettone

The Essential Panettone order window – 3 weeks only – opens on 23-Oct.

Please join us.

www.EssentialConfection.com

#essentialconfection

Did You Hear the Story About the …

By lindanaylor

On August 20, 2020

In essential confection

Storytelling is the fundamental vehicle for human communication.

I recognized many years ago – long before I began writing publicly – that I’m inclined to frame all my experience as a story. I commonly step into a conversation with, “Well, here’s the story…”, or as my father used to say, “That’s the story…”

The underlying mission of Essential Confection is, and will always be, to partner with and support orgs that feed others.

It’s how I wish to show up in the world.

So, as an Essential Confection guest, I’ll be asking for your personal recommendations of people or organizations who are doing good work in the world – innovative or dedicated ways of feeding people. That includes teaching children about growing and choosing quality food. We want our guests’ org recommendations to be our partners.

Please join Essential Confection guests in our broader mission. Our participation is producing simple, high-quality confection products of outstanding flavor and texture.

We want you to be our partner. The Ultimate annual purchase is a gift for yourself, your family or business associates.

www.essentialconfection.com/q3-2020/

#essentialconfection

The Chrysalis

By lindanaylor

On August 7, 2020

In Uncategorized

One of life’s biggest challenges is to walk as yourself. Society has its way of conditioning out our unique abilities in favor of conforming. For me, walking that authenticity is the creation of and dedication to founding a confection company that produces simple, elegant confection products of the highest quality.

Of equal weight is my desire to serve others by contributing in small ways to the events of their lives. I live, by extension, through gifts given by our friends.

Underlying it all is my commitment for this company to support organizations that feed others and to support food systems that nourish and heal.

Though not quiescent, the evolution of this company has been, and will continue to be, a process. I take the risk of putting into place whatever will be required to bring this organization to its full potential. Fulfillment and joy are by-products of exploration.

So, this is a personal note. Essential Confection is my company and today is the day. In the analogy of the chrysalis, that protective state or stage of being, what evolves upon its release is the internally complex but outwardly elegant creation.

I hope you’ll join us. www.essentialconfection.com//Q3-2020

Linda