Spices are the spice of life
October 9, 2014 6:12 PM Subscribe
I ordered a bunch of exotic spices from Penzeys. Recommend some dishes/recipes so I can play with them!
My order includes the following:
berbere
Aleppo pepper
sumac
gumbo file
ajwain seed
balti seasoning
kala jeera
mahlab
I have a general idea what all of these are, and how they're used, but I've never cooked with any of them. I'm hoping that the hive mind can suggest some great dishes (or specific recipes) that showcase or exemplify these ingredients.
Difficulty level: I don't eat pork, beef, mutton, or goat—basically, if it has four legs, I don't eat it. Poultry and seafood are fair game.
My order includes the following:
berbere
Aleppo pepper
sumac
gumbo file
ajwain seed
balti seasoning
kala jeera
mahlab
I have a general idea what all of these are, and how they're used, but I've never cooked with any of them. I'm hoping that the hive mind can suggest some great dishes (or specific recipes) that showcase or exemplify these ingredients.
Difficulty level: I don't eat pork, beef, mutton, or goat—basically, if it has four legs, I don't eat it. Poultry and seafood are fair game.
Two teaspoons of the berbere can bring you much happiness by way of African Chicken in Spicy Red Sauce.
posted by DrGail at 6:29 PM on October 9, 2014
posted by DrGail at 6:29 PM on October 9, 2014
File is a thickener add it to the end of soups (like add you are serving)for a savory flavor. Of course gumbo is the best option but it will work in other soups as well. It is ground sassafras leaves which may pull up different recipes but I've never looked.
posted by AlexiaSky at 6:47 PM on October 9, 2014
posted by AlexiaSky at 6:47 PM on October 9, 2014
Some vegetarian, fish and chicken recipes featuring sumac here.
If you want to get into cooking with spices, this is a great recipe book combined with dictionary. It includes a recipe for apple and mushroom tart using ajwain that I make regularly.
posted by Gwendoline Mary at 6:50 PM on October 9, 2014 [2 favorites]
If you want to get into cooking with spices, this is a great recipe book combined with dictionary. It includes a recipe for apple and mushroom tart using ajwain that I make regularly.
posted by Gwendoline Mary at 6:50 PM on October 9, 2014 [2 favorites]
I make a chickpea salad with sumac. Can't remember where I found the original recipe, but basically: combine chickpeas with chopped green onion, parsley, and mint; add olive oil and red wine vinegar, then season to taste with sumac, salt and pepper.
posted by Janta at 7:05 PM on October 9, 2014 [2 favorites]
posted by Janta at 7:05 PM on October 9, 2014 [2 favorites]
Oh you lucky duck! Happiness is a box of new spices.
I don'y have a particular recipe, but Penzey's Balti is perfect in soup, especially squash or tomato. It is sweet and warm and also great with roasted vegetables.
I use sumac when cooking chickpeas. It is a fantastic complement to hummus, tahini and lemon.
posted by prewar lemonade at 7:07 PM on October 9, 2014
I don'y have a particular recipe, but Penzey's Balti is perfect in soup, especially squash or tomato. It is sweet and warm and also great with roasted vegetables.
I use sumac when cooking chickpeas. It is a fantastic complement to hummus, tahini and lemon.
posted by prewar lemonade at 7:07 PM on October 9, 2014
These are all something I would try (separately, of course) on a plate of eggs. In my experience eggs are pretty much the perfect conveyance for herbs and spices, as they are neutral enough not to affect the flavour/aroma in any significant way, and are, I dunno, porous or runny or absorbent enough to shuttle the flavour into their proteins and give you an idea of how the herb/spice will taste in a lot of other dishes.
You could probably just whip up a batch of eggs and mix a sprinkle of the spices through each serving, while it's still hot. It'll give you the gist of the spice and your experience and imagination will then be able to tell you where they are best suited.
posted by turbid dahlia at 7:10 PM on October 9, 2014 [5 favorites]
You could probably just whip up a batch of eggs and mix a sprinkle of the spices through each serving, while it's still hot. It'll give you the gist of the spice and your experience and imagination will then be able to tell you where they are best suited.
posted by turbid dahlia at 7:10 PM on October 9, 2014 [5 favorites]
Use the sumac for za'atar! It's a spice blend you see all over the eastern Mediterranean countries - Turkey, Lebanon, and Israel in particular.
There are a lot of variations, but the basics are wild thyme, marjoram, sesame seeds, and sumac. Dust it on flatbread before cooking, mix it with olive oil for a dressing or dip for bread, or use it as a dry-spice topping for boiled eggs, tomatoes, and other vegetables.
It has a nice, fresh, lemon-like flavor. It should be far more popular than it is!
posted by kanewai at 7:10 PM on October 9, 2014 [3 favorites]
There are a lot of variations, but the basics are wild thyme, marjoram, sesame seeds, and sumac. Dust it on flatbread before cooking, mix it with olive oil for a dressing or dip for bread, or use it as a dry-spice topping for boiled eggs, tomatoes, and other vegetables.
It has a nice, fresh, lemon-like flavor. It should be far more popular than it is!
posted by kanewai at 7:10 PM on October 9, 2014 [3 favorites]
Sumac is great on chicken too. I like to roast myself up some free range wings with a dusting of sumac, garlic, and lemon pepper. Delish.
posted by turbid dahlia at 7:16 PM on October 9, 2014 [1 favorite]
posted by turbid dahlia at 7:16 PM on October 9, 2014 [1 favorite]
Tim's rub is good on pretty much everything. Sumac is the only oddball ingredient.
posted by phil at 7:34 PM on October 9, 2014
posted by phil at 7:34 PM on October 9, 2014
What I always like to do with the Penzeys Balti seasoning blend is use it on pork chops. First brine them (a quarter cup of salt and a quarter cup of sugar in a quart of water) for an hour, then pat them dry with paper towels, sprinkle on both sides with Balti seasoning blend and rub it around a bit with the back of a spoon, then grill over charcoal to 150°F.
Aleppo pepper is very nice for applying at the table to zing up a tuna noodle casserole.
They sent me a free jar of their Berbere seasoning a year or two ago. I like it mixed with the dry crumb mixture to bread buttermilk-marinated chicken thighs before oven-frying them. I've never been quite sure about the fenugreek in the blend in that application, though.
posted by artistic verisimilitude at 7:35 PM on October 9, 2014
Aleppo pepper is very nice for applying at the table to zing up a tuna noodle casserole.
They sent me a free jar of their Berbere seasoning a year or two ago. I like it mixed with the dry crumb mixture to bread buttermilk-marinated chicken thighs before oven-frying them. I've never been quite sure about the fenugreek in the blend in that application, though.
posted by artistic verisimilitude at 7:35 PM on October 9, 2014
Doro wot/chicken 'curry'
Seconding this. I love it. The recipe I use is something like this one.
posted by jessamyn at 7:54 PM on October 9, 2014
Seconding this. I love it. The recipe I use is something like this one.
posted by jessamyn at 7:54 PM on October 9, 2014
Sumac is like dried powdered citrus-tomato spritzed with vinegar. Though it will stain light-colored things a sometimes weird bloody pink, it is all light bright acidity and you can use it anywhere you might use citrus juice (especially if you want it to stick in the way juice doesn't).
Gumbo file is...what gumbo tastes like. It's got mild thickening properties if you add it off the heat (my general understanding is that you wouldn't generally cook it at length), but I can't think of anything you'd use it for besides stew-like dishes you want to taste like gumbo.
posted by Lyn Never at 8:16 PM on October 9, 2014
Gumbo file is...what gumbo tastes like. It's got mild thickening properties if you add it off the heat (my general understanding is that you wouldn't generally cook it at length), but I can't think of anything you'd use it for besides stew-like dishes you want to taste like gumbo.
posted by Lyn Never at 8:16 PM on October 9, 2014
Gumbo Filé obviously goes on gumbo and similar. It's also nice to have a little on rice when it's on the side. If you're not familiar with sassafras/filé, think rootbeer, that's exactly what it tastes like. Or, you know, rootbeer tastes like sassafras, really.
posted by Sunburnt at 8:17 PM on October 9, 2014
posted by Sunburnt at 8:17 PM on October 9, 2014
If you're open to a cookbook that will use nearly all of these spices and also tempt you to buy a LOT more, Where Flavor Was Born is my favorite cookbook for good spiced food. It is phenomenal.
posted by WidgetAlley at 10:27 PM on October 9, 2014
posted by WidgetAlley at 10:27 PM on October 9, 2014
mahleb is used in a lot of middle easter/mediterranean sweets and pastries. you can make ma2moul which is popular.
kala jeera can be used in lots of indian/pakistani recipes. actually any recipe that calls for jeera, you can use that variety. jeera rice is basic but nicer than just plain rice. you can also use it in potato curries (just google jeera potato curries and there will be a lot of recipes).
i don't know much about the others but with these two, you should have zero problems finding lots of recipes that fit your dietary restrictions easily.
posted by hejrat at 1:34 AM on October 10, 2014
kala jeera can be used in lots of indian/pakistani recipes. actually any recipe that calls for jeera, you can use that variety. jeera rice is basic but nicer than just plain rice. you can also use it in potato curries (just google jeera potato curries and there will be a lot of recipes).
i don't know much about the others but with these two, you should have zero problems finding lots of recipes that fit your dietary restrictions easily.
posted by hejrat at 1:34 AM on October 10, 2014
Slightly offtopic:
If you like exocit spices, you may want to try sichuan pepper.
Never head about it. The Chinese use it together with hot chili peppers. The chili peppers make the dish spicy/hot. The sichuan pepper will make your mouth numb. The first time I panicked, thought I may have gotten glutamate poisoning of something since I could not feel my lips anymore. Then somebody told me, no, you've eaten Sichian Peppers....
posted by yoyo_nyc at 3:44 AM on October 10, 2014
If you like exocit spices, you may want to try sichuan pepper.
Never head about it. The Chinese use it together with hot chili peppers. The chili peppers make the dish spicy/hot. The sichuan pepper will make your mouth numb. The first time I panicked, thought I may have gotten glutamate poisoning of something since I could not feel my lips anymore. Then somebody told me, no, you've eaten Sichian Peppers....
posted by yoyo_nyc at 3:44 AM on October 10, 2014
Balti seasoning: Use it on shrimp, fish, or roasted cauliflower. Drizzle a litttle olive oil, rub with seasoning, and roast or pan-cook for shrimp or fish.
Kala jeera: Toast and add to rice pilaf.
Aleppo pepper: I add it to everything when I want a little heat.
Ajwain seed: here's a lentil recipe with ajwain and paprika.
posted by chickenmagazine at 6:14 AM on October 10, 2014
Kala jeera: Toast and add to rice pilaf.
Aleppo pepper: I add it to everything when I want a little heat.
Ajwain seed: here's a lentil recipe with ajwain and paprika.
posted by chickenmagazine at 6:14 AM on October 10, 2014
Sprinkle the kala jeera on top of homemade Turkish bread. It lifts the flavour and smells divine.
For recipe ideas and flavour profiles for many of your new acquisitions (plus hundreds of other spices), I highly recommend Ian Hemphill's book Spice Notes and Recipes, published in the US as The Spice and Herb Bible (2nd edition). Warning: spice addiction will ensue!
posted by brushtailedphascogale at 7:43 AM on October 10, 2014
For recipe ideas and flavour profiles for many of your new acquisitions (plus hundreds of other spices), I highly recommend Ian Hemphill's book Spice Notes and Recipes, published in the US as The Spice and Herb Bible (2nd edition). Warning: spice addiction will ensue!
posted by brushtailedphascogale at 7:43 AM on October 10, 2014
Aleppo pepper is one of those things that you can live without, but goes on everything when you have it and know what it tastes like (similar to black pepper but with a fruiter heat). I love it on roast chicken, and on breakfast potatoes/hash browns/home fries.
posted by Juliet Banana at 10:13 AM on October 10, 2014 [2 favorites]
posted by Juliet Banana at 10:13 AM on October 10, 2014 [2 favorites]
Sumac is delicious on grilled chicken and cauliflower (just yesterday for lunch I made a hybrid version of that cauliflower mated with this one--pretty much the latter, but with rosemary and sumac added with the shallots. Was delicious, the smokiness of the bacon and nuttiness of the seared cauliflower balanced by the bright tanginess of sumac).
Aleppo is excellent anywhere you want some heat but don't want it too brash or overpowering; I regularly sub it where soups, veggies, etc. call for cayenne or chili flakes. Love it, has a subtle depth.
IIRC Neelam Batra's 1000 Indian Recipes tome has some recipes that call for ajwain. I've never made this one for fish but a cursory googling brought it up, to give an idea.
I'd also suggest sniffing around places like the Spice House's site/forums, Penzey's forums (there's at least a couple on FB), Chowhound, eGullet, and Food52's Hotline forum; you never know when someone's already asked for good recipes based on esoteric spice X (esp. with Chowhound and eGullet). You know, maybe a Google search with the "site:chow.com" specification.
posted by ifjuly at 1:37 PM on October 10, 2014
Aleppo is excellent anywhere you want some heat but don't want it too brash or overpowering; I regularly sub it where soups, veggies, etc. call for cayenne or chili flakes. Love it, has a subtle depth.
IIRC Neelam Batra's 1000 Indian Recipes tome has some recipes that call for ajwain. I've never made this one for fish but a cursory googling brought it up, to give an idea.
I'd also suggest sniffing around places like the Spice House's site/forums, Penzey's forums (there's at least a couple on FB), Chowhound, eGullet, and Food52's Hotline forum; you never know when someone's already asked for good recipes based on esoteric spice X (esp. with Chowhound and eGullet). You know, maybe a Google search with the "site:chow.com" specification.
posted by ifjuly at 1:37 PM on October 10, 2014
After I saw a sumac shaker on the table at a Greek restaurant, I started sprinkling sumac on all kinds of foods. I have rarely regretted doing so. It seems to work particularly well on salads (such as fattoush) and in dishes involving potatoes, beans, eggs, cheese...
Just last night I made an onion, parsley, and garlic-chive omelet with a lot of sumac on top. Delicious.
Someone I know makes sumac "tea" which tastes a bit like lemonade.
posted by aws17576 at 7:17 PM on October 11, 2014
Just last night I made an onion, parsley, and garlic-chive omelet with a lot of sumac on top. Delicious.
Someone I know makes sumac "tea" which tastes a bit like lemonade.
posted by aws17576 at 7:17 PM on October 11, 2014
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It is a warm and deep spice. My favorite two (non-traditional uses) are in a hearty vegetable tomato sauce (1-3 tablesooons per large pot, use to make pasta or shakshuka or if you can get injera, make fir fir!!) or sprinkled on fried eggs (cook both sides).
Other than those, try out local dishes:
*messier wot/red lentils
*shiro/chickpea powder puree- better than it sounds
*Doro wot/chicken 'curry'
posted by maya at 6:27 PM on October 9, 2014 [2 favorites]