JEWISH. INDEPENDENT. NONPROFIT.
I hate beets. Even though I have some Russian blood through my mother’s side, I have never really gotten the appeal. Sure, they’re gorgeous to look at. Sure, they’re fun to cook with because they stain your hands like you’re a victim of the Texas Chainsaw Massacre. But delicious? No. However, this video by the…
ANCHO Capsicum annuum FLAVOR & AROMA There are an endless number of chiles, and each has its own particular notes. I use anchos since they offer complex notes of plum and raisin with mild heat. What I really enjoy is the dark, deep color they get from the drying process; it adds great visual richness…
CHAMOMILE Chamaemelum nobile FLAVOR & AROMA Though mainly associated with teas and tea blends, chamomile flowers are also great in spice blends or in savory and sweet recipes. It is important to buy good-quality flowers. Always look for whole, not ground, flowers with intense color. The aroma, which is sweet, fruity and herbaceous, should be…
Spice Up Your Valentine’s* is a video from the* Jewish Daily Forward on Vimeo. Valentine’s Day comes with high expectations. Oh, the pressure to create romance. Add to that an expensive dinner in a restaurant overburdened by so many romance-seeking customers, and the evening often ends in disappointment. I remember one Valentine’s Day dinner, at…
Photograph by Liza Schoenfein Spices have the incredible potential to transform a simple dish, and you don’t need a mélange of them to create tremendous flavor. Add cumin to hummus; paprika to fish; or cinnamon to brisket and these foods take on a life of their own as a single spice works its magic. I…
After tainted Mexican food left her decimated with hepatitis A – and unable to take medication, despite unbearable symptoms – Cathy Shapiro went online. Ginger kept popping up as the preschool teacher searched for natural remedies. And those queries jogged Shapiro’s memories of her long-gone Polish-born bubbe. “She used to put a paste of ginger…
In this week’s Ingredients column Leah Koenig writes about Lior Lev Sercarz, the master spice blender behind La Boîte à Epice. Lev Sercarz, who has blended spices for Chef Daniel Boulud and Zahav restaurant’s Michael Solomonov, speaks with Koenig in this video about his spiced cookie business La Boîte à Biscuits.
“When it comes to Israeli cooking today, it’s not your mom’s kitchen anymore,” according to Ronit Madmone. She and her husband Shuli should know. As owners of Whole Spice, a large spice store in Northern California, a wholesale spice business and an online spice shop, the native Israeli couple keeps up on cooking trends in…
