Good morning! 80 million. 80,000,000. That's a big number! It's hard to imagine that large a number of anything. Yet on this date in 1908 a meteoroid entered the Earth's atmosphere and burst about 5-10 kms above the remote Siberian forest knocking that many trees over in an what is known as the Tunguska Event. That's an awful lot of flattened timber! It was the most harmful known asteroid-related event on Earth in recent history. As a result, June 30th is known as Asteroid Day! Wikipedia states: The United Nations has proclaimed it be observed globally on June 30 every year in its resolution. Asteroid Day aims to raise awareness about asteroids and what can be done to protect the Earth, its families, communities, and future generations from a catastrophic event.
And speaking of being flattened, today is also former boxing heavyweight Champion Mike Tyson's birthday. He turns 54.
There's a lot to cover this week so let's not waste any time and get right down to business. We love supporting local businesses so we want to put onto your radar that we will soon be offering hand-made dumplings from Dumpling Drop (as well as their chili oil)! We will be the only retailer to offer these incredible, authentic dumplings that are made in Victoria's Chinatown so as soon as we get 'em in, you'll hear about it pronto!
Our Meat Department has FRESH Sockeye Salmon from the clean, cold waters of Barcley Sound, BC (near Ucluelet)! Lots of you have been asking about getting fish not previously frozen and we're happy to announce that it's now available! And if you're looking for something quick and easy for the kids (or yourself) try Olymel Wieners on the BBQ tonight!
Adriana's has been creating authentic and amazing Mexican food in Victoria for over 15 years. Pepper's already has an extensive line of Adriana's including corn tortillas and several flavours of corn chips! And now you can purchase four delicious Adriana's Salsas from our Deli Department! Choose from Salsa de la Casa, Salsa Pesto Poblano, Salsa Verde or Salsa Rustica! All are made from fresh and flavourful ingredients and all are perfect for your next Mexican dinner night! Also, we'll be getting even more new items from Adriana's in the near future so stay tuned to hear about that, too!
When you think cornichon do you think gherkin? You're not wrong. A cornichon is just a type of gherkin. Wikipedia explains it in their definition of Pickled Cucumber: The word gherkin comes from early modern Dutch, gurken or augurken for "small pickled cucumber". Cornichons are tart French pickles made from gherkins pickled in vinegar and tarragon. They traditionally accompany pâtés and cold cuts. Sweet gherkins, which contain sugar in the pickling brine, are also a popular variety. Pepper's now stocks Maille L'Original Cornichons which, according to the company, are made according to the French recipe and traditions for that extra tart bite, these special little pickled gherkins are a perfectly balanced garnish for a meat terrine, pate or gruyere cheese. They are essential for nibbling when there is a plate of fennel salami or cured ham on the go. They also add flavour and are an essential component in classic dishes, ranging from steak tartar and sauce gribiche, to potato salad.
Lots of people sign off on letters, texts or emails to loved ones with a few x's and o's (XO). It's like sending virtual hugs and kisses. And when people bake, they're putting some love into the process because most people don't just bake something for themselves. What they bake is to be shared and enjoyed by family and friends. So if you love to bake, love to eat, love to eat gluten-free or love to bake for someone who loves to eat gluten-free then you are going to absolutely LOVE Xo Gluten-Free & Rice-Free Gourmet Baking Mixes! With Banana Bread, Carrot Cake, Pound Cake, Fudge Brownie and Blondie to choose from, there' are lots of delicious recipes to love!
It's cherry season (hooray!) and coincidentally we just so happened to get in Triple Jim's Pure Black Cherry Juice. This not from concentrate juice is made from fresh BC cherries. It's all natural. Nothing is added. So don't worry about chomping on a pit; pour a glass of cheerful cherry juice and chill!
Perhaps you'd rather have a cup of coffee? We told you about the new Milano Coffee in the last newsletter. But if you prefer a dairy-free substitute instead of cream, try Silk The Vanilla One Oat Yeah for Coffee Creamer! Add it to your coffee just as you would cream, or froth it into creamy foam for your next specialty coffee beverage!
If you want to give your kids the illusion of eating a sugar cereal then check out new Nature's Path Envirokidz Turtle Splash Cereal! They've made strawberry and chocolate flavoured, turtle-shaped cereal out of organic navy beans, fruit and veggies (amongst other stuff) so they get the taste of real strawberries with a relatively low sugar and relatively high protein content. Plus there's a free baby sea turtle adoption so they can help save the turtles!
And lastly this week we have Biovert Automatic Dishwasher Tabs. These tabs are biodegradable, phosphate-free, dye-free, fragrance-free and chlorine-free. But these 100% water soluable dishtabs are full of environmentally friendly dish cleaning power! Hey, we're saving turtles, we're saving the environment and if you look at the attached flyer, you're soon to be saving money!
Until next week, and as always, take good care!
Pepper's Foods