FAIRWAY MARKET NEWS

SPECIAL EVENT & FREE SAMPLES! MEET FAIRWAY’S FOOD ROCK STARS

FAIRWAY MARKET’S SEAFOOD DIRECTOR CAPTAIN TONY MALTESE, CHEESEMONGER STEVE JENKINS, BAKERS SARAH BLACK AND REBECCA MARTIN AND MASTER ROASTER BENNY
LANFRANCO TO OFFER THEIR EXPERTISE AND SAMPLES ON SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 18TH 2012 FROM 11 AM TO 3 PM AT THE DOUGLASTON STORE (242-02 61ST AVENUE).

Cheese Demo with Master Cheesemonger Steve Jenkins!
Join Fairway’s Cheesemonger Steve Jenkins for a delicious and educational cheese demo! After tasting cheeses for 37 years Steve Jenkins’ will share his favorites, well three of them at least and the best things to serve with different cheeses. Sample and learn about cheeses of the world, as Steve shares his passion with you!

Bakery Demo with Fairway’s Own Baker Sarah Black and Rebecca Martin!
Join Sarah Black, Fairway’s Master Baker as she samples Fairway’s New Chocolate Bread. The bread is not too sweet, filled with half melted chocolate pieces with flavor that explodes in your mouth. Try our new Chocolate Bread with Fairway’s Organic Jams.

Rebecca Martin will be sampling Fairway’s new line of gourmet cookies. Stop by to taste the Chocolate Sea Salt, Dulce de Leche and Apricot cookies. The new line of cookies is made from the finest ingredients and is Kosher.

Coffee Demo with Fairway’s Master Roast Benny Lanfranco!
Benny Lanfranco is Fairway’s master roaster. He’s been around coffee beans his whole life. It’s safe to say he knows everything about coffee and roasting. Come chat with him about the roasting process and tricks of the trade and taste Fairway’s Supreme Blend and Ethiopia Harrar Coffee.

Seafood Demo with Captain Tony Maltese!
Join us to learn about the journeys of Captain Tony Maltese! Captain Tony goes down to the docks at the crack of dawn for the freshest pick of fish and seafood to supply our stores. Fillet it right, and learn from the best! Come sample a Fairway’s Fresh Cooked Shrimp and our own Cocktail Sauce.

FESTA DEI SETTE PESCI

The Feast of the Seven Fishes (festa dei sette pesci), celebrated on Christmas Eve, also known as The Vigil (La Vigilia), is believed to have originated in Southern Italy and is not a known tradition in many parts of Italy. Today, it is a feast that typically consists of seven different seafood dishes. Some Italian American families have been known to celebrate with 9, 11 or 13 different seafood dishes. The celebration is a commemoration of the wait, Vigilia di Natale, for the midnight birth of the baby Jesus.

At New York City based Fairway Market, the fishmonger, Tony Maltese, reigns over the fish market area with a multitude of seafood to chose from. A sign above reads, "Festa dei Sette Pesci" and lists seven suggestions: Baccala (Dried Cod) Fritte; Fried or Boiled Calamari; Baked Flounder; Boiled Whole Crab or Lobster; Sauteed Shrimp; Steamed Mussels; A Classic Spaghetti with Clams.

I met Tony to inquire about the various seafood offerings. Baccala is quite common in Italian cuisine. Perhaps you may not want to settle for the dried ilk an opt for fresh cod. For years I did not know that Calamari was squid. My Italian friend used the term "calamar" and only saw it cut up. Here, the squid is all cleaned up and ready to go.

Tony gets the fresh flounder from fishing boats on Long Island. In fact, Tony never buys seafood from Fulton Fish Market. Crab, mussels, clams and a variety of shrimp are also offered for the feast.

Go after more than seven! Have pasta with salmon. Go wild or farm raised. The difference is in the "marbling". Get both and taste the difference.

What may bring you back to Italy is the fresh sardines from Sardinia. If you wish, they will clean them up and all you have to do is deep fry them. For those who have never viewed fresh sardines, they are much larger than the size you see in a can! You know you're making a tomato sauce (gravy) so use some over the sardines or simply add a bit of sea salt and lemon juice.

Pick up some "dry scallops". It means that the scallops haven't been sitting in liquid and getting puffed up. They are not actually "dry" like baccali and you will certainly taste the difference if you usually get the ones from a grocery store or perhaps many fish markets. Keep in mind that water not only puffs them up but makes them heavier.

Perhaps you may not have the time to prepare many of the "fishes dishes". Fairway has a fresh Seafood Salad, that is filled with taste and texture. This will take care of: mussels, scallops, shrimp, squid, and baby octopus.

Head over to the cheese department for some freshly made mozzarella. Pick up some meyer lemons in the produce section and make your own limoncello. As for dessert, you and your loved ones can indulge in a box of holiday cookies. Five different flavors and shapes including chocolate, ones with pecans, and a butter cookie shaped like a Christmans tree with green "sprinkles".

Fairway presently has nine markets in the Tri-State area. www.fairwaymarket.com