mix, mix…stir, stir

I always have a stash of spice blends on hand and recently realized they are my culinary safety net; an emergency backup system for getting dinner on the table when I’m rushed or uninspired. I started thinking about how many times I’ve been saved by a spice blend when putting together our latest Spice Inspiration contribution from Chef Ana Sortun because one of the recipes she contributed is a fantastic Schwarma spice blend.

One of the most common mid-week meals I make is some sort of protein, usually chicken or fish, tossed on the grill and served with a green salad and some sort of starchy side like potatoes, rice, or cornbread. The preparation of the components is creative and involved on some days and quite frankly a complete afterthought on others. It’s these “other” days that make me love my spice blends. With nothing more than a little sprinkle of a lovely spice blend, a dash of olive oil and squeeze of lemon or splash of wine, I have an entrée item that is ready for the grill with essentially no effort. The end result doesn’t taste like an afterthought because a well crafted blend of spices is complex deep and interesting. I’ve also turned to my spice blends to rescue various dishes from bland soups to lack-luster sauces.

You can buy spice blends or make your own from the spices you have on hand. If you are purchasing a blend, buy one that doesn’t have salt in it, unless of course it’s a seasoning salt in which case salt is the point. Often salt is used as filler and pre-salted blends don’t allow you much flexibility in seasoning your food.

A few of my favorite blends to have on hand are chili powder, berbere, Herbs de Provence, garam marsala, and  curry powder. Did you know that curry powder is a very western concept? Curry powder isn’t used in India.  Indian cooks make their own spice blends for each dish and though I like doing this when I can take the time, I also appreciate being able to achieve a lovely blend of flavors with a single sprinkle.  If you would like to make a few blends to have on hand we have some great recipes for you: Berbere, Schwarma Spice, TableFare Spice Rub, TableFare Herb Mix. You can also read about different spice blends in our Spice Library.

There was the tease of a giveaway wasn’t there? Yes, there is a giveaway! When I was in New York for the demo at Zabar’s I picked up a lovely spice blend by Daniel Boulud called Thanksgiving Blend. It’s a spicy sweet combo of rosemary and warm spices like cinnamon, and nutmeg, with a pinch of heat from chile and ginger. It has a beautiful aroma. Along with this blend I wanted to include two of my favorites, Berbere and Herbs de Provence from World Spice, both packaged in a SpiceCare container. We will do a random drawing from our Facebook page this Friday Dec. 18^th.  Just stop by our Facebook page and share a comment on your favorite spice blend to enter. As much as we love our international fans, the cost of shipping limits us to U.S. addresses. I hope to chat with you on Facebook!

I had muffins for breakfast this morning, thanks to the Tuesdays with Dorie baking group. I have made these tender spice muffins once before, but failed to capture a photo before they were all eaten so I couldn’t skate by this week without baking. Not such a hardship, after all, look what I got to eat for breakfast as a result.

With a little frosting I think these muffins could pass as cupcakes, not because they are sugary sweet, but because they have such a nice tender crumb. They perfectly showcase allspice as a standalone spice too. The wonderfully complex flavor of allspice combines warm sweet notes with spicy elements that works beautifully with sweet and savory foods alike. Besides the fact that these muffins are really good, if you are not familiar with allspice I hope you will make these just to discover all that these beautiful brown dried berries can bring to your cooking. Visit our Spice Library to read more about allspice and how to use it.

The first time I made these muffins I only used half of the crumb topping because it seemed like so much. After they were baked, I realized they could have used more topping. I diligently made a note in my book to my future self, “Next time use all the topping even though it seems like a lot.” As I was making them this morning I saw my note and began sprinkling on the topping and thought this is way too much topping, but I trusted the note to my future self and proceeded to pile it on. I’m happy to say I gave myself some good advice, so it’s my recommendation to use all the topping even thought it seems like a ridiculously large quantity.

Thank you to Kayte of Grandma’s Kitchen Table for picking a recipe that made a nice breakfast for me today. You can find the recipe posted on her blog. Dorie Greenspan also joined in on posting about the weekly the recipe pick, so visit her blog too.

Over 350 baking bloggers are baking our way thorough Dorie Greenspan’s book, Baking: From My Home to Yours . 95 recipes completed 126 to go!

I had  fun over the weekend doing a cooking demonstration of low cost meals at a community fair organized by The City of Lake Forest Park, WA. They brought together all sorts of community resource agencies sharing information to help people navigate these difficult economic times. 

One of the agencies participating was Solid Ground, an organization I volunteer with. In partnership with Share our Strength, a national anti-hunger organization, Solid Ground runs a free six week cooking and nutrition program called Operation Frontline, designed to help people on a low income build skills to maximize their resources by learning to cook healthy low cost meals

All of the meals in the program are designed to cost less than $1.68 per serving, which is the amount of money a person on food stamps has to spend for each meal. In the demo I made a White Bean and Chicken Chili with Fresh Basil and a Northwest Apple Salad. These are quick and really flavorful dishes that aren’t fussy to make and can easily be adapted to all kinds of variations. These dishes won’t remind you of your starving student days, in fact I wish I had eaten like this when I was a starving student.

The chili is finished with fresh lime juice and basil, which delivers a bright flavor and fresh satisfying aroma.  The apple salad is simply dressed with a little plain yogurt, but of course I turn to spices to take it in a variety of directions. At the demo I had three versions for sampling, one with cinnamon, one with ground fennel, and one with ground coriander. All work great with apple and it was fun to see apprehension turn into delightful surprise as people tasted the different versions. The different spices pull differnt flavors of the apple forward and lend a nice flavor complexity to what couldn’t be a simpler salad.

It might seem like cooking with a variety of spices would be too extravagant when on a limited budget, but I did some research to show that’s not the case at all if you know where to shop. I expected bulk spices to be cheaper, but I didn’t realize how much cheaper, even when buying from a specialty spice store. The difference in cost per ounce is dramatic enough, but when you consider that with bulk purchasing you only buy what you need for a few months, which in most cases an ounce is more than enough, so cash isn’t tied up in large expensive jars of spice that just sit in the cupboard. The jar of grocery store brand cinnamon was priced at $3.89 (1.75 oz.) , whereas buying an ounce of bulk cinnamon only requires  $0.41, or a $1.00 out of pocket.

Share our Strength partners with different organizations all over the country to implement the Operation Frontline classes. Visit their site to see if there is a group in your community you can get involved with. It’s a great program.

Our Spice Library is growing! Check out the new entries I just added for black, green, white, and pink peppercorns.

Learn about the flavor profiles of different peppercorns, how they are grown, harvested, and processed. Do you know which countries produce the most highly regarded black and white peppercorns? Did you know that pink peppercorns come from a completly different plant than other peppercorns?  What gives pepper its pungent heat? What can turn your spicy pungent black pepper into flavorless dust? Check out the Spice Library and read all about it.

Once you’ve become a peppercorn expert, try this recipe for Braised Peppercorn Shortribs from Rouxbe, my favorite cooking site on the web. Pick up some fresh aromatic peppercorns and treat your friends and family to this hearty peppery dish this weekend.

And for dessert? How about White Pepper Shortbread? Its tender and melt-in-your-mouth delicious. In one of our past Spice Inspiration features Gale Gand shared this recipe along with her love for using pepper in her famous pastry creations.

Chef Jerry Traunfeld kicks off coriander month here at TableFare by sharing his love for this popular spice in our Spice Inspiration feature. If you aren’t already a fan of cooking with coriander this feature is a great introduction to why it is a favorite with so many people. 

To get you hooked on cooking with coriander, Chef Traunfeld shares two great recipes with us. The first one is Coriander Potato Soup it’s creamy, but still light and refreshing. The citrus notes of the coriander are highlighted by the addition of orange zest and the coriander seeds are toasted bringing out a warm nutty flavor in the spice that comes through at the finish of each bite. This is a perfect summer soup because it can be served hot or cold.

The orange zest is toasted right along with the coriander seeds in a dry skillet over medium heat. Shake the pan frequently to keep the seeds from burning and toast them until they are about two shades darker than when you started.

You can make this soup in one pot, with the exception of a skillet to toast the spices. It’s quick enough to make for a weeknight meal, but elegant enough to impress dinner guests.

What’sbetter than a freshly baked goodie first thing in the morning? These Coriander-Orange Scones are a perfect choice because they are easy to make and deliver fantastic flavor and aroma. The orange-coriander combination is a perfect balance with the currants adding a nice touch of fruity sweetness in each bite. The’re great as is, but it wouldn’t hurt anything to spread on a touch of real butter while they are still warm from the oven.

Check out the full Spice Inspiration feature and to learn more about coriander visit our Spice Library.