One of my favorite Middle Eastern spice mixtures in baharat, a wonderfully aromatic blend of 9 spices that includes cassia (cinnamon), paprika, black pepper, cumin, allspice, cardamom, clove, corinader and nutmeg. It lends itself to just about anything from potatoes to pork. I especially love it on pork tenderloin. It’s easy enough to make if you […]
Tag Archives | Notes on Ingredients
Mastiha- Mediterranean Delight
While in New York I made it a point of visiting the Mastihashop on Orchard street. I had been wanting to go there since 2007 when I first read about mastiha in a trade publication. The word mastiha is the root for masticate. It is the original chewing gum. Long praised for its therapeutic properties, mastiha […]
Chesnuts Roasting, or not
As a kid growing up in New York I loved to buy roasted chesnuts from the street vendors. There is nothing quite like fresh roasted chestnuts. I love to cook with chestnuts but really don’t like to make them from scratch. Luckily there are some very decent vacuumed pack chestnuts that make it easy to […]
Duck Eggs – It’s all about the yolks, folks.
The other day at the farmer’s market here in Boulder, Paul of Cure Organic Farms had some duck eggs. When he told me that he mostly sells them to restaurant pastry chefs, I knew I needed to try them. Indeed their yolks are twice the size of chicken eggs but the whites are definitely smaller. […]
Savannah Bee Company
The "No-Drip Honey Pump" is one of my favorite gadgets from the Fancy Food Show. The folks at Savannah Bee Company take their honey quite seriously and the result is a superior, consistent product. Additionally, they are masters at packaging and design; their products are so pretty you want them in your kitchen. So… back to […]
Nigella- and I don’t mean Lawson
While perusing my recent copy of Nutraceuticals World, I came accross a bit of information about one of my favorite seeds from India, the nigella seed. There it is used on top of breads and it has a wonderful distinct flavor that is like onion but without the bite. Known as “Black Seed” in […]
Time to Ring for Bell’s Seasoning
With a classic blend of ground rosemary, oregano, sage, ginger, majoram, thyme and pepper, Bell’s Seasoning is perfect for giving stuffing and turkey just the right flavor. Created in 1867 and unchanged since, Bell’s Seasoning just works in the kitchen. I use it year round. For a super, easy main course, sprinkling it over chicken […]
Going with a New Grain – Red Quinoa
My friends at The Organic Dish, here in Boulder, introduced me to red quinoa. I was familiar with the more common, pale quinoa but find this red variety far more flavorful and fluffy. It looks fantastic in grain-focused side dishes and salads. With a protein content of 12-14%, it makes a healthy choice for vegetarians and […]
The Best Brown Sugars
With the baking season upon us, we will be bringing you lots of home baking ideas. Brown sugar is a key ingredient in many baked goods, so I wanted to highlight two of the best brown sugars in the marketplace: Wholesome Sweeteners and India Tree. For my own baking, I can no longer bring myself […]
Recipe Round Up – Fresh Sage
Here’s a sampling of web, TV and print recipes featuring fresh sage: From Bon Appetit: Chicken Saltimbocca with Lemon Sauce, a recipe by the 1,2,3 Cook, Rozanne Gold. From Food and Wine: Lemon Glazed Roast Pork with Sage, a recipe by the acclaimed chef and restauranteur Laurent Gras. From Gourmet: Tuscan Beans, a recipe by Faith […]