Try something NEW this month!

Over 500 of you voted in March for the new range of recipe kits so many thanks to everyone who contributed. Among the returning favourites is the classic Valencian Paella with lots of paprika and saffron, the Mangalore Fish Gassi (a delicious tomato and coconut curry with a tangy fresh kosambari salad) and the sweet, spicy and very moreish Memphis Barbeque Pork.

There was also lots of enthusiasm for the new kits – Zanzibari curry, Biryani from Pakistan, Chicken Satay from Java and the surprise favourite – South African Bobotie, which is a really delicious kind of curried moussaka with a sweet and spicy apricot chutney on the side. You can find them all on the recipe kits’ pages, hope you enjoy experimenting with them this month!

There are also lots of interesting ingredients we’ve added to the list recently that might be new to you, but are really worth a try this month:

Aji Amarillo chillies - these Peruvian chillies make the most incredibly delicious, bright yellow hot sauce with a beautiful flavour of dried tomatoes and lemon. Just soak a couple in hot water, then remove the seeds and blend to a smooth mix with a fried chopped onion, a splash of fresh water, squeeze of lime and a pinch of salt – simple as that!

Kampot pepper – you can make a fantastic dipping sauce, marinade or table seasoning by crushing up 1tbsp of kampot pepper then mixing it with the juice of 1 lime and a good pinch of salt. Use this thin paste to season grilled fish, noodles, curry or even vegetable salads.

Ancho chilli powder – this is such a useful ingredient. It’s really mild, sweet and aromatic and gives a lovely depth of flavour. Add in generous quantities to season chicken, roasts, potato salads or even in chocolate desserts (there should be a sample enclosed for you to try!)

Happy Spicing!

James

 

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Time for a Spice Rack Spring Clean?

A question many people ask is how long the spices we sell will last for? The truth is that it’s not easy to say exactly – the real answer could be anything from a few hours to several years!

The main problem is that small pack sizes have a disproportionately large amount of surface area compared to their volume. This means that for a domestic 20g pack, more of the spice is exposed to air and light and so it can deteriorate much, much faster than a larger volume would. Most people know that light and heat are the sworn enemies of spice storage (even within a couple of hours of direct sunlight, packs of spices can lose all their colour and flavour), so always try and keep them cool and in the dark.

Probably the best advice to get the most from your spices is to actually use them more often! By using them regularly you’ll naturally turn them over quicker and get to enjoy them when they’re at their best. Most of us have probably got too many small amounts of random ingredients lying around at home that aren’t used for months or even years at a time…..

….. so, I’d suggest you’d be better off having a range of maybe 7 or 8 whole spices you use regularly (whole chillies, peppercorns, seeds etc in bulk packs which should last up to a couple of years if stored carefully). Then buy very small amounts of a regularly changing selection (perhaps just enough for 1 or 2 uses – particularly those you need for a recipe or just wanted to experiment with). Don’t forget, you can buy tsp-size packs of all our ingredients – just look for the A Pinch Of…page on the website (there’s a tsp size pack of Ground Star Anise enclosed for you to experiment with!)

Happy Spicing!

James

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March 2013

February 24, 2013

March can be a bit of a funny time for cooks – it’s too early for a salad but a hearty stew sometimes feels all wrong. Combine that with the ‘hungry gap’ where the winter crops are coming to an end and new spring vegetables yet to arrive, and you’re left with a pretty uninspiring [...]

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February 2013

January 29, 2013

Spices have always been famed for their aphrodisiac effect – cardamon, vanilla, cinnamon, saffron, hibiscus, black sesame and many more have for centuries been believed to possess powerful properties. Spices came from the hot, sensual world of the Orient and their beautiful fragrance, mysterious origins and rarity made it logical to assume they must possess [...]

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January 2013

December 21, 2012

If you’ve overdone it a bit on the rich food and alcohol over the Christmas season there are many spices that might be helpful now. Spices have incredibly high concentrations of essential oils and recent research has shown that many ancient folk and ayurvedic treatments have a valid scientific basis and offer exciting possibilities for [...]

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December 2012

November 30, 2012

Spices have historically been very expensive in Europe and for many people they were something only ever tasted at times of celebrationor religious festivals. There are many dishes we still enjoy now that come from this tradition – mince pies, gingerbread and of course mulled wine which are all tastes that no Christmas would be [...]

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November 2012

October 25, 2012

It tends to get pretty cold here in the warehouse at this time of year, and the kettle rarely seems to go cold. All those mint, flower and lemongrass teas of spring and summer need to make way for something a bit more warming and substantial (and spicy!). For centuries spices have been used in [...]

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October 2012

October 8, 2012

Autumn is normally the best time to be a cook with all the bounty from a full harvest, but of course this year everything seems to have suffered with the terrible summer weather and many crops have been devastated. Although it doesn’t directly affect us, I do have some sympathy with the movement towards eating [...]

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September 2012

August 30, 2012

Thanks to everyone who filled in the questionnaires about the Monthly Spicebox recipes last month. We’ll randomly select someone each time to add an extra month to their subscription, this months winner is Samantha Forsyth! Congratulations and thanks for taking the time to let us know how you’re getting on – there will be a [...]

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August 2012

July 31, 2012

The weather hasn’t been exactly Caribbean recently but let’s try and add a taste of sunshine this month. August brings us the Notting Hill Carnival, the 50th anniversary of Jamaican independence and the London Olympics where the whole world will be watching Jamaican sprinter Usain Bolt strut his stuff, so it feels like the right time [...]

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