Recipes
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!
Learn more
Ras El Hanout Cherry Pie
It pays to think outside the π because some unexpected combinations just work! Our house blended Ras El Hanout is a beautifully eccentric medley and it plays delightfully in fruit desserts. This rustic recipe doesn't require a pre-cook of the filling. Just toss the filling ingredients together ahead of time to allow the juice from the cherries to infuse with the Ras El Hanout, allowing the flavors to truly blossom. Vodka in the pie dough? Believe it or not, adding vodka helps the pie become more pliable and workable without becoming tougher. Unlike water, vodka doesn't encourage the formation of gluten so the crust stays flakey and light. As lovers of spice we've used a heavy hand on the flavor here, so enjoy!
Learn more
Oxymels: Tart and Sweet Elixirs
Many people are curious about the health benefits of spices. As a culinary store, we tend to focus more on the abundance of flavors that our spices impart than on their medicinal benefits, but with oxymels these two worlds beautifully blend. Oxymel is the Latin word for acid and honey, and these tart and sweet concoctions have been used for food and medicine for centuries. Here we made two different batches using raw apple cider vinegar and unrefined honey. One batch is more savory and features Aji Mirasol, a mild South American chili that's fruity with hints of apricot. To compliment, we added sliced elephant garlic and oranges. For our second batch we made a sweeter version infused with our chamomile based Floral Sonnets tea, fresh ginger, and Cassia Stick Cinnamon. Oxymels can be used in all kinds of ways. Enjoy them by the spoonful as a digestive aid, incorporated into glazes, vinaigrettes, and marinades; or sipped as a refreshing warm weather beverage with a splash of bubbly water.
Learn more
Limón-Chile Spiced Fruit
Our Limón-Chile seasoning deserved to be celebrated in its simplest form. With fruit! This seasoning goes great with summer flavors so taking advantage of fruit at its peak was a no brainer. This platter is full of color, flavors and texture. If you look closely at our Limón-Chile you’ll see the gradients of different shades of red peppers. It’s tart and salty making it a perfect compliment for sweet and juicy produce. We’re a long way from the streets of Mexico where you see venders pushing around fruit carts and showering the fruit with chiles and lime, but this platter is sure to add some spice to your fiesta.
Learn more
Sleepy Floral Sonnets
Enjoy this smooth and creamy bedtime tea to ease you off into Dreamland. It is a simple recipe of only 5 ingredients and it takes just minutes to make. Floral Sonnets has a chamomile base with hints of ginger, cinnamon, damiana and lavender, making for a perfect relaxing elixir to help you catch some Z's. We added Turmeric for the beautiful yellow color, honey for a touch of sweetness and your choice of milk to bring it all together. This cup will feel like a warm hug after a long day.
Learn more
Nigella Caesar Dressing
This genius twist on Caesar dressing is a snap to make and boasts all the flavors in a classic Caesar. The twist? We've managed to make it vegan and low cholesterol with a little spice magic. Worcestershire powder is the umami bomb instead of the traditional anchovy, and black salt with its slightly sulfurous taste opts in for the egg. This recipe makes about a half quart. It keeps well in the refrigerator and can be used for Caesar salad or a flavorful marinade for chicken or fish. Of course it wouldn't be a Caesar without the croutons so we've included a suggestion for those too. Happy Salad Season! This recipe was so delicious we added it to our permanent inventory. Now you can buy Nigella Caesar premixed on our website! Just substitute 1/4 cup in place of the spices in the dressing recipe above.
Learn more
Herbes de Provence Salmon Frittata
You'll feel like you're in the south of France with this one-pan breakfast. It is easy to make for whoever is waiting for breakfast in bed on a Sunday morning, or for an easy dinner, with a salad on the side. Frittatta is an open faced dish, similar to quiche without the crust. In ours, we used capers, leeks, kale and with cured salmon. The eggs bind everything together with Herbes de Provence and bright spring flavors of dill, tarragon and chervil. Frittatas are uncomplicated and customizable so create your own version with your favorite ingredients. I'll bet you have a frittata of ingredients in the fridge right now!
Learn more
Beet Sourdough
Spring 2020, the sourdough frenzy started. I had very little bread baking experience and flour was scarce. There was no sourdough starter in sight, but we were in lockdown. After a legit learning curve, and in desperate need of a hobby, sourdough ended up giving me all of the bread confidence I needed. So grateful! Sourdough truly has a mind of its own, but that makes it fun to work with. It is rewarding and well worth the patience. At my peak of sourdough creativity, I set out to make a beet sourdough loaf. Beet puree made a bright colored dough but it was messy and caused mayhem with the starter, resulting in an epic fail. Enter the secret ingredient, beet powder. Rusty red earthy layers emerged to compliment the tang of my starter. The dried powder is free from moisture, making for less interference with the starter and easier clean up. The awesome layers created while making the folds in your boule are gorgeous. It's not too late to dive deep into making bread and sourdough.
Learn more
Slow Roasted Leg of Lamb with Orange-Rhubarb Glaze
Give boneless leg of lamb the royal treatment with Ras El Hanout and Moroccan 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.
Learn more
