African Peanut Soup with Grains of Paradise

This West African soup recipe combines sweet potatoes and peanut butter with Grains of Paradise. The flavors balance beautifully and are a wonderful showcase for this exotic spice. This mythical African spice has a mild peppery taste with floral top notes that hint at ginger and cardamom. The soup is creamy, mild and not at all heavy, making it a wonderful starter or side. Looking to make a meal? Check out our other African recipes for something to pair it with!

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Blackened Shrimp Bites

Shrimp & grits comes in many forms, and they are all good! This version starts with polenta squares dotted with fresh thyme and layers on sauteéd collard greens with blackened shrimp on top. This recipe does require some assembly, but it's worth the effort because the combination of texture and flavor is outstanding. Just make sure you ventilate. Blackening will make a bit of smoke!

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Brining Basics

Every year, as we head into the holiday season, people begin to ask us about brining their turkeys. Is it worth the extra hassle? Does it really lead to a juicier bird? Well, we’re happy to report "yes!" to both. It’s probably easier than you think, and when done right, will ensure that your Thanksgiving turkey breast is moist and tender. The essential elements are water and salt - and a little advance planning. Simply mix up your brine and submerge the turkey for up to 24 hours before cooking. How to Brine: We won’t bore you too much with the science. Basically, the salt in the brine pushes the muscle fibers apart allowing more of the salty water to be drawn into the meat. It gives more moisture in the bird to start, which prevents it from drying out during the long cooking time. Once you incorporate brining into your holiday routine, it simply adds to the bustle and flavor of the season, along with a dose of stress reduction because your turkey will not be dry. Here are the basics. Preparation! Your turkey should be completely thawed and you must have a brining container that is big enough to hold the turkey which needs to be completely submerged. Brining bags are all the rage- but a canning pot, bucket or cooler can do the trick just as well. Make sure you have a cool place to put the brining turkey for 12-24 hours prior to cooking. This requires a good bit of refrigerator space, but if you use a brining bag, it doesn’t require much more than it would for the bird itself. Precision! When making the brine, be sure to use the correct proportion of water and salt, regardless of what else you add to the mix- the salinity of the brine must be correct for it to flow into the meat. The standard proportion is 1 cup of kosher salt per gallon of water or stock. No need to use specialty salts here, the nuances will not contribute to the flavor. If you are using prepared vegetable stock, make sure it is salt free. Patience! The brine and turkey should both be cooled to the same temperature before they are combined. Again, this ensures that the brine will flow easily into the turkey. Be sure to leave the bird in the brine at least overnight, and 24 hours is better for larger turkeys. Brining Recipe - As long as you follow the basic proportions above, you can change it up with all your favorite flavors. Substitute vegetable stock for water, add the spices you love and sweeten it up if you like, the sky's the limit. Just be sure to follow the guidelines above and keep the turkey nice and cool. Remember, safety first!This is my favorite brine for Thanksgiving turkey. It uses apple cider instead of sugar for a sweetness that emerges beautifully on a grilled turkey.

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Cardamom Pear Upside-Down Cake

This ultra moist cardamom pear cake is rich and delicious, with almond flour and coconut oil forming the base. The cardamom and a hint of ginger complement the pears, and when you bring all these layers of flavor and texture together the result is a fantastic dessert you don't have to feel bad about eating!

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BBQ Broccoli

Eat your vegetables? Yes, please! We love to cook outside the box, so why not treat broccoli like BBQ. Seasoned with KC Tailgater's BBQ Rub and roasted to perfection in a hot heavy skillet, we finished the BBQ broccoli with a delightful Smoked Honey Bourbon dipping sauce.

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10 Spice Vegetable Soup with Cashew Cream

The timing is perfect! As spring beckons and we are craving healthier fare, what better way to welcome the weather than with this spice-centric soup from one of our new favorite cookbooks, The Oh She Glows Cookbook: Over 100 Recipes to Glow from the Inside Out by Angela Liddon."This is quite possibly the ultimate bowl of comfort food, made with a decadent, creamy broth and loaded with an array of health-boosting spices. It’s really hard to stop at one bowl! Be sure to soak the raw cashews in water the night before (or for at least three to four hours) so they are ready when you plan to make the soup."

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Advieh Fig Preserves

Figs are such a versatile fruit, conjuring both exotic images of relief under shade trees in a desert oasis and the comfort of a fireside holiday treat. We've whipped up a spiced fig preserve that lives up to that reputation. Rich with wine, balsamic vinegar, orange, spices and honey, this spread is worthy of the finest table yet easy to make. Here's the recipe, just in time for holiday entertaining.

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Baharat Rib-Eye

Enjoy this favorite recipe from World Spice at Home, by World Spice Merchant Amanda Bevill and cookbook author Julie Kramis Hearne. Necessity is the mother of invention, and this beautiful pairing is a classic example. When we found ourselves out of our favorite steak rub one night, we had Baharat on hand and whipped this up. Now there is a new favorite in the house. Baharat adds aromatic elements of cinnamon and allspice to a simple meat rub, and it transforms the rib-eye with unexpected flavors. The earthiness of the mushrooms is a nice complement to the spices and steak. We like to serve this with garlic mashed potatoes.

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Aleppo Pepper Basil Lemonade

Now that the 4th of July has passed, summer has truly begun in Seattle. The sun is shining, the BBQ is fired-up, and a wild game of badminton is underway. The players and onlookers are thirsty, and I've got just the thing. This refreshing lemonade is perfect for hot summer afternoons like these. The soothing taste of fragrant basil and the zesty flavor of ruby-red Aleppo Pepper create a delicious, thirst quenching treat. The simple syrup can be used to make wonderful cocktails as well. Many thanks to our good friend Carol Peterman for sharing her recipe with us.

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