Noon Chai

Tackling new culinary challenges is one of my great joys, and I'm always on the lookout for new techniques to try. As it happens, I also love all things floral and pink so when I came across this Noon Chai, it went to the top of my list. Traditionally made for brides on their wedding day or for special occasions, the drink gets its beautiful color from aerating the green tea and adding a pinch of baking soda. The two react, creating a deep rouge color. Never did I realize that a cup of tea would require such a technique! After several failed attempts on mastering this delicacy, luck would have it that a wonderful customer at the spice shop gave me some important tips!The result was unlike any cup of tea I've ever had. The tea is creamy, floral and scented with Green Cardamom Pod, Star Anise and Roses — with just a little Himalayan Pink Salt. We garnished the tea with pistachios, rose petals and a star anise, making it a tasty afternoon treat. The marriage between sweet and salty is just perfect.A special thanks to Hassaan Arshad, for sharing his Mom's technique and giving me the tools to master this treat!

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Slow Roasted Leg of Lamb with Orange-Rhubarb Glaze

Give boneless leg of lamb the royal treatment with Ras El Hanout and Moroccan Preserved Meyer Lemon Paste. Ras el Hanout is the spice merchants showcase of their finest flavors, and ours is a blend of 24 spices with sweet and savory, piquant and floral notes blended to perfection. Combined with Moroccan Meyer Lemon Paste, and marinated overnight, it is an easy prep for this slow roasted leg of lamb. For a stunning sauce to finish the dish, we made a jammy glaze with rhubarb and honey, orange and mint to elevate the flavors with fresh seasonal ingredients. (To add a little smokiness to the glaze, try our Upper Left Madrona Smoked Honey.) Serve this delicacy with rice or roasted potatoes alongside your favorite spring greens.

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Saffron Poached Leeks

This versatile side dish will become a spring time staple. Perfect alongside everything from roast meat to vegetarian pasta, the leeks are tender, buttery and melt in your mouth. After a little prep work they cook slowly in a bath of chardonnay, chicken stock and butter. You can season them simply with a crack of pepper or make them extra special with a couple of pinches of Saffron to add elegant flavor and a beautiful yellow hue. This dish is a welcome addition to any Springtime table.

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Stout Pickled Mustard Seeds

Add a crunchy pop of flavor to your next sandwich or cheese board with Stout Pickled Mustard Seeds. Yellow Mustard Seed and Brown Mustard Seed make an appealing calico combination and the flavor pairing with rich creamy stout and aromatic shallots is a winner. This quick and easy treat keeps in the refrigerator for up to two months, so make ahead and keep some on hand or scale up the batch and make some for gifting.

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Wild Rice with Savory and Oyster Mushrooms

Healthy and versatile, this side dish has a great combination of texture and flavor. The nutty base of wild rice is studded with crisp chunks of tart apple and chewy cranberries, although dried tart cherries would also be delicious.These complement the umami of the mushrooms and the salty shavings of cheese. The secret ingredient that brings it all together is Savory. If you've never played with this herb, this dish is the perfect stage. Traditionally used in French herbal blends, savory is a powerhouse of flavor, delivering notes of like pepper, thyme and rosemary that make the one ingredient taste like many. This hearty side dish can be served with just about any protein alongside and is great for brunch through dinner. We also admit to eating it cold straight from the fridge the next day.

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Peppercorn Shortbread

Shortbread takes a walk on the wild side with a globe trotting parade of pepper- Vietnamese peppercorns, green peppercorns, grains of paradise and pink peppercorns. all make an appearance and lend their unique flavors to the mix. These cookies are easy and everything BUT boring. This short bread is spicy, sweet and has a kick that makes them perfect for dunking in something warm and creamy like your favorite Chai or some warm milk with turmeric.

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Rosemary Cottage Cheese Cookies

Vintage cookbooks offer up some curiously great recipes and this one from the 1930's is no exception. Cottage cheese cookies are an intriguing prospect and in this case, grandma DID know best - the resulting dough is light, tender and full of flavor. The addition of rosemary and apricot jam adds a festive flair.Rosemary is wonderful in sweet applications and pairs well with most fruity jams or jellies. Cherry or blackberry would be wonderful in these, as well. This cookie is a perfect for a cookie exchange, or just as a slightly sweet accompaniment with a cup of tea or coffee.

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Mulled Wine Poached Pears

The striking color of these poached beauties comes from simmering the pears in Merlot with sugar. Letting them soak overnight and bathing them in the reduced sauce afterwards. These pear-fect morsels can be served alongside ice cream, as a dessert all on their own, or as an accessory to cheese plates. For this version of the recipe, we used our Mulling Spice to infuse the poaching liquid. The warm aromatics of cinnamon, ginger, cloves and cardamom are an excellent accompaniment to the Merlot, and will leave your kitchen smelling lovely as an added bonus!

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Mahlab Cherry Almond Balls

Mahlab, a spice derived from the pit of the Mediterranean St. Lucie cherry, tastes strongly of cherry and bitter almond, with more elusive floral and vanilla notes. In our search for a cookie that would do justice to this unique flavor, we were thrilled to find these phenomenal cherry almond balls. They're a perfect vehicle for this striking spice.Using ground almonds instead of almond flour is key to these addictive cookies, which were a feature of the holidays during our childhood. The original recipe used candied cherries for the center, but we opted for re-hydrated dried cherries instead this time. The change gives the cookies a fresher, slightly less sweet flavor. Try them out, but be warned: They may become a permanent addition to your holiday baking.

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