We have all heard this, especially when we were younger, when we avoided the foods that actually might be good for us. Apples, for me, have never been an issue when it comes to eating them. In fact, eating too many (is that possible?) is a bigger threat than not eating them at all.

The original saying was longer:

"Eat an apple on going to bed, and you'll keep the doctor from earning his bread."

The first recorded version of the saying comes from Wales in 1866. This version was recorded in a publication called Notes and Queries, a journal where people collected proverbs and local sayings.

It suggested eating apples as part of a daily routine, especially at night.

The connection was direct: regular apple consumption implied less need for medical care.

Because apples were cheap, widely available, and easy to store, especially when compared to other fruits, this advice made sense.

At the same time, there was a growing interest in nutrition and preventive health, and medical care was expensive and not universally accessible to people. So encouraging people to eat apples daily was a low-cost health intervention.

Before widespread medical knowledge, simple dietary suggestions like this were a way to reduce illness. Orchards, farmers markets, and grocers also used the saying to sell apples.

For breakfast:


"Have an apple before school; it will keep you strong."

At nighttime:


"Eat your apple before bed, so the doctor doesn't come calling."

There is some truth that apples are healthy, fiber-rich, and help prevent some illnesses as part of a balanced diet, and you didn't need a doctor to follow it because anyone could eat an apple.

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Nothing like an apple pie! Now is the time to make one for yourself and not have to share with all the guests you've had last month!

See Chef Lesa's From Scratch Apple Pie Recipe here!

When Dark Muscovado is too dark, try the Light Muscovado! John says this is the best sugar for his morning brew of Indian Chai.

From Mauritius this sugar retains much of the flavor of the cane. It has a fine, moist testure, high molasses content and a deep, rich, flavor. Use it in recipes calling for light brown sugar for mouth watering results.

Store Light Muscovado Sugar in an airtight container. If the sugar hardens, place it in a bowl with a wet cloth until the sugar softens again.

Shop now for India Tree Light Muscovado Sugar here!

This is an essential vinegar ingredient to always have on hand.

You can taste the Gravenstein Apple! When you can taste the variety of apple you know you are tasting something special!

Everyone is shocked at how good this is! The usual response after tasting is to check the bottle and then say "that is nothing like any apple cider vinegar I have had before!"

Worth Drinking!

Shop now for Gravenstein Apple Cider Vinegar!

This Balsamela oozes the same precision of flavor that Andrea puts into his Gold Seal Balsamic vinegar.

This Balsamela apple cider balsamic vinegar is made from fresh apples and treated in the same way as his traditional Balsamics, then reduced and allowed to acidify.

To the nose, there is a sweetness and for sure a pure apple scent. The nice sweetness has a finish of vinegar bite, mostly in the back of the throat. You can sip, dip (with your tongue), or drizzle.

Add to cold water and have a wonderful, easy-sipping and refreshing thirst quencher.

Besides dipping your tongue in a spoon filled with Balsamela, pour a little out and dip your veggies in.

And then there is the drizzle. Drizzle your plate in a wonderful pattern over your protein or your vegetables. Use it as you would a balsamic vinegar, with a twist of apples.

This Balsamela apple cider balsamic vinegar is one of those amazing foods that when you first try it you can't believe how absolutely special it is!

Shop now for San Giacomo Balsamela - Apple Balsamic!

A delightfully fruity and delicious chutney made from English apples and local Lyth Valley Damson Plums. An excellent accompaniment to cheese, cold cuts and terrines.

Shop now for Hawkshead Apple, Date and Damson Chutney here!

The British government claimed their pilots in WWII had excellent night vision because they ate lots of carrots. One can deduce that eating carrots are good your eyes. And if you add 2 and 2 together it makes sense because many of the pilots were in their teens and carrots have beta-carotene (beta carrot teen), which the body converts into vitamin A.

Vitamin A is essential for normal vision and preventing night blindness.

And it turns out eating carrots can help provide Vitamin A in your diet. (So does animal liver, eggs, dairy, and fish, as well as plant sources like leafy greens (spinach, kale), orange fruits (mangoes, cantaloupe, and apricots.) The body converts beta-carotene from plants into Vitamin A, while animal products provide preformed Vitamin A (retinol).

However eating extra carrots does not improve your vision beyond what you were born with, thusly they won't fix poor eyesight or replace glasses.

So why did the British government claim it was the carrots? It was wartime propaganda to the Germans to hide the fact that Britain had developed radar technology.

The propaganda story spread widely and stuck.

And evil parents found it a great way to get kids to eat vegetables.

See everything we have with Carrots here!

Red carrots are not as naturally sweet as orange carrots so this recipe is a perfect way to bring-out more sweetness. Combining a rainbow of carrot colors makes for a beautiful plate!

See the Red Carrots Glazed with Balsamic Vinegar Recipe here!

The first bite, so to speak, of the Habanero Carrot Curry sauce was a pleasant, albeit fiery, taste that evolved from the flavor of carrot to a hot burn to a finish of more flavors including turmeric and curry all the whilst the heat was subsiding!

Wowsa! A haute sauce that doesn't dull the senses, has plenty of heat and, on top of it all, tastes like something you can recognize!

Perfect way to serve it:

Saute some finely diced carrots, onion and celery. Once cooked, add a jar of the carrot curry sauce and stir over medium heat. Once nicely warm, throw in 1-2 pounds of cleaned/devained shrimp and a can of coconut milk. Cook for about 3 minutes, and serve over jasmine rice.

Shop now for Marshall's Habanero Carrot Curry Haute Sauce!

One year in Aspen, Charlotte and the other two of the triplets, created this mind-blowing dish. They created it on the spot, using the ChefShop ingredients the chefs had requested we bring to the stage, and the protein left over from the demos.

The recipe calls for chicken and fish, and any firm, light-colored fish will work.

There are lots of adjustments you can make to the recipe to fit the day and your preferences, and you can always make it spicier!

It was hot! And crazy delicious!

See the Chicken and Hamachi Curry Recipe here!

La Tourangelle Organic Virgin Coconut Oil is a 100% organic, virgin, unrefined coconut oil made from coconuts and minimally processed to retain natural flavor and nutrients. It's certified organic and contains no additives or chemicals—just pure coconut oil.

The oil is made by expeller pressing the coconut meat. This means the coconut flesh is mechanically pressed to squeeze out the oil without chemical solvents like hexane.

La Tourangelle takes fresh organic coconuts and presses them within a few days of harvest, which helps preserve freshness, flavor, and aroma.

It's unrefined (virgin) meaning the oil is not deodorized, bleached, or chemically refined. This true virgin oil retains more of the natural coconut aroma and taste compared to refined versions. Like all of La Tourangelle oils, their attention to detail and process makes some of the nicest oils we can find on the planet.

Click here to see Organic Virgin Coconut Oil!

Established in 1876 for export to England, the Sun Brand Madras Curry Powder tin encases a recipe that has been handed down from generation to generation, maintaining the quality that the two founders, Merwanjee and Poonjiajee, created 145+ years ago.

Madras Curry is like many spice mixtures; there are many variations of the ingredients and proportions. Madras (or Madrasapattinam), India, now called Chennai, in Tamil Nadu, India, is on the Coromandel Coast and is the second largest port in India.

Sun Brand Madras Curry was one of the first Indian curries to be exported.

We carry Sun Brand Madras Curry Powder because many of our curry lovers tell us it is the best out there. Of course, you can make your own, but we like the very fine powder and the ease of having it in our Essential Pantry.

A yellow curry powder with a following. Try this Indian yellow curry powder brand out and see what people are talking about!

Add curry powder to dishes like chicken, beef, or vegetable curries. Saute the curry powder in some oil to release its flavors before adding your main ingredients (meat, vegetables, or legumes) and liquids (broth, coconut milk, or tomatoes).

Stir a teaspoon or two of curry powder into soups and stews (like lentil, pumpkin, or potato soup) to enhance the flavor. Add it early in the cooking process for a deeper flavor.

Mix curry powder with yogurt, lemon juice, garlic, and ginger to create a marinade for chicken, lamb, or tofu. The spices infuse into the protein, making it tender and flavorful.

Add curry powder to rice or quinoa while cooking for a fragrant, spiced grain base. You can saute the curry powder with oil before adding water or broth to cook the rice for a more aromatic result.

Shop now for Sun Brand Madras Curry Powder!

Chicken soup has been used as a healthy remedy in many cultures for colds and just generally feeling bad for many, many years.

The tradition of eating chicken soup when sick dates back to ancient civilizations, with records from ancient Greece, China, and Rome mentioning its use for nourishment and healing, long before modern medicine; it became popularized as "Jewish penicillin" in Ashkenazi culture, spreading globally as a comforting, hydrating, and easily digestible remedy that provides fluids and electrolytes, potentially reducing inflammation and clearing congestion, despite not being a cure.

Known as Bu tang in Chinese medicine, Consome de pollo in Latin America, and Kuraci vyvar in Slovakia, chicken soup is the cure all for every culture!

Does chicken soup really do good stuff?

Yes. It provides hydration, essential nutrients, and anti-inflammatory properties that help with immunity, digestion, and easing respiratory symptoms like congestion, making it a comforting and nourishing meal, especially when sick. The broth delivers electrolytes, chicken offers protein, and vegetables add vitamins, while steam helps clear nasal passages, supporting the body's healing process.

It really is a miracle food dish. You can dress it up with veggies for flavor, or just drink it right out of the mug!

For me, not only is it great for a cold and flu, it is good for, filling your tummy all the whilst keeping your calories lower.

And I really like making chicken soup! Chicken of any kind, add water to cover, boil, turn down and simmer until it smells good and eat. This fills the home with a wonderful chicken soup aroma!

Add rice, carrots (for your eyes), apples for sweetness, peas, corn, cabbage and more!

See all our Chicken recipes and more here!

This is one of the simplest chicken recipes you will ever make, and yet it's so delicious. The salty capers and the citrusy lemon go so well with the chicken. Served over red or black or golden quinoa or brown rice, it makes for a super healthy and filling meal, perfect for your next small sit-down dinner party.

See the Classic Chicken Piccata Recipe here!

Our friend, Don, was Chef Louis' Night Chef at The Bakery in Chicago. This is Don's favorite chicken liver recipe.

See Don's Chicken Livers Recipe here!

This recipe starts with two butterflied chickens, broiled until they are just short of done—about 10 minutes on the second side instead of 15 minutes. They are then coated with a delicious blue cheese mustard sauce and bread crumbs, and then broiled for another 10-12 minutes. Pretty easy, if you know how to butterfly a chicken....

See the Blue Cheese Mustard Chicken Recipe here!

This is a special wheel - Alpine (d'Alpage) Beaufort is rarely available and must usually be reserved at least a year in advance. And they are rarely this age.

Made in mountain chalets (aka huts) in the French Alps, Beaufort d'Alpage is from the milk of Tarantaise cattle, who graze at the French Alps while grazing freely, choosing to eat what they want of the grasses and flowers of the high pasture.

These Tarentaise cattle (a domesticated cow that adapted to high altitude hiking in steep and treacherous terrain and have not co-mingled with other cows) are from the Haute-Savoie and are known to produce some of the best milk on the planet for making cheese.

Beaufort d'Alpage is made in wheels that first remind you of Parmigiano-Reggiano and can often weigh over 100 pounds.

This Beaufort d'Alpage is made by Brand Cooparative Laitire de Haute Tarentaise, a cooperative located in Bourg St Maurice in close proximity to the famous French Alps Ski Resorts.

It is these ski slopes in the winter that turn into the alpine meadows full of roughage in the spring, summer, and early fall.

This semi-hard, cows milk cheese goes through a creation process of curdling, scaling, brewing, molding, pressing, and handwork of salt rubbing in the morning and massaging in the afternoon. This process lasts up to two months.

Then the Alpine Beaufort cheese is smear-ripened to create its distinctive flavor and pale yellow rind. Aged over 14 months, which brings a more mature flavor of nuttiness, floral, beef broth notes, with herbal and a hint of hay.

This AOC Beaufort d'Alpage is the best of the best, as summer alpine is the most cherished of all the Beaufort. It melts easily and is known for making the best fondue or a grilled cheese sandwich. Or you can cube it up, poke it with a toothpick, and enjoy it with some fruity wine!

This cheese is incredibly delicious! A wonderful unique taste!

Supply is very limited!

Pre-order now for Beaufort Cheese - Alpine Summer!

This Deep Dark Dutch-processed dark unsweetened cocoa powder is in a class unto itself. We have removed less fat from our cocoa (22-24% fat content), which results in a more intense and immediate chocolate flavor.

This "service pack" of ChefShop cocoa powder is designed for commercial users like baristas, bakers, and gelato makers. It is sealed in a thick zip-lock style bag for production baking with a Plain Jane label. Like many of the foods and ingredients that go to the back of the house, the contents are more important than being pretty.

And price relative to quantity is also a crucial part of the commercial kitchen. So that is why we have chosen this cocoa, for the quality and consistency of product relative to the cost.

And that's what we have here in this bag of exceptional cocoa powder. The resealable bag keeps the cocoa powder fresh and it can last a good long time.

The new size is now available click to see.

Shop now for ChefShop Cocoa Powder here!


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