February
Newsletter

VALENTINES DAY

February 14th is Valentine’s Day. This month, our blog, takes a look at different Italian traditions celebrated during this special occasion. Italy is considered one of the most romantic countries in the world and the culture, food, and stunning vistas offer a variety of ideas for wooing your partner.

ORDER CHOCOLATE COVERED STRAWBERRIES

VANILLA

Valentine’s Day usually means receiving a lot of candies and chocolates. But maybe your special someone is into baking their own special sweet treats? Vincenzo’s carries two different, yet equally amazing, types of vanilla extract to take their baking to the next level.

Nielsen-Massey produces a wonderful Organic Madagascar Bourbon Pure Vanilla Extract. All of the ingredients are certified organic and free-trade and of the highest quality for a great flavour. This sweet, creamy, and mellow extract is a great addition to any recipe.

Nielsen-Massey also makes an amazing Tahitian Pure Vanilla Extract. Tahitian vanilla is a favourite amongst pastry chefs and offers a floral, fruity, cherry-like flavour. The vanilla is extracted using a cold extraction process in order to preserve more than 300 flavour compounds in the extract.

COCOA POWDER

Valentine’s chocolates don’t have to come in a box. When putting together a lovely chocolate themed gift, you can include some high-quality cocoa. Cote D’Or Cocoa Powder comes in a 250-gram resealable container. This top quality cocoa powder has a beautiful, warm, red-mahogany colour and a pure intense cocoa taste. This Valrhona brand powder is sugar-free so you can control how sweet it is or use it in baking recipes.

CHOCOLATE FOR TRUFFLES

If you’re planning to make truffles for Valentine’s Day, or for any other occasion, you need to start with the best quality bittersweet chocolate. Vincenzo’s highly recommends Valrhona’s Bittersweet Chocolate which is an amazing blend of cacao beans. Valrhano is the sought after brand, chosen by the world’s best pastry professionals and chocolatiers. The combination of Criollo and Trinitaro beans gives this luscious chocolate a complex range of flavours including fruit, coffee, molasses, and floral notes.

Valrhano Guanaja Bittersweet Chocolate comes preformed into small oval wafers, known as ‘feves’, which are easier for accurate measuring and faster, more even melting.

WILD HIBISCUS FLOWERS IN SYRUP

Beautiful and delicious hibiscus flowers. These delicate edible flowers are preserved in a wonderful syrup which a vibrant red colour and a ‘mixed-berry-esque’ flavour. Perfect for adding class and coolness to your cocktails, you can also just drop one in a glass of prosecco for any special occasion.

Because they are preserved in syrup, they have a long shelf life, so they are easy to keep in your pantry for when you need them. The 250g jar (approx. 200ml) contains approximately 11 whole flowers with a delicious raspberry and rhubarb flavour.

HEART SHAPED CHEESE

Have you heard of Neufchatel? It’s a heart-shaped, soft, white mould cheese from Normandie in the north of France. Neufchatel is older than camembert, in fact, it’s the oldest cheese from the region – with early mentions dating back to 1035.

During the Hundred Years’ War (back in the late 1300’s), French maidens would give heart-shaped Neufchatel cheese to British soldiers they fancied. Neufchatel cheese is ready after 2 weeks and has a firm white mould rind and a firm but creamy interior. When tasting, the cheese should give off a fresh and creamy flavour with lasting savoury notes.

Come by Vincenzo’s & see the
variety of cheeses we carry!

CONNECT WITH US

150 Caroline Street South at the Bauer Buildings ( King & Allen ) Waterloo, Ontario
(519) 741-1437 | [email protected]

Mon to Fri: 8:30am - 8:00 pm
Saturday: 8am - 6pm | Sundays: Closed | Special Holiday Hours