Em Good, George Petrich and David Pearlstein with a fresh batch of Link Lab Sausage.

Otto von Bismarck is quoted as saying that “Laws are like sausages, it is better not to see them being made.” We would respectfully submit that Bismarck would change his mind if he saw the facility that David Pearlstein has built for his company, Link Lab Artisan Meats.

We spent the day with him a few weeks back and watched how he and his crew make the sausage that is the centerpiece of our latest seasonal, the Link Lab Sausage Primo. We thought we would share a few pictures from the day.

The process starts with breaking down pork shoulders from Tails and Trotters in Portland. Those big hunks of pork shoulder were actually still a bit frozen in the middle. That is good for 3 reasons. First, from a food safety standpoint, the colder, the better. Additionally, the colder the pork fat is, the more it stays together, which results in a juicier, more succulent sausage. And truthfully, it is a lot easier to cut!

After it is cut down into smaller pieces, it is fed, 25 pounds at a time, into the meat grinder. It is very similar to a hand-cranked grinder that you might see, except it is a LOT bigger. In the picture below, Em Good is actually standing on a stool so that she can get the leverage to push the meat into the feeder tube should it become necessary. After each batch of pork is ground, it is returned to the refrigerator to stay as cold as possible before the spices are mixed in. When all of the pork has been ground, the spices are mixed in by hand. The sausage is then loaded into the stuffing machine, which is essentially a big hydraulic press that stuffs the sausage into casings or bags. After that, the bags are vacuumed sealed and packed for shipping to our locations.

We are very excited to have partnered with Link Lab Artisan Meats for our latest seasonal pizza! Our Link Lab Sausage Primo spotlights their shiitake and sage pork sausage.

After watching Le Gourmand Restaurant’s Bruce Naftaly make fresh garlic sausage loaded with fresh herbs and using locally raised pork, Microsoft project manager David Pearlstein was struck by the realization that sausage, like all great cooking, can and should always be made with the freshest and highest quality ingredients available. David decided that he would try to replicate the sausage, and what started as a hobby using a friend’s hand grinder has now grown into a full time occupation. David quit his job at Microsoft in 2007 to spend more time with his daughter and soon found himself experimenting more and more with sausage making. He converted his family’s single car garage into a USDA Certified production kitchen and went from making 25 pounds of sausage a week to 275-300 pounds a week in his first year. David soon realized that if he were to increase production, he would need a bigger space. He found one not far away in the Maple Leaf neighborhood, and this past August he made the move from his 180 square foot garage to the spacious 900 square foot production facility that is Link Lab’s new home.

However, Link Lab is not only about the equipment that they use. David believes that fresh, quality meat is by far the most important part of his sausages. The pork that he uses to make the sausage for our pizza is from Tails and Trotters in Portland. David chose Tail and Trotters because of the unique way that they feed their pigs. In Spain, the pigs that provide the meat for the famed Iberico hams thrive on a diet of acorns, which actually lowers the relative level of saturated fat in the meat. Similarly, the pigs from Tails and Trotters are fed hazelnuts (they are much more plentiful here than acorns). This gives the fat a wonderful white, clean color that David just can’t find in most pork. In addition, it tastes delicious! Try it for yourself. David’s sausages are available at Ken’s Market on Phinney Ridge, Ken’s on Queen Anne, Pete’s Wine Shop, Sunset Hill Green Market, Full Circle Farm, and SPUD.com to name a few. And of course, you can try David’s Shiitake Sage Pork Sausage on our Link Lab Primo, where it is featured along with shiitake mushrooms, roasted leeks and fresh mozzarella on an olive oil base. It is available now through February 26th.

Gelatiamo

We absolutely love talking to Maria Coassin at Gelatiamo. Her pride and obvious enthusiasm for her gelato is nothing short of infectious, and you soon find yourself wanting to grab the nearest spoon and start sampling at her gelataria downtown.

While we carry their chocolate, lemon, mint chocolate chip, raspberry, panna (a.k.a. sweet cream), salted caramel and a seasonal selection, Gelatiamo offers many more flavors. Unfortunately, we’re limited on freezer space.  In addition to gelato staples like pistachio and tiramisu (which we carry seasonally), Maria and her business partner, Skyler Locatelli, are currently featuring a number of holiday flavors at their gelataria.

Out of all of the delicious seasonal gelatos that Gelatiamo offers, we focused on featuring Eggnog Gelato this year. Gelatiamo’s sweet, subtly spiced version is a rich, creamy indulgence that will make lovers of the holiday drink swoon.

Candy Cane Gelato

Maria is quite proud of her Candy Cane Gelato. Candy canes are not a traditional Italian treat, so Maria had to create a recipe that met her very high standards. She found an amazing organic peppermint from Oregon. Candy cane pieces marbled into the gelato add a festive touch.

Ginger Snap Gelato

Their Gingersnap Gelato is very popular. They extract as much ginger flavor as they can from ginger roots by steeping the roots in the milk that they use to make the gelato.  Crumbled gingersnap cookies are added for texture and for that extra ginger zip.

Zabaione Gelato

Gelatiamo’s Zabaione Gelato is inspired by the traditional Italian custard dessert that is popular around Christmas.Maria actually calls it the Italian counterpart to eggnog.  Whole egg yolks enrich this decadent gelato that is also flavored with Italian Marsala wine.

Blood Orange Sorbet

The deep red coloring of the flesh of blood oranges and their crisp, tart taste are wintertime favorites in Italy. Gelatiamo uses freshly squeezed blood orange juice to make a refreshing sorbet that is sure to awaken your taste buds. It is an excellent palate cleanser!

We really wish we could carry all of these holiday flavors. Alas, ovens outnumber freezers at our locations, so we are only able to deliver Gelatiamo’s delicious Eggnog Gelato. Of course, you may enjoy all of their flavors at their gelataria at Third and Union in downtown Seattle. You can find pints of Gelatiamo’s gelato at DeLaurenti Food and Wine in Pike Place Market, Central Co-op’s Madison Market, Uptown Metropolitan Market, and Gelato’icious in Everett, to name a few. Flavor selections vary. Have a sweet time enjoying the gelato!

Miller Delivery Kitchen General Manager Jeff Maneval, Darryl Smith, Cindy Harmon, her daughter Reese and Vice President of Operations Jeff Woodruff enjoy a moment at the Miller Delivery Kitchen.

Jeff Maneval, the General Manager of the Miller Delivery Kitchen, always chuckles when he tells the story of the impetus behind our latest limited offering pizza, Uncle D’s BBQ Chicken Primo. One of his long-time customers always asked if we had a BBQ chicken pizza. As this (very regular) customer approached 500 orders, he told Jeff that if we did not have a BBQ chicken pizza by the time he reached his 500th order, he would stop calling us. When he reached 499, he stayed true to his word. However, after going through Pagliacci withdrawals, he eventually started calling from another phone number. He still asked about a BBQ chicken pizza, and we’re happy to finally tell him that he can start using his old phone number again and hit that 500-order mark! We’ve developed a BBQ Chicken pizza that we think was worth the wait.

Our Uncle D’s BBQ Chicken Primo features Darryl Smith’s Uncle D’s BBQ Sauce as the pizza’s foundation. Darryl, his daughter, Cindy Harmon and granddaughter Reese recently joined Jeff and Vice President of Operations Jeff Woodruff to talk about the sauce and make the pizza. Darryl was inspired to create his own sauce by the memories of a BBQ sauce that he enjoyed growing up in California’s Bay Area. He thought, “What the heck…it can’t be that hard! They all have pretty much the same ingredients anyway!” He’ll be the first to tell you that it’s not as easy as he thought. After making gallons of sauce that didn’t quite meet his standards, he finally hit upon a recipe that he knew was the one. His first batches were made in 110-gallon vats that were so big that he had to use an oar to stir the sauce. His sauce is available at QFC and Whole Foods Markets. Darryl has expanded the recipe and now offers his sauce in mild, medium (the original) and hot.

Be sure to try our Uncle D’s BBQ Chicken Primo before summer ends!

The lunch line at Salumi is legendary, quickly growing into a wait of 30 minutes or more. By now, just about everyone knows that if it is a quick bite that you are after, you had best get there as early as possible. Try a few minutes before they open otherwise you risk them running out of your favorite salami. Rain or shine, the prospect of having to wait does not dampen the enthusiasm of the crowds that queue up for their favorite sandwich. Maybe they are there for the Coppa, pork shoulder cured in sugar and spices, or for the house Salumi Salame.  However, Salumi offers some unique salamis that you wouldn’t find in a typical salumeria.

Gina Batali from Salumi is proud to say that their Mole Salami is one of the products that sets them apart.  They refer to it as a “Salumi innovation – uniquely spiced with chocolate, cinnamon, ancho and chipotle peppers.”

Salumi founder Armandino Batali developed this salami after a conversation with a friend who makes chocolate. He was inspired to incorporate the taste of chocolate into his salamis. With its flavors of chocolate, chilies and spices, mole sprang to mind. After perfecting a recipe, he introduced it 9 years ago and it proved to be an immediate hit. It’s so popular that their mole and mozzarella sandwich is one of their top 3 best selling cold sandwiches.

We think it is certainly unique and like nothing we’ve ever tasted before. We feature it on our latest Salumi Special, the Mole Primo. It will be available for a limited time.

Much like its cousin the truffle, morels are some of the most elusive mushrooms around.  They have never been successfully cultivated and their short growing season means that when they’re gone, they’re gone, so they can fetch a high price at area Farmer’s Markets.  However, mushroom lovers prize their musky, loamy taste no matter what the cost.

It is true that sometimes you can find them in great quantities. For some unknown reason, they grow very well in areas that have recently been affected by forest fires. However, many times novice mushroom hunters can be standing in the middle of a morel gold mine and not realize it.  It’s not hard to see why. It takes a practiced eye to spot them among the roots, rocks and other plants out in the woods. John Cage, one of the most influential American composers of the 20^th Century was once asked how he would go about foraging for morels.  His advice was to “Go into the woods and look, and if you don’t find any, don’t worry.”

Fortunately, our friends at Foraged & Found Edibles have their own secret spots where they collect the delicious ‘shrooms. After they bring us the rewards of their hunt, we roast them with a bit of olive oil and some spices. We pair them with the delicious chicken sausage made by Isernio’s here in Seattle. This light, fresh sausage perfectly complements the rich, earthy mushroom.  After you taste it, you will see why people spend hours out in the woods hunting for them.  We’ve made it easy, though. Just give us a call and we’ll deliver this treasure of the forest to you. No foraging required!

Let’s face it…just about everyone loves bacon. Many people have called it “the gateway meat” and its salty, smoky charm can even turn some vegetarians back into carnivores.  The demand for the Bacon Leek pizza that won our recipe contest last year proved so strong that we knew we had to bring it back.  This year we are using an all-natural uncured bacon from Hempler’s Food Group, just up I-5 a stretch in Ferndale.

Hans Hempler and his wife Emmy bought a small meat and sausage shop in Bellingham in 1934 and, using techniques that Hans had learned in his native Germany, started to produce their own unique brand of sausages, bacons, and hams. From this little shop they have expanded and Hempler’s now operates out of a 30,000 square foot facility in Ferndale.

The bacon that we are using this year is free of nitrates, nitrites or any other preservatives, and is as minimally processed as possible. That means no antibiotics or hormones, either. The ingredients are simply pork, honey from Oregon, and sea salt. Their pigs (somewhat ironically) are fed a vegan diet. Hempler’s likes to say that they make the “Leanest Bacon on the Planet Earth”, so that there is less fat and more delicious porky goodness in their bacon.

We are proud to be using their bacon on our pizza, and hope that you enjoy it as much as we do! Bacon is also available as a pizza topping while the Bacon Leek is on the menu, so if there is a combination that you have wanted to try, now is the time!

Enjoy!

From an expanded salad and wine selection to a broader choice of desserts, we’ve always been delighted to offer an enhanced menu at our Bellevue Square Pizzeria. While gelato from Gelatiamo has always been a part of our after dinner offerings, we are pleased to bring another local favorite to Bellevue Square, cheesecake from The Confectional. Co-owners Paul Verano and Destiny Sund started The Confectional 6 years ago in the Pike Place Market with the aim of bringing their idea of cheesecake to Seattle. After a couple of years, they found the demand for their delightful desserts had outgrown the small storefront that they had set up in the Market. So they moved to a great spot on the northern end of Broadway on Capitol Hill.  The (relatively speaking) cavernous baking area in the back has allowed them to dramatically increase the output of their amazing cheesecakes. We are delighted to say that our Bellevue Square Pizzeria is the exclusive carrier of The Confectional cheesecakes on the Eastside, serving uber-mini versions of their Quadruple Chocolate, Seattle’s New York-Style and their most popular flavor, Raspberry White Chocolate Cheesecake. For their crusts, they use Maria biscuits from Spain, which do not contain any hydrogenated oils and caramelize a bit as they bake. Paul explains that they also don’t get quite as soggy as the traditional graham cracker crust. Stop by our Bellevue Square Pizzeria and make sure to save some room for our new Cheesecake Sampler from The Confectional!

Not long ago, our Associate Managers took a road trip to the Yakima Valley and visited Inaba Farms in Wapato, one of the farms that supply us with some of our produce.

The Inaba family has been farming in the Yakima Valley since 1907, when Shukichi Inaba and his brother came over from Japan and started farming the land. It was hard work, as they had to clear the land of sagebrush and dig irrigation channels before they could till and cultivate the fields. Over one hundred years later, Shukichi’s 3 grandsons are running the farm, which is now about 12,000 acres in size. They grow about 20 different kinds of crops that include peppers, asparagus, green beans, watermelons, sweet corn, grapes, onions and tomatoes. They are committed to trying to farm as sustainably as they can. When the opportunity to expand the farm presented itself in the early 1980s they made the decision to farm some of their fields using organic methods. About 10-15 percent of their crops are farmed organically now, and they are constantly trying new techniques to cut their use of chemicals. As some of their cucumbers, watermelon and squash depend on bees for pollination, it is easy to see why they would like to use as few pesticides as possible.

They still employ composting principles that Shukichi Inaba brought over with him from Japan over a century ago. With over five miles of windrows that are scattered around the farm, they compost thousands of tons of waste a year.

At the height of the harvest, the Inaba family employs some 200 people, about ¾ of whom return every year. Having faced discrimination with the enacting of the alien land laws of the 1920’s that prohibited them from owning land and the Japanese Internment during World War II, they empathize with the seasonal workers that they see every year and strive to be good employers.

It was a fun visit, and it is always great to see one of the sources for some of our great pizza toppings especially one that is so close by!

A highlight of a recent trip to Maui for the winners of our Associate Manager contest included a tour of the Maui Gold Pineapple farm. In addition to being the farm that provides us with the fresh pineapple we use for our pizza topping, it is the only working pineapple farm in the United States that allows tours. Everyone had a lot of fun seeing where our pineapple comes from. This particular variety of pineapple was developed at the Pineapple Research Institute at the University of Hawaii in 1973, although their farming tradition has been part of Maui’s culture for over 100 years.  Due to its low acidity and high natural sugar content, the Maui Gold is not a good canning pineapple, but its sweet, juicy fruit is ideal for eating out-of-hand or baked on a pizza! While they were there, Rudy, one of the owners, put on an impressive display of machete prowess while cutting up some of the fruit for them to eat. He also gave them some tips on choosing the perfect pineapple when they got back to the Mainland. Ripe pineapples should be yellow on the outside. As pineapples do not ripen after being picked, try to avoid green pineapples. Pineapples that are brown on the outside are overripe and should be avoided. And, if at all possible, pineapples should be kept out of the refrigerator until it is time to cut and serve them.