What is an Olive Oil Blend?
 

 

We know everyone has had a moment where you are ravishingly hungry and sit down to enjoy your dinner, and at first bite, you are disappointed with the lack of flavor! Typically, our next step is to reach for the salt - that doesn't quite do it, and we try pepper, which is still not entirely correct, and we finish our meal and move on. Sometimes, we realize it could be better in these moments, but how? 
 

In cooking, we use oil in some form for most recipes, and what if a small amount of oil blend could bring about the flavors our palette is craving with a flavor profile that makes the difference from ok to a great tasting food?
 

Have you noticed many new oil choices in the marketplace? We are all asking the same questions: What is that, how do I use it, what does it taste like, and what are the ingredients? You may have even picked one or two oils or blends, placed them in your cart, and then returned them to the shelf due to a lack of knowledge of use or ability to taste before buying.
 

Ask no more. We've answered the questions and have done the work for you! It's no secret that some of the best olive oils come from California, home to the harvest and curated blends in our French Pantry Line. Our French Pantry Oil Blends are a Blend of Canola Oil, and Extra Virgin Olive Oil then infused. Oil Blend ingredients have been quality tested and vetted for taste by our food experts in the US and France. No more dilemma and worry if one component will bring out the optimum flavor when mixed with another.
 

With fine selections of oil blends, you'll up your flavor game with any sauté using the unique choice blends of Roasted Garlic, Tuscan Herb, and Herbs de Provence. We share our obsession with homemade dressings for salad lovers using Meyer Lemon, Tahitian Lime, Sweet Basil, or Rosemary.
Not only for the sauté, but we also found many discoveries in baking and roasting by adding a little oil blend. The flavor becomes pronounced and delicious.

Olive Oil blends meet the taste that many people crave, from sweet to savory, light, and alluring. Bon COOK French Pantry Olive Oil bends are the essence of simplicity in cooking with their pungent flavor. They assist in cooking well at home to make good-tasting food.

Next to Olive Oil, Canola is next in line for quality. Our French Pantry oil blends are made with Canola Oil and Extra Virgin Olive Oil and infused. Canola is used for infused oil blends because the oil is light and smooth, and flavors are married for outstanding taste.
 

Unlike the many myths circulating on the Internet today, Canola Oil is not made from the rapeseed plant. Canola oil is made from the crushed seeds of the canola plant and is among the healthiest cooking oils. It has the lowest saturated fat content of any oil commonly consumed in the US, at just 7%.   
 

Although low in saturated fat, canola oil is very high in healthy unsaturated fats, it's an excellent source of omega-6 fatty acid and linolenic acid, and it is higher in omega-3 fatty acid alpha-linolenic acid (ALA) than any other oil commonly used. These fats are essential in the diet because the human body can't produce them. 
 

With so many myths about canola oil, it is essential to know why it is the best blend choice and not conclude that all canola oils are made with GMOs and are unhealthy. When oil is heavy, flavors don't infuse well. To keep the oils with bon COOK's core promise of quality and innovation.

Canola is the better blend choice because of its health properties and ability to enhance the overall taste of the infused blend. Whether a novice or advanced home chef, our Oil Blends are available to assist you through your discovery of preparing great-tasting food with surprise and delight from your kitchen!


From the bon COOK kitchen to yours,

Great taste belongs at home!

 

 

 

 

 

WHAT'S YOUR EVOO IQ?
 
With the explosion of gourmet ingredients in markets today, many copycat products of lesser quality are finding their way into shopping carts, even though consumers are savvier today than in the past. When the conversation around ingredients encounters debate, people want to be in the know! We've found consumers are searching for quality and are willing to take the time to educate themselves about the food they buy, where to find the best ingredients, where the food is sourced from, and how it is made.
 
We believe top quality comes from small batches of food made to maintain the integrity of the ingredients and finish with a rare and elevated taste.
One of our favorites is our EVOO imported from Provence in the South of France.
French olive oil is rare, and France produces only 5000 tons of olive oil per year. Compared to the rest of Europe, this is only 10% of the annual olive oil production. The warm climate offers perfect conditions to make the very best EVOO in Provence. Typically harvested in autumn using a cold-pressed technique, our olive oil is the first pressed and produces a high-quality grade with only 1% acidity. This olive oil is good tasting on its own, but it also pairs beautifully with our salts and peppers alongside a French Baguette. We can't help but boast and know that it must be pure for anything to be exquisite.
In Provence, the French use the country's varied olive oils. Used in sautéing foods, marinades, added to salads, sauces, dips, and as a finishing oil to add that unique and exquisite taste to any meal.
The bon COOK Pure 100% French Extra Virgin Olive Oil is unfiltered with superior taste and is showcased in a recognizable French couture bottle to share a little piece of France with you!
 
Introduced in our French Pantry line of food from France in 2021, we are proud to share this rare, fine-tasting EVOO that is certain to up the game on EVOO IQ with its light and satisfying flavor profile; like a good wine, it is not easily forgotten! With various uses, one of our favorite ways to enjoy this EVOO is with a homemade French Vinaigrette that we must share with you!
 

CAN WE LEND THE SAME EXCEPTIONAL FLAVOR TO RECIPES AS LOOSE-LEAF TEA DOES TO WATER?
 
Years ago, I researched an alternative to powdered seasonings with added flavor and realized there were two choices: fresh or powdered seasonings with added flavor. I was working on a meal plan on a brisk Saturday morning that called for a cup of hot tea. As I began to measure my loose herbal tea, it dawned on me what I might have been searching for was a version of dried herbs that looked like loose tea for use in cooking. I wondered how we could lend the same exceptional flavor to our recipes as loose tea does to water. I Quickly contacted our food expert in France with recipes in hand, and it wasn't long after the dream of a better choice for cooking with herbs was born! French Pantry loose herb blends are the answer to rid our kitchens of rarely used powder seasonings with added flavor.
Move over fine ground herb dust with added flavors and open the door to loose dried herbs grown and hand-mixed in France! bon COOK's French Pantry Herb Blends bring exceptional taste to the food you cook without additives and are non-GMO.
 
Why?
Dried herbs and spices are more concentrated and potent. Loose dried Herb blends last much longer than fresh ones the small pieces (oregano, basil, thyme, rosemary, lavender, for example). You can see each herb and notice the blend at first sight. French Pantry brings a whole new element to cooking, and you will find the combinations don't overpower your dish. Our bon COOK French Pantry Herb Blends bring out the best flavor in every recipe you create—nothing complicated or competing, a simple way to achieve good tasting food just like they do in France!
 
You don't have to be an expert in preparing good-tasting food!
A sprinkle of this, a dash of that is well-thought-out for you with French Pantry Herb Blends! Thoughtfully prepared and hand mixed to keep the small pieces intact, the ingredients list is impressive, listing only herbs used to make the blend with no added flavors or preservatives! A total of eight blends are upping the game on taste to leave the novice to expert cook feeling like a pro!
Herbs DE Provence - Roasted Onion and Red Pepper - Rosemary Basil Thyme –Zesty Mediterranean -
Roasted Garlic and Chive - Fresh Dill And Lemon –Herbs Parisian - Bouquet Garni

From our kitchen to yours we love bringing exceptional taste to life!

Cheers!

Cindy Juncaj
CEO & Partner,
boncook.com

Has the art of cooking confidence and eating well at home met the discovery of exceptional taste for you?  Are you ready to share the story and build your food IQ through ingredients sourced worldwide as they pop-up trending as everyday gourmet?

Family dinner now exists for gathering and forming a culture of great food, good taste, and cooking with ingredients that boost your flavor profile with what you taste and learn at the table. Eating in is not a trend; it is the new way to live! 
To help people discover and build their food IQ, I share with you the bon COOK, Pep Rally, which is sure to put some pep in your step! 
 
Pep Rally - What’s The Story? 
Did you know that pepper is the oldest spice in the world? Black Peppercorns are berries picked just before they are ripe and are usually sun-dried. Around the world, tastings are happening to discover, enjoy, and learn how to use pepper. To answer: which pepper to use, whether to use whole or ground. We've masterfully created a collection of five worldly peppers set for your tasting in our stainless-steel Pep Rally Pepper Mill. Our French Pantry Black Peppercorns are unique and bought from countries of origin. Earthly treasures are researched, tested, and chosen by our French Food Experts, who are on-trend to help us explore peppers from around the world that match our commitment to quality and pure ingredients. 
Tellicherry  - What's The Story?
Pepper originated in India and is the home of our Tellicherry pepper! It is the largest peppercorn and most flavorful of pepper, and the flavor of lemon and lime notes is apparent. When Peppers are picked and shaken out, the large peppercorns remain, and all of those remaining are Tellicherry. As the peppercorn expands, flavor evolves, and the heat dissipates. Size is the determination of this peppercorn. When the peppercorn's pinhead is 4.25 millimeters or more, Tellicherry. Tellicherry makes up only 10% of peppercorns and is rare, expensive, and most flavorful. 
Madagascar  - What's the Story?
Madagascar is an island country in Africa. It is located around 248 miles off the coast of East Africa in the Indian Ocean.  
Known for its contribution to culinary specialists worldwide, this rare wild pepper native to southern Madagascar, also known as Voatsiperifery  
(Vote-see – pear – if-ery), is most exotic and grows wild in the forest of Madagascar's humid climate. Handpicked shoots from the treetops of trees that grow up to 65 feet make this pepper rare—harvested from July to April. 
Madagascar is the only wild black peppercorn with a tail, immensely flavorful and robust. Madagascar pepper is smaller than its cousin pepper, easily recognized by its little tail, not to be confused with the larger Cubebe pepper. 
Its lively fragrance with woody notes of citrus and wildflowers makes it an ideal seasoning for grilled red meats, fish, and seafood. 
Less potent than other black pepper, it goes as well with desserts, especially strawberries and chocolate. 
Timut  - What's the Story?
Trendy and emerging from Nepal. In 2018 the BBC listed Timut as an on-trend ingredient to make condiments and give alcoholic beverages like gin and tonic an extra kick! Timut is most prevalent in Asian and Indian cooking. 
Timut Pepper has a strong smell of grapefruit and lemon dedicated to season fish, shellfish, chicken marinade or, paired in a fruit salad.  
Timut is from the Toothache Tree, Zanthoxylum (zan tho sy lum) Alatum, and extracts are used to alleviate toothaches. When ingested, the analgesic effect causes a slight numbing sensation, adding an exciting dimension to any food or beverage. With its closest relative being Szechuan Pepper, The Timut pepper has similar properties, so basically, it's not just on-trend. It's hot!  
Malabar  - What's the Story?
Harvested from India's Malabar Coast, Malabar black peppercorns have a well-rounded bold taste, which is just a bit fruity with woody notes. The brave and well-rounded fruity notes are not as sweet as the Tellicherry peppercorn pair well with most herbs and spices. It is an excellent addition to soups, stews, marinades, stocks, and sweet or savory dishes. Either grind or leave whole. The choice is all yours. 
Vietnam - What's The Story?
A look to the future! Vietnam Peppercorns are likely to take on a whole new world, around the world!  Vietnam has moved quickly and is the world's largest producer of peppercorns and the largest exporter.  Cracking these peppercorns, you'll find a bit of yellow color as it releases a hint of citrus flavor. Many chefs have cracked the secret and use these peppercorns to flavor Caesar salad dressing recipes and side dishes in the main meal.  Vietnamese peppercorns make the perfect pairing to chicken, fish, fried or roasted, soups, salads, dressings, and marinade. Suitable for everyday use and mellow enough to enhance flavor with slight notes. 
Whether you eat in one night a week or every night, talking about ingredients is sure to come up in conversation around the table. Eating well at home is the discovery of taste that builds a culture to create your story. So, what's your story?

This article was referenced by our friends at: https://porch.com/advice/experts-tips-herbs-spices-at-home/

Pass The Salt, Please!
 
We believe the best salt in the world is found in Brittany along the Atlantic coastline and is one of France's best-kept secrets. Anyone who has visited this area has certainly been exposed to the taste and wonder of the salt marshes, and we make it possible for you to have this same experience bringing the best salt of the world to you! With the rush of gourmet finds available in every market, consumers are savvier than ever and crave knowledge about ingredients, where they are sourced, what the history is, and why they should buy one instead of another. Today I share our discovery of Fleur de Sel de Guerande, the salt at the base of our bon COOK, French Pantry Gourmet salt Blends.
 

Sel Gris - The Base Of All bon COOK French Pantry Salt Blends!

The salt from Guerande is famous since it tastes like none other. The pure taste and quality left us knowing we must have this salt in our French Pantry selection. Nowhere else in the world does the salt have the same flavor, subtle and delicate crystals of Fleur de Sel de Guerande. What makes this salt so unique? Harvested by hand and raked from salty ocean water and guided through 10 winding waterways floating down narrow channels and into the marshes and then raked by specialists. French Pantry Sel Gris (French Grey Salt (Fleur de Sel de Guerande) is a highly prized salt. Salt harvesting in this region dates back to 868. Each marsh can yield about 1 kilo (2.2 pounds) of salt per day. The salt is Grey due to the way it is collected in. The French Grey, in particular, is vigorously raked below the service of the water with a wooden tool. Its grey color comes from the dense clay lining the marshes, where it gets the unique flavor and high magnesium content. We cannot begin to name how to use this salt because it is simple. Use it every day on everything, and taste that goodness.

Lavender - A Welcome Surprise!

At first, I was met with skepticism when I imagined the taste of Lavender Salt on my roasted veggies or chicken though even just hearing the word lavender leaves us swooning! I knew this experiment would be unique, although I did not realize how surprising and lovely the taste would be. A salt with that adds a five-star sprinkle every time it's used. Ingredients of Provence abound in our French Lavender salt. The most popular, Herbs de Provence (rosemary, basil, thyme, and Summer Savoy), Lavender, and edible Purple Cornflower, is grown in Europe in porous, nutrient-rich soils. Sprinkle on roasted root vegetables, roasted potatoes, or use as a chicken rub to bring your cooking and tasting experience to a whole new level. 
 

Black Truffle - The Taste People Crave!

With harvest between November 1 and March 15, France's Truffles are world-renowned, and of the 50 metric tons the country produces annually, France is the largest truffle producer. 
The Black Winter Truffle has a wild following with its earthly and subtle aroma, and we understand why! We are pleased to present this specialty Black Truffle Salt to you made with the Tuber Brumale Black Winter Truffle breaks considered the most fragrant and delicious of all Truffles.
Lastly, did you say Truffle? Satisfying the craving and requests for Truffle Salt is done with a perfect combination of black winter truffle accompanied by our Sel Gris, French Grey Salt (Fleur de Sel de Guerande), Tuber Brumale Vitt. or Brumble. 
(pronounced broo-MAHL) is also known as "Périgord Truffle" or "The Black Diamond of Provence." 

Whether you are a novice or an expert educating yourself on ingredients, the path to creating the best taste in every meal you make comes to life using top ingredients. Find more with our French Pantry line of gourmet for use every day and boncook.

From my bon COOK kitchen to yours,

Cheers!

Image
 

Chips, Cookies, Carrots?

Today we share from our friends at Guy Demarle, France for their BLOG on Snacking. Chips here, a cookie there... whether in the office or at home, it's hard to resist snacking! Especially in case of cravings, we rarely turn to carrot sticks but rather to fatty and sweet products supposed to give us a natural feeling of well-being. But if it temporarily offers us pleasure, this bad habit tends to make us gain weight! How can this be remedied? Discover all the attitudes to adopt to free yourself from snacking finally.

Eating Well During Meals

No secret, avoiding snacking starts with eating well during meals. Whether at breakfast, lunch, or dinner, normal eat-in quantities and not like a bird! The goal is to stall until the next meal and not be hungry 1 hour after leaving the table. The ideal way to last all day without snacking is to eat at fixed times to offer a regular rhythm to the body, especially not to skip meals and to consume foods consistent with proteins, starchy foods, fruits, and vegetables ...

Eating Slowly and Mindfully

Do you have the unfortunate tendency to take your meals in quick in front of the TV or with your nose glued to your mobile phone? What if you take the time to feed yourself by paying attention to what you eat? Eating gently and listening to feelings of hunger not only allows you to connect with your taste buds but also to recognize when you are full. As a result, we enjoy the meal, and we eat less to the extent that we give our body the necessary time (20 minutes minimum) to feel satiety. Enough to reduce uncontrolled food impulses!

Analyze Your Cravings

Speaking of food drives, are you able to recognize them? Distinguishing a real hunger from a simple need to eat may seem difficult at first glance... unless you ask yourself the right questions! You should know that our indoor weather dramatically influences the way we eat. Stress, fatigue, depression, and boredom are often at the origin of snacking, which acts as emotional comfort. Before throwing yourself on cheese or chocolate bars, analyze your feelings and tackle the source of your discomfort. Meditate and breathe, inflating the belly well. The cravings related to your emotions will magically disappear!

Indulge in Healthy Snacks

There is no question of frustrating you in case of real hunger between breakfast and lunch or lunch and dinner. Give yourself a healthy snack that won't cause insulin to spike at the moment and starve you a few hours later. A handful of almonds, seeds, plain yogurt, fresh fruit, seeds, a few vegetable sticks to dip in a bit of hummus... So many nutritional solutions that will allow you not to crack on any sweet product.

Limit All Products That Are Too Sweet/Too Salty

If you are looking to snack less, the best thing is to ban all sweet products from your cupboards! Cookies, sodas, sweets, chocolates... Avoid buying it and you will be sure not to consume it ;-) Because sugar calls sugar and the more your blood sugar rises when they are ingested, the more likely you are to be sensitive to a drop in energy, inevitably causing cravings for snacking! The same goes for salty products, which are just as bad for your health as they promote high blood pressure.

Drinking, Drinking, And Drinking

Exit sugary or alcoholic beverages; it is here to drink water. Everything is allowed in the form of teas, herbal teas, soups, or detox waters! Drinking will hydrate you and reduce your urge to snack.

Keeping The Mind Busy

When you have a busy mind, you don't think about snacking! Play sports, draw, tinker, call friends, play with your children, read, garden, meditate... In short, take care of yourself and forget all of your old habits of bad snacking habits.

Jessie
Guy Demarle

TOP TEN THINGS TO KNOW

1. With a contemporary recipe to bring people together through cooking and food, our Chairman, Patrice Jacquelin, and bon COOK's CEO and Partner, Cindy Juncaj, created the partnership we know today as bon COOK! With over 75% of our product line imported from France, the collaboration of bon COOK's US business partnership is one to admire. With the love of cooking and the determination to succeed in the US market, we set out to lead people to gain cooking confidence by sharing cooking classes through our social selling platform and in the best place to connect at home, the kitchen! 
2. Our commitment to quality and the highest standards started with the molds that break the mold. We began with a sampling from the professional-grade collection, born in France, that transforms cooking into the art of creating in both professional and home kitchens around the world. As we build our bon COOK product families, rigorous testing and quality materials allow us to meet the expectations of our consultants who sell our bon COOK products and our customers who use and enjoy them.
3. We bring excellence to the table. From ensuring the best ingredients to our belief in the power of connecting through food, the French ideology underscores our use of authentic European-inspired elements sourced from the local land to achieve clarity and purity of flavor. What started with the world's best bakeware has evolved by adding the world's best consumables for your pantry and everyday cooking success.
4. Postcard from Paris. Our top-performing bon COOK Consultants have traveled to the City of Lights, the first of many annual incentive trips designed to unite and reward high achievers who meet or exceed their business goals.
5. The French Factor. Architecture. Culture. Food and Countryside. With our cooking philosophy deeply rooted in our French heritage, we have an unwavering commitment to excellence for each product we bring to the table.
6. Family is everything. Authenticity for Cindy Juncaj means that she and her family live the core values of bon COOK – whether on a family vacation or around the table, gathering and cooking are at the center of the family.
7. Simplicity is the new gourmet, and we're making the tradition of cooking meals at home practical and simple in modern times. With online tools and resources, alongside customizable cooking classes, we invite everyone to help themselves to what we offer. Our bon COOK Consultants are well versed in the kitchen and will help you cook with our outstanding families of products so you can make an educated choice of what fits your lifestyle with a personal meeting online or off.
8. Great minds think alike. Entrepreneurs and business partners Patrice Jacquelin and Cindy Juncaj combine their knowledge and skills to realize their global desire to make cooking easier and healthier. With a shared vision to build the best entrepreneurial business for people, the partners created a platform to actively bring people back around the table while offering highly innovative cooking tools designed to simplify life in the kitchen.
9. bon COOK is not just a cooking business. It is a business of respect for the relationships we create through our cooking and business-building partnership of our bon COOK consultants, those who host cooking classes, and all customers.
10. There's a chair for you as a bon COOK Consultant at our table. Visit us in-person or online and get a taste of what's stirring. No matter your skill level, connect with us today and be on your way to becoming a bon COOK!