I admit it’s an odd thing, but I get as much pleasure out of discovering some new spice as I do buying a cute pair of shoes. Crazy, I know. It’s a strange rush. The quick little inhale when you spy those perfect heels and the excitement when they fit like a glove. It’s the same with spices. Like when I saw this amazing salt for the first time at World Spice, our favorite spice shop in Pike Place Market. I literally got giddy with excitement.

This black Mediterranean salt is less flake-shaped but rather more like itty-bitty pyramids. It truly is fascinating. Coated in charcoal it becomes white when wet (or licked off as I discovered!) It has a mild flavor, which makes it pair nicely with practically any food (we sprinkled it on top of paté and a lamb shepherd’s pie). And, of course, makes a striking presentation! Like tiny ancient ruins sitting on top of your food.

Hmm, makes you wonder from where the Mayans got their inspiration for Chichen Itza.

Possibly Related Posts:

• Crispy Baked Chickpeas
• Foodie Wedding Gifts
• Time to Get Your Barbecue on!
• Hunger Awareness Week Day 1
• Vegetarian Goulash Soup With Tofu

Categories:	Seasoning & Spices	5 Comments
Tags:	black lava flake salt • black salt • Food • foodista • pike place market • pyramid salt • salt • seasoning • seattle • world spice

 

Photo: rfarmer

Members of the herring family, anchovies are tiny silver fish that are most frequently packed in olive oil and salt.  My love of this small fish began when I lived in Rome.  I simply could not stop eating anchovies on a simple pizza of tomato and mozzarella.   I have since expanded my use of anchovies, using them to add salt and depth to a variety of recipes.  Here are a few of my favorite uses of the anchovy – some are mine, some are dishes I admire, all are examples of the versatility of this flavor packed little beauty.

A.  Anchovy-Cauliflower Spread at Tom Douglas’ Seattle restaurant Lola.  No recipe here – but I highly recommend a visit if you’re in Seattle. 

B.  Added to tomato sauces – I add anchovy to many of my tomato sauces in place of salt.  I particularly like it when I am adding italian sausage to my sauce.  

C.  Pasta alla Vongole –  I like to add a little anchovy paste to the broth in place of salt.  Anchovy paste is often a mix of ground anchovies, vinegar, spices and water.  Its strong, salty flavor goes a long way, adding richness rather than fishyness.  

D.  Anchovy Butter – in a food processor blend 1 stick of softened unsalted butter with 2 tablespoons lemon, 3 anchovy fillets (or to taste), and 2-3 cloves of garlic.  Capers can also be added to this mixture for extra tartness.  This rich, salty butter is great on steaks and on hot toasts.  A little goes a long way.  There are many variations of this compound butter – experiment.  Enjoy.

Possibly Related Posts:

• A Very Vegan and Vegetarian Friday Fun Links
• Foodista Quick Tip: Infusions
• National Candy Day is November 4
• Georges DuBoeuf Wine Bag Design Contest
• Mangalitsa Lard Chicken Confit

Categories:	Fish & Seafood • Italian • Latin • Mediterranean • Restaurants • Sauces • Uncategorized	3 Comments
Tags:	Anchovies • anchovy • fish • herring • salt

Brining, the soaking of meat for many hours or days, was traditionally a method for preserving meats. It’s a curing process that binds with, or completely removes, the water in the meat in order to prevent the growth of micro-organisms. Fortunately for us we have refrigeration so we don’t have to rely on this lengthy, but delicious marinating method. In addition to its preservation qualities, brining meats (especially lean meats) improves the texture, flavor, and moisture content, leaving you with nothing but juicy goodness.

A basic brine solution consists of simply water and a moderate amount of salt. This got us thinking! “We live near water! Great, clean salty water!” So we went crazy and scooped up a bucket full of pristine Puget Sound water in our stockpot, added a quartered lemon, and soaked our free-range chicken for 24 hours. Now, you don’t have to get this connected to Mother Earth and scoop up the sea. Just fill up your stockpot with cool water and add Kosher or sea salt. You want about 1/2 cup of salt per 1 quart of cool water for each pound of meat. Here are a few simple rules:

1. The saltier your brine, the shorter your brining time. However, too little salt and it won’t work.
2. Do not reuse your brining solution.
3. Refrigerate. (I know, I said it was a preservative, but your temperature still needs to be below 40 degrees).

For more on “flavor brining” check out The Complete Meat Cookbook by Bruce Aidells and Denis Kelly.

Possibly Related Posts:

• Perfect Scrambled Eggs
• Moorish Badenjan Dip
• Celebrating Chanterelles
• Remedies for Your Butternut Squash Addiction
• Fabulous Flu Fighting Foods

Categories:	Cooking tips • Meat & Poultry • Seasoning & Spices	3 Comments
Tags:	brine • brining • chciken • Cooking tips • Food • foodista • marinating • recipe • recipes • salt

I’m in Mexico on vacation and have been reflecting on that fact that I’ve spent of about 2 years of my life here altogether….boy has the country changed over those years! When I visited for the first time in the early eighties, I was a high school language student in the colonial town of San Miguel de Allende. Back then, Mexico was suffering from hyper-inflation and almost nothing was imported, so I experienced deep immersion in the traditional foods and drink of Mexico. It was then that I first tried Tequila, which originated in Mexico and still can only be produced here by international accord. Though many Americans are familiar with the drink, few know much about it’s origins in the town of the same name. Even Wikipedia fails to properly explain how it’s made, something I hope to find the time to remedy. A more recent discovery on my part is “Agavero” a sweet tequila liqueur that’s wonderful on the rocks as an after dinner drink.

Rather than give you the a full account of tequila, for now I’m going to content myself with drinking the stuff along with salt and a nice slice of lime. However, if you must know more, here are a few good resources:

http://www.itequila.org

http://www.tequila.net

 

 

Possibly Related Posts:

• Raw Tacos
• Halloween Cocktails
• Halloween Drinks for Kids
• A Chance to go to the Food & Wine Classic in Aspen
• Pairing Pumpkin Beer with Seasonal Foods

Categories:	Beverages • Latin • Mexican • Travel	3 Comments
Tags:	Food • foodista • lime • Liqueur • Mexico • salt • Tequila

Phew, this vacationing business is hard work! Deciding between the pool and the beach is just a bit more than I can handle. After a long hard day in the sun I crave something crisp and fresh.  The perfect snack in Mexico (or anywhere, really) is sliced jicama and cucumbers with chili powder, fresh squeezed lime juice and a pinch of salt. 

Back to the hammock..

Possibly Related Posts:

• Winter Squash is Delicious, Healthy, and in Season
• A Chance to go to the Food & Wine Classic in Aspen
• Wine from Scratch: A History Behind The Bottle
• Moorish Badenjan Dip
• What Did Christopher Columbus Eat

Categories:	Seasoning & Spices • Travel • Veggies	3 Comments
Tags:	chili • cucumber • Food • foodista • jicama • lime • Mexico • salt

Dukkah, or duqqa, (DOO-ka) is an Egyptian mixture of toasted and ground nuts, seeds and spices into which olive oil-dabbed bread is dipped.

Apparently dukkah is all the rage Down Under, and reading about it inspired me to whip up a batch myself. Boy, am I glad I did! As I toasted the ingredients the aromas burst open, filled my kitchen with nutty perfume and transported me back to Egypt. My mother and I visited Egypt in the late 80’s and dukkah reminded me of how it smelled: fragrant, earthy and bold.

This tasty mixture makes me want to blacken my eyes with kohl, smudge perfumed oil behind my ears and dance to percussions and lutes on the banks of the Nile!

Dukkah
Use the following recipe as a starting point. You may find, as I did, that you want more or less of a particular spice. I added a bit more mint.

1/2 C hazelnuts
3 T sesame seeds
1/4 C coriander seeds
2 T cumin seeds
1 teaspoon fennel seeds
1 T black peppercorns
1 teaspoon dried mint leaves
1 teaspoon salt

In a very hot skillet (or in a 375 degree oven) dry-toast hazelnuts until golden. Wrap the hot nuts in a kitchen towel and let cool for a few minutes. When they have cooled slightly, rub the nuts vigorously in the towel to loosen and remove the skins. Place peeled nuts in a bowl and allow to further cool.

Put sesame seeds into the skillet and over medium heat toast until lightly golden, about 1 minute. Remove from heat and add seeds to the hazelnuts.

In the same pan, toast coriander, cumin and fennel seeds until they begin to color and become fragrant, about 2 minutes.

Add all the above ingredients to a food processor (or mortar if you are going to hand grind) and let cool completely. When the mixture has cooled, add the black peppercorns, salt and mint, and pulse (or grind in mortar) until the mixture is coarse.

Serve with olive oil and bread.

Store in a tightly sealed container for up to a month.

Other dukkah uses to inspire you:

• Drizzle a little olive oil over feta and sprinkle with dukkah
• Use as a rub on lamb, chicken or steak
• How about with a little honey on a toasted English muffin?

Check out Stonesoup for her hazelnut macadamia version of dukkah. She also offers a number of wonderful uses for dukkah.

Possibly Related Posts:

• Moorish Badenjan Dip
• Celebrating Ramadan
• Crispy Baked Chickpeas
• Foodie Wedding Gifts
• Time to Get Your Barbecue on!

Categories:	North African • Seasoning & Spices	2 Comments
Tags:	appetizer • caraway • cumin • dukkah • duqqa • egypt • egyptian • fennel • Food • foodista • hazelnuts • hors d'oeuvres • mint • olive oil • salt • sesame • spices