Barrie Open House A Huge Success!!

Well, despite the fact we came off of a huge snowfall in Barrie the day before (40cm!), we had over 60 people turn out for the Open House on the afternoon of Friday Februray 8th. It was the perfect opportunity for both regulars to try out some items they hadn't had a chance to try before, and for those who simply haven't had the opportunity to stop by.

Many thanks to Jeff for making the long trek from Windsor in some nasty weather to help out for a couple of days. We also had the opportunity to be on the Rogers Daytime show, from 11am-Noon on the 8th, showing how Just Jeff's works, and Jeff prepared a few items at the same time. We're hoping to be able to post the tape of it on the website shortly, we're just awaiting permission from the station manager. Apparently they have rules about these things :)

If you still haven't dropped by to check out what we do, I would encourage you to take two minutes to do so. All of our food is available in a deli display fridge, and you simply choose the items you want, take them home and put them in your fridge. Then, at your convenience, drop all of your food into a pot of boiling water for 8 minutes and dinner is ready!!! No pots and pans to clean, and no prep time required.

Many thanks again to those who took the time to drop by Just Jeff's, and I look forward to seeing you again in the future.

Jason

Bix X Magazine's "City Smiles"

Hi All......Have a look (read) the attached Doc.

Big thanks to all at Biz X Magazine.

If you can't read this, visit the following weblink...pg 12 i believe.

http://www.bluetoad.com/subscriptionfee.php?magazineid=1034_3

Keep cooking on high.

Tip of the Month

How many times have you gone grocery shopping with good healthy food intentions? You would buy some fresh produce, with the intent to prepare a few dishes from scratch. With that in mind, how many times at the end of the week did you throw out that moldy onion, celery etc. because there was no time for your good intentions. Or, how many times did you find yourself in the mood to start cooking something, then when you open the fridge, you don’t have an onion (if you do, it’s gone rotten). Well, I have a simple solution to commonly used fresh ingredients always being around when you need them.

Step One:
Go to the dollar store and buy a few ice cube trays (a different colour from ones you already have if possible).
Dice all your onions and sauté them until soft, then let them cool.
Step Two:
Yup, you guessed it….fill the ice cube trays with the cooked diced onions and freeze. Once frozen (next day) remove them and keep them in a freezer zip lock bag until ready to use. Now, whenever you need some cooked onions in a recipe (like soup or cooked meat) toss in an onion cube. I won’t argue fresh is best, but the cube is better then no onions at all.
Another related tip (don’t ever mix up your real ice cube tray with your new onion (any food) tray……unless you like the flavour of onion in your ice tea! (yuck!).
Try this tip with garlic, ginger, celery etc.

Question of the Month (December)

“We would like to eat at 7pm… can you deliver (or can I pickup) for 5pm?”

This is not a good idea, for several reasons. First, most food should never sit hot for more than 45 minutes. Every minute after that sacrifices the integrity of the product, as it slowly dries up. Would you ever have a pizza delivered to your home for 5pm and leave it in the oven to eat until 7pm? Obviously we all know the right answer…sometimes food that is catered is thought of a little differently, but ensuring the freshness and quality is paramount to its enjoyment! So when you plan your next catering with Just Jeff’s, if we can, let us deliver it 15 minutes before you plan to consume it. We will be proud to serve it to you, and you will be proud to present it to your guests. It’s a win-win for all of us.

Keep cooking.

Boiling Plastic

Question of the Month:
“Is it safe to boil the plastic bags?”…
We occasionally get asked this question, and it’s a prudent one given concerns about all products on grocery shelves nowadays. What we can tell you, is that the plastic bags we use are Government approved and are considered safe for freezing and boiling. When water is boiled, it brings the temperature up to approximately 212F, which is hot to you and I, but not hot enough to break down the plastic. Another way to look at it - are boiled fresh vegetables, potatoes and chicken breast in red pepper sauce better for us then a cheese burger, fries and a large soda?... or pizza and wings? That depends on your belief. I do know that on average, the chicken, potatoes and fresh vegetables will cost you only about 2 bucks more then the latter. (not bad for a Toonie eh). One thing is for sure, if any new information becomes available to about boiling / freezing plastic, I will pass it along.

Keep on Cooking

Wine & Just Jeff's

Most of you know by now that Just Jeff's food is a tasty and convenient way to enjoy supper, without all the work involved in preparing a well balanced meal.

It got me to thinking about how to make your dinner more complete, by pairing Just Jeff's food with wine. After all, if you've been lucky enough to have an outstanding dinner that is perfectly paired with a nice bottle of wine, you know exactly what I'm talking about.

There are a lot of aspects to consider when deciding what wine to enjoy with your meal, from the wine's acidity, to matching the body, or heft of the wine with what you are eating. The old rules of only red wine with red meat, and white wine with seafood are a thing of the past, as many wines today are incredibly versatile and can be matched with what used to be considered unorthodox pairings. For instance, Creekside's Sauvignon Blanc is superbly matched with the Veal Scallopini Tomato Pesto - the acidity in the wine compliments the acidity in the tomato sauce, and the body of the veal integrates well with the body of the Sauvignon Blanc. Conversely, Jackson Triggs Delaine Vineyard Pinot Noir is nicely matched with the Shrimp and Scallop Fettucini - the Pinot's flavor doesn't overpower the seafood, and the slight sweetness of the blush sauce is a nice contrast to the soft tannins in this particular wine.

The most important aspect in all of this, is to drink and eat what you enjoy, and that you take the time to experiment - after all, it is your palate and your tastes that are paramount. Besides, think of all the investigative work you'll have to do to find what works best for your tastes!

I'd be interested to know if you have enjoyed a particular pairing with Just Jeff's food, or if you would like more suggested matches or any general questions you may have. In the interim, I'm going to do some more investigative wine journalism, and report back in the next couple of weeks. Yeah, I know it'll be tough, but somehow I'll get through it :)

Prost!

Thanksgiving Weekend

Watching Jason in Barrie experience his first holiday menu feature brings back memories… serving his guests a complete heat and serve menu so they can enjoy their company….this is very rewarding from our end, because we know you enjoyed your company and the food…very little shopping, no cooking, no prep work and best of all, very little cleanup… it’s hard to put a price on that… pop the food in the oven and actually sit and enjoy a glass of wine with mom, dad or grand mom….you will never, ever get that time back.

Just Jeff’s in Windsor (now open for 5 years) served over 500 pounds of turkey, over 140 pounds of ham, 100 pounds of stuffing, 200 pounds of potatoes and over 200 pounds of vegetables…..50 plus litres of gravy, not to mention all the additional bagged meals and catering orders that weekend…..sounds like a lot of consumer trust!..
We are very proud this holiday weekend almost doubled last year. We are even more proud of the fact that most of the names on the order list, were on the list last year, and the year before that. Your trust and happiness in us, is both our success!.. We will never forget that.

Thanks for a great holiday weekend… we hope to see you before the Christmas Holiday.

Keep Cooking on High!