harissa roasted lamb

One evening I came home from work to the mouth-watering aromas of this lovely lamb dinner. After I’d mentioned I was craving meat, Jonas prepared this wonderful roast smothered in spicy, tangy harissa. It’s divine served pink with a Moroccan cucumber salad and a side of yoghurt & herb chickpeas.

Harissa Roasted Lamb
Jonas' very own recipe. Serves 4.
Ingredients:
1kg boneless shoulder roast
3 tablespoons harissa (see below)
Salt and pepper, to taste
Method:
1. Cover lamb roast in harissa. Refrigerate for a few hours to absorb flavours.
2. Preheat oven to 160’C.
3. Roast for around 40 – 60 minutes until an inserted knife produces clear juices.

Harissa (North African chilli paste)
Anna’s very own recipe. Makes 1 medium jar.
Ingredients:
2 small capsicums, char-grilled, skin & seeds removed
5 large red chillies, seeds removed & chopped
5 large red chillies, chopped
3 garlic cloves
1 teaspoon cumin seeds, dry-roasted & then ground
1 teaspoon coriander seeds, dry-roasted & then ground
3 teaspoons olive oil
¼ teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon lemon juice
Method:
1. Purée all ingredients in a blender.
2. Pour into a jar and top with a little olive oil to seal. Keep in fridge.

lemonade & wattleseed scones

I have wanted to cook with wattleseed for many years now, but this year I formalised it when I made it one of my 2009 Food Challenges.

Wattleseed is a native Australian product with a delicious coffee-chocolate-hazelnut flavour. Around the world there are so many species of Acacia but only about 120 species (all native to Australia) provide seeds which have delicious culinary value.

The Australian Aborigines have eaten wattleseed for around 6,000 years but it’s the recent interest in native produce that has seen wattleseed truly take off in Australia.

If you have a choice, it’s best to buy wattleseeds whole then dry roast and grind them yourself. This way the flavour remains strong.

Wattleseed can be added to coffee, shakes, whipped cream, ice cream, cookies, pancakes, chocolate sauce and muffins. It’s also useful in a savoury context, being added to beer, bread, sauces and marinades.

Lemonade & Wattleseed Scones

Recipe by Maggie Beer. Makes 8.

Ingredients:
1 cup lemonade
1 cup cream
3 cups of self-raising flour
3 teaspoons ground wattleseed
1 tablespoon sugar
Milk, for brushing

Method:

1. Preheat oven to very hot 220C.

2. Sift flour, sugar and wattleseed.

3. Add lemonade and cream.

4. Mix to form soft dough with pastry cutter or finger tips, then place mixture on floured surface. This is a soft wet mix.

5. Bring together to a 2cm thickness and cut with a floured cutter.

6. Place close together on tray, brush with milk and bake for 10 - 15 minutes.

These wonderful little scones are my contribution to the High Tea Treats themed Monthly Mingle, hosted by Aparna from My Diverse Kitchen.

References:
http://www.cherikoff.net/cherikoff/index.php?id=130
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wattleseed

persimmon chutney

This sweet and sour chutney is quite runny, but has a little texture from the firmer Fuyu persimmon flesh (see info on persimmon types here).

The flavour is certainly sweet with a tang and spicy kick, and it goes well with barbequed and grilled meats and fish.

Persimmon Chutney

Anna’s very own recipe. Makes 250ml.
Ingredients:
1 ripe Hachiya persimmon
1 ripe Fuyu persimmon
3 tablespoons sugar
3 tablespoons lemon juice
3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
1 tablespoon finely chopped red onion
1 teaspoon whole mustard seeds
1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
Pinch of dried chilli flakes
Pinch of ground cinnamon

Method:

1. Peel the Fuyu persimmon and cube flesh. Put aside in bowl.

2. Scoop the jelly-like flesh out of the Hachiya persimmon. Add to Fuyu.

3. Combine all other ingredients in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Simmer for 1 minute.

4. Add persimmon pulp, reduce heat and simmer for 5-10 minutes until pulp is soft and spices have permeated the chutney.

5. Pour into a sterilised jar and allow to cool.

6. Can be stored in a cool, dark place for up to 2 months.

pickled smoked sausages

Yesterday we woke up to an eerie red glow and looked out the window to see Sydney blanketed in an impenetrable mist.

It turned out to be a huge dust storm that dumped 1000 tonnes of iron-rich dust on Sydney from the drought-stricken outback. As the sun tried to penetrate the fog, the light glinted off the tiny iron particles in the soil and created the most beautiful red glow.

Unfortunately the entire city is now filthy and anyone with any kind of breathing issue is not a happy camper.

But onto the recipe . . . during a visit to the Czech Republic in 2003 I tried my first pickled sausage "utopenci". I loved it.

Next taste was 2005 in the USA, when I found snack-pack pickled sausages as well as huge jars at Walmart. My grandfather, father and I spent a summer afternoon sitting in the shade of the garage drinking ice tea and eating pickled sausages from a giant jar (in the Florida humidity)!

These memories were the inspiration behind this 2009 Food Challenge and I made my very own batch of pickled sausages to munch on at home.

Note, these are not "Marco Polo" brand, that's just the jar I used!

I highly recommend you make yourself some pickled sausages. They sound gross, but they are truly delicious.

Also, make sure you add beetroot juice or your sausages will turn an unappetising grey hue.

Pickled Smoked Sausages

Recipe by Glenn Shapely.

Ingredients:
1kg pre-cooked, smoked sausages
500ml cider vinegar
125ml boiling water
40g sugar
15g pickling spices
5g onion flakes
A few drops of beetroot juice

Method:

1. Cut sausage to fit container and place inside.

2. In a saucepan add the vinegar, water, sugar, spices and onion flakes to the boil.

3. Pour the pickling liquid into the jar, add beetroot juice and put on lid. Turn upside and allow to sit for a few minutes to sterilise and seal the lid.

4. Refrigerate for 2 weeks before eating.


Pickling Spice
Anna's very own recipe. Makes 1 batch.

Ingredients:
2 tablespoons yellow mustard seeds
1 tablespoon coriander seeds
2 allspice berries
2 bay leaves
1 clove

Method:
1. Combine and add to vinegar when preparing pickling liquids.

creole-spiced chicken

This is the first Creole/Cajun recipe I've made for my 2009 Food Challenges. The flavours worked well and made chicken breasts, something I'm not a huge fan of, taste very good.

Creole-Spiced Chicken
Anna’s very own recipe. Serves 4.

Ingredients:
4 chicken breasts
1 batch Creole spice mix (see below)
¼ cup lime juice
1 teaspoon liquid smoke

Method:
1. Combine spice mix with lime juice and liquid smoke.

2. Marinate chicken breasts overnight.

3. Barbeque chicken over charcoal for 10 minutes.

I served my spiced chicken with grilled zucchini & chimichurri sauce and arroz congrí (tomato and black bean rice).

Creole Spice Mix
1 teaspoon sweet paprika
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon coriander powder
½ teaspoon dried chilli flakes
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
½ teaspoon dried marjoram
¼ teaspoon ginger powder
¼ teaspoon filé powder
Pinch of nutmeg

Tags: morsels and musings food blog food and drink australia recipes spice blend creole-spiced chicken chicken main courses main course recipes spice recipes chicken recipes creole recipes creole food creole cuisine

jerk pork

Carrying on the Caribbean theme after my Bajan pikelets, here’s something straight from Jamaica: jerk!

No, I’m not shouting insults. I’m talking about Jamaica’s dry-rub spice used on chicken, goat, pork, fish . . . hell, I’m sure you could spice up anything with jerk.

From all recipes, it seems the two most important components of jerk are the allspice berry (pimento) and the scotch bonnet pepper.

The scotch bonnet, a habenero cultivar, is one of the hottest chillies in the world and ranks third after the Naga Jolokia and Red Savina Habanero. It's Scoville rating is 100,000-350,000 whereas a Cayenna is only 30,000-50,000 and the Jalapeño is a piddly 2,500-8,000. Yes, the scotch bonnet is one hot chilli!

Authentic jerk is cooked slowly on allspice wood over coals. Since it’s a little difficult to gets your hands on any allspice wood in urban Sydney, I had to forgo the allspice wood for a regular barbeque.

The word jerk originates from jerky, an anglicised version of the Spanish charqui (dried meat).

Jamaicans serve their jerk alongside foods that cool down the spices such as dumplings, rice, potatoes and beans.

The exact recipe for jerk spice varies and many Jamaicans keep their blend a closely guarded secret, but there are enough published versions to develop a spice rub to suit your own tastes.

This one I got from Lonely Planet World Food: Caribbean, but I added fresh ginger, garlic powder and orange juice.

Jerk Pork
Recipe from Lonely Planet World Food: Caribbean. Serves 6.
Ingredients:
1 tsp allspice berries
1 tsp dried thyme leaves
1 tsp cayenne powder
1 tsp black peppercorns
1 tsp nutmeg
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp freshly grated ginger
1 dried red chilli
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1 onion, chopped
1 tablespoon sugar
¼ cup vegetable oil
¾ cup cider vinegar
Juice of 3 limes
Juice ½ orange
Scotch bonnet peppers, add one at a time to taste
6 pork chops
Method:
1. Dry fry allspice berries, cayenne powder, black peppercorns, nutmeg, cinnamon and red chilli until aromatic. Cool and grind in a spice grinder with the thyme leaves until a powder if formed.
2. In a blender, combine spice mix with all the remaining jerk spice ingredients and blend until smooth. Be sure to only add one scotch bonnet pepper at a time and taste in between because they are lethal!
3. In a non-metallic dish, place meat and cover completely with marinade. Ensure everything is coated. Cover and marinate in fridge overnight.
4. The next day, slowly cook the meat on the barbeque, basting with jerk sauce as you cook.

Tags: morsels and musings food blog food and drink australia recipes main course spice blends jerk pork jerk spices marinade recipes sauce recipes jamaican jerk recipes jerk pork recipes pork recipes spice recipes jerk recipes caribbean recipes caribbean food caribbean cuisine jamaican recipes jamaican food jamaican cuisine

sharba libiya

In Autumn and Winter I love to eat hybrids between soups, stews and pasta dishes.

This particular recipe, Sharba Libiya, is common all over the internet and translates simply to “Libyan Soup”.

The main flavour basis is the Libyan five spice Hararat. Despite my searches all over the place I couldn’t find a reliable source so I had to invent my own version. I used cinnamon, cumin, coriander, chilli and allspice. Who knows whether my ingredients and measurements come close to the real thing!

The recipe calls for orzo or risoni, but you could go for any small shapes that suit you.

It’s a really hearty, flavoursome meal that I highly recommend, especially when the weather is cool.

Sharba Libiya (Libyan Soup
Anna’s very own version of a popular internet recipe. Serves 4 as entrée or 2 as main.Ingredients:300g lamb mince
1 litre beef stock
1 medium onion
½ cup tomato sauce (passata)
2 tomatoes, chopped
1 cup orzo (or risoni)
3 cloves garlic
1 teaspoon dried mint leaves
1 batch Hararat
1 teaspoon paprika
1 tablespoon fresh parsley, finely chopped
1 tablespoon fresh coriander, finely chopped
Juice of 1 lemon
Olive oil, for cooking
Pinch of salt
Method:
1. Sauté the onion and garlic in oil.
2. Add meat and cooked until browned.
3. Add spices, dried mint leaves, salt and chopped tomatoes and stir.
4. When tomatoes have started to break down a little, add tomato
tomato sauce and beef stock. Add a little water if there’s not enough liquid.
5. Bring to the boil then add orzo and simmer until cooked.
6. Before serving, squeeze over fresh lemon juice and sprinkle with fresh coriander and parsley.
Note: chicken or beef can be used instead of lamb and potatoes, chickpeas and lentils may be included also.

Hararat
Anna's very own recipe.
Ingredients:
1½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground coriander
¼ teaspoon chilli flakes
¼ teaspoon ground allspice
Method:
Dry fry in a sauce pan and combine.

This is my contribution to Presto Pasta Night, hosted by Ruth from Once Upon A Feast.

Tags: morsels and musings food blog food and drink australia recipes presto pasta night orzo lamb pasta stew soupspice blend hararat sharba libiya spice blend recipes spice recipes hararat recipes orzo recipes pasta recipes lamb recipes stew recipes soup recipes sharba libiya recipes libyan recipes libyan food libyan cuisine

ethiopian sautéed fish

This delicious Ethiopian dish is my initial forage into East African cuisine for my Food Resolutions for the year.

It seems I really enjoy the spicy, fresh flavours of East Africa, and berbere, the fiery spice of Ethiopia.

Since I have been reading up on Ethiopian stews and sauté dishes, I was able to create my own moreish sautéed fish. I used blue eye cod and marinated it in lime juice before wet frying in spices and a little stock and tomatoes. I highly recommend this as a mouth-watering, tangy and spicy dinner or lunch.

I even created my own recipe for berbere, but I must warn you it contains less chillies than an Ethiopian cook would use (I used 4 and I suspect they’d use between 10-20, or even more!).

I’m now setting my sights on a spicy beef recipe from Ethiopia’s neighbour, Eritrea.

Yasa Tibs (Ethiopian Sautéed Fish)
Anna’s very own recipe. Serves 2.
Ingredients:
500g blue eye cod fillets, boned & cut into chunks
Juice of 4 limes
1½ teaspoons berbere spice (see below)
3cm piece ginger, peeled & grated
3 garlic cloves, crushed
4 tablespoons niter kebbeh (spiced butter)
1 tablespoon sesame oil
¼ cup passata (tomato sauce)
¼ cup fish stock
1 tablespoon chopped coriander, leaves & stalks
Method:
1. Marinate fish in berbere spice and lime juice for 1 hour.
2. Heat niter kebbeh and sesame oil in frying pan.
3. Add grated garlic and ginger. Fry until soft.
4. Add fish chunks with marinade liquid, passata and fish stock. Cook for 2 minutes.
5. Turn fish and cook for another 2 minutes.
6. Remove from heat, plate and garnish with coriander. Serve with injera (flat bread) and eat with your hands!
Note: If not using niter kebbeh try 2 tablespoons of sesame oil, 2 tablespoon of olive oil and 1 teaspoon smoky paprika instead.

Berbere
Anna’s very own blend. Makes ½ cup.
Ingredients:
2 dried long red chillies
2 dried small red chilli
1 tablespoon smoky paprika
2cm piece of cinnamon quill
2 teaspoons sea salt
2 teaspoon coriander seeds
1 teaspoon fenugreek seeds
½ teaspoon cumin seeds
½ teaspoon whole black pepper
½ teaspoon ground turmeric
½ teaspoon ground ginger
4 whole cloves
3 allspice berries (pimento)
2 cardamom pods
Method:
1. In a frying pan, dry roast the all the spices (except the salt) until fragrant, approximately 3-5 minutes.
2. Cool spices then add salt.
3. Blend to powder in a spice grinder. Mixture can be kept in an airtight container for up to 2 months.
Note: Ethiopians would most likely use 5 times the amount of chilli listed here!


Although this recipe is garnished with fresh coriander, my focus WHB ingredient this week is the wonderful lime, since it’s such a prominent flavour in this recipe.

There so many types of limes, and I have to say I haven’t never found a type of lime I didn’t like. My favourites would be the highly acidic Mexican or Key limes (Citrus aurantifolia), fragrant, leafy Kaffir limes (Citrus hystrix) and the beautiful and delicious finger lime (Citrus australasica) which is native to Australia. The dark green Tahitian/Persian limes (Citrus x latifolia) are also pretty good.

Limes are an important ingredient in many world dishes, such as ceviche in Latin America, Key Lime pies from Florida, Aceh Limeade in Indonesia, a myriad of spice and curry pastes in South East Asia and in Iran dried limes are used in many dishes. And let’s not forget all those cocktails where lime is critical!

Perhaps I’m just a sucker for anything acidic and tangy, but I just adore limes and crave dishes where their flavour shines through.

This episode of Weekend Herb Blogging is hosted by the lovely Katie from Thyme for Cooking, a great blogger based in Vendée, France.

Tags: morsels and musings food blog food and drink australia recipes weekend herb blogging whb main course spice blend berbere cod fish seafood yasa tibs berbere recipes yasa tibs recipes berbere recipes spice recipes spice blend recipes cod recipes ethiopian fish recipes fish recipes seafood recipes ethiopian recipes ethiopian food ethiopian cuisine

Lime photo: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Lime_Blossom.jpg

chermoula baked snapper

Chermoula is spice blend and marinade from North Africa, used mainly in Tunisia, Algeria and Morocco.

Chermoula is flavoured mainly with coriander, garlic, chilli and spices and adds an excellent fresh kick to any meal.It’s usually served with fish and seafood, as I have done here with a whole snapper.

Leftover chermoula can be mixed with yoghurt or tahini to make a sauce for other meals, and there’s nothing stopping you using it on veggies and meat.

Chermoula
Recipe by Neil Perry. Makes about 1 cup.
Ingredients:
½ bunch Italian parsley (roughly chopped)
½ bunch coriander (roughly chopped)
2 Spanish onions (peeled and roughly chopped)
4 cloves garlic
1 teaspoon ground coriander
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon Ras el Hanout
1½ teaspoons ground turmeric
1 teaspoon chilli powder
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
2 teaspoons sea salt
2 fresh lemons (juiced)
Olive oil
Method:
1. Simply place all ingredients into a tall slim stainless steel or firm plastic container (about 2 litre capacity is best) and blend until it is a rough paste with a stick blender (I used a food processor and mortar & pestle).
2. If making the chermoula ahead of time, transfer it to an airtight container and pour a thin layer of olive oil on the top. Seal and place in the fridge.

Chermoula Baked Snapper
Anna’s very own recipe. Serves 2 or 4 as part of buffet.
Ingredients:
1 whole medium sized snapper, cleaned & scaled
½ cup chermoula
6 lemon slices
Natural yoghurt or tahini, to serve
Method:
1. Wash the fish and pat dry with paper towels.
2. Make three small incisions in the side of the fish to allow sauce to permeate.
3. Spread the chermoula all over the fish, including inside the cavity.
4. Stuff the lemon slices inside the fish’s cavity and then wrap fish in foil.
5. Bake in a moderate oven or on hot barbeque for 15-20 minutes or until fish flesh is white and cooked.
6. Serve with natural yoghurt or tahini.

This week our Weekend Herb Blogging host is Zorra from Kochtopf.

Next week I’m going to be hosting WHB, so be sure to email me the links to your herbaceous recipes and posts. I’m looking forward to it!

Tags: morsels and musings food blog food and drink australia recipes weekend herb blogging whb sauce marinade charmoula chermoula charmoula recipes chermoula recipes coriander recipes marinade recipes spice recipes herb recipes tunisian recipes tunisian food tunisian cuisine north african recipes north african food north african cuisine

zhoug, spicy yemeni sauce

Zhoug is a spicy Yemenite condiment made from chilli, coriander, garlic and spices. It starts out as a spice blend, then adds wet ingredients to create a sauce that can last a month or so in the fridge if sealed with oil.

I amalgamate the sauce in a blender, but the traditional way is to use a mortar and pestle.

I tried zhoug for the first time in Israel, where it has become a really popular condiment on the Israeli national snack, falafels. I became quite addicted to this sauce and would pile it onto my falafel-stuffed pita rolls.

Others seemed to like it too and I remember one woman splashed the green liquid all over my arm in her excitement. Although I couldn’t understand what she was saying to me, I knew from her red face and giggling that it was an accident.

In Yemen, it is eaten with bread or provides a spicy topping to stews. You could also use it as a marinade or sauce with beef, lamb or fish.

Zhoug
Anna’s very own recipe. Makes ½ cup sauce.
Ingredients:
½ teaspoon coriander seeds
1 green cardamom pod
¼ teaspoon caraway seeds
¼ teaspoon cumin seeds
¼ teaspoon black peppercorns
¼ teaspoon salt
1 garlic clove
2 fresh red chillies
1 cup fresh coriander, leaves and stalks
1 tablespoon fresh parsley
4 tablespoons olive oil
Method:
1. Mix coriander seeds, cardamom, caraway seeds, cumin seeds and peppercorns then dry roast in a sauce pan for approx. 5 minutes until the spices become fragrant. Cool.
2. Grind spices in a grinder then transfer to blender or mortar and pestle.
3. Add fresh coriander, parsley, chilli and garlic and pound into a paste.
4. Add a little olive oil and salt then mix to combine.

Yemen (Arabic: اليَمَن al-Yaman) is the only republic on the Arabian Peninsula. The country is made up of around 20 million people and 200 islands, is bordered by Oman to the east, Saudi Arabia to the north, the Red Sea to the west and the Arabian Sea to the south.

For almost 3000 years, Yemen was part of the kingdoms controlling the spice trade along the Arabian peninsula. In fact some 10,000 Singaporeans and 4 million Indonesians with Arab ancestors can trace their roots back to Yemen’s spice traders.

It’s spice wealth attracted Ancient Rome which failed to annex it, yet Ethiopia, Persia, the Ottoman Empire and Britain had control at different times.

Unlike most Arabian groups, who are nomadic, Yemenis have lived in villages along the coast and highlands. The population is predominantly Arabic but there was a significant minority population of Jews who developed their own distinct culture. It was their migration to Israel that brought zhoug into the international spot light.

This is my contribution to Weekend Herb Blogging, hosted by Anna from Anna's Cool Finds.

References & Photos:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yemen
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:LocationYemen.PNG

Tags: morsels and musings food blog food and drink australia recipes weekend herb blogging whb sauce dip condiment zhoug chilli cilantro coriander zhoug recipes sauce recipes spicy recipes chilli recipes cilantro recipes coriander recipes yemeni recipes yemeni food yemenite cuisine yemenite recipes yemenite food yemenite cuisine

ras el-hanout

Ras el-Hanout is the premium spice blend. Its name translates to “top-shelf” or “best in the shop” and refers to any spice merchant’s best quality blend. All recipes contain a few basic spices but after that it’s anyone’s guess as to what is in the mix. Each spice merchant will have their own, closely guarded, recipe and combination of flavours.

Traditionally, ras el-hanout contained mind-altering ingredients such as narcotic belladonna berries, hashish and Spanish fly.

Spanish fly is actually a beautiful green beetle whose dried body was ground into powder and used as an aphrodisiac. It’s effects are well documented and today it is still used in animal husbandry to stimulate mating. Since the difference between inducing seduction and death by overdose ran such a fine line, this powder was banned from the Moroccan souk in the 1990s.

These days the drugs are usually left out and what remains is an aromatic culinary spice blend.

It can be used to marinate meats or flavour couscous and is an important ingredient in bastilla (Moroccan pigeon pastry). It can also be used in stews and I like to include a little when I make chermoula.

Ras el-Hanout
Anna’s very own blend. Makes approximately 2 tablespoons or 15g.
Ingredients:
4 whole allspice (pimento)
3 green cardamom pods

Recipe is featured in this book

3 whole cloves
1 small dried red chilli
2 teaspoons dried rose petals
2 teaspoons coriander seeds
1 teaspoon black peppercorns
1 teaspoon fenugreek seeds
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
½ cinnamon stick, roughly crushed
½ teaspoon fennel seeds
¼ teaspoon nutmeg, freshly grated
¼ teaspoon ground ginger
¼ teaspoon ground turmeric
¼ teaspoon coarse salt
Method:
1. Over a low heat, dry roast all the spices in a frying pan (except the salt). Stir constantly to evenly roast and be careful not to burn.
2. Watch carefully as seeds start to pop and remove when beginning to brown.
3. Let them cool a little then grind in a spice / coffee grinder while warm, with the salt.
4. The spice blend will remain fresh, in an airtight container, for up to 2 weeks.

I just want to say another big thank you to all my colleagues in Europe who banded together to buy Jonas and I a spice grinder and kitchen scales for a wedding present. We love it and, as you can see, are getting good use out of them.


Tags: morsels and musings food blog food and drink australia recipes ras el-hanout recipe ras el hanout recipe ras el-hanout ras el hanout spices spice blends north african spice blends north african recipes north african food north african cuisine

stock take - october 2007

I love stock take posts. It’s interesting to see what people have in their cupboards, liqueur cabinets and fridges.

One of the first few posts I ever wrote was about the contents of my fridge back in May 2006. In June 06 I recorded all the bottles in my liqueur collection and in November 06 I posted my entire spice rack. Then in March 07 I wrote about a massive shopping trip where we bought a huge range of weird and wonderful ingredients.

I’m a sucker for lists so these posts feed right into my OCD tendencies, but I also love them because they remind me what ingredients I have on hand and inspire me to try different things with them.

Freezer
Crocodile fillet;
Emu steak;
Freeze dried porcini;
Chipotle chillies;
Kaffir limes;
Maltese cheese pastizi;
Blueberries;
Raspberries;
Veggie burgers.

Pantry
Griottes in Kirsch;
Mutant coconut threads see photo;
Tamarind purée;
Dried waxberries (bayberries);
Pearl barley;
Puy lentils;
Bolivian red quinoa see photo;
Semolina;
Sago;
Dried squid;
Duck fat;
Vegetarian duck;
Squid ink;
Avocado oil see photo;
Coconut oil see photo;
Hazelnut oil see photo;
Olive oil;
Palm oil;
Peppermint oil;
White truffle oil;
Rose water;
Orange blossom water;
Moghrabieh (Lebanese couscous);
Soba noodles;
Squid ink pasta;
Trahanas;
Basmati rice;
Carnaroli rice;
Jasmine rice;
Sticky rice;
Tunisian harissa;
Saudi Arabian orange blossom honey;
Hunter Valley shiraz jelly;
Wasabi;
Black sesame seed cakes;
Coloured tapioca pearls;
Ibarra chocolate see photo;
Dried porcini;
Konbu (dried seaweed);
Nori (seaweed sheets);
Tomatillos (canned).

Spice Cabinet
Mastic beads see photo;
Vanilla beans;
Vanilla extract;
Barberries, dried;
Allspice (pimento), whole;
Cloves, whole & ground;
Fenugreek seeds see photo;
Aniseed seeds;
Poppy seeds;
Wattleseed, ground;
White sesame seeds, whole;
Kolonji (nigella seeds);
Red chillies, dried;
Chilli threads;
Cayenne, ground;
Sichuan pepper, whole;
Pepper, black & pink;
Tabiabun (long pepper);
Green cardamom, whole;
Rose petals, dried;
Hibiscus petals, dried;
Crystallised violets see photo;
Bay leaves;
Curry leaves;
Candlenuts, whole see photo;
Coriander, seeds & ground;
Cumin, seeds & ground;
Cassia, ground;
Cinnamon, quills & ground;
Paprika, sweet & smoky;
Panch phora (Indian five spice) see photo;
Saffron, whole;
Star anise;
Asafoetida, yellow (hing);
Caraway seeds;
Ginger, ground;
Sumac, ground;
Tumeric, ground;
Lemon myrtle, ground;
Oregano, dried;
Dill tips, dried;
Majoram, dried;
Mixed spice, ground;
Nutmeg, ground;
Danish smoked sea salt;
Hawaiian volcanic black sea salt.


Tags: morsels and musings food blog food and drink australia ingredients food spices pantry specialty food stock take

spice rack

For a long time I’ve been meaning to go through my spice rack and list all the items there.

I did it for my fridge and freezer back in May and I did my liquor cabinet in June. Now I have an open invitation to do my spice rack from Rowena at Rubber Slippers in Italy.

After cleaning through her spice rack, Rowena wondered how other people use their spices and developed a series of questions. Although not a meme, if anyone is interested in taking part just blog about your own spicy experiences and shoot Rowena an email.

1. Which is the most indispensable spice on your spice rack?
Black pepper. Ever since I was a wee one these two have been so important to me. My parents didn’t use much salt in their cooking (Australia went through a salt scare in the 80s) so food was flavoured with pepper rather than salt. I simply adore freshly milled black pepper. Dreamy. As I got older I started with chilli too, but pepper always remained in my heart.

2. Which is the most used? This being determined by a near empty bottle compared to the others.
I use cassia a lot. It’s also known as “baker’s cinnamon” because it has a much stronger flavour than cinnamon and packs a real punch. I only use it in sweet food though because for some strange reason I hate cassia/cinnamon in savoury food (there’s goes all North African cuisine!).

3. Which is the least used?
Szechwan pepper. It seemed like a good idea at the time but whenever I mill it the texture becomes gritty in the food. I also don’t like sea salt over my food as a seasoning for the same reason – it feels like there’s sand and shells in the food. Wow, I never realised how fussy I am about textures! Lemon myrtle is another unused spice. It’s an Australian native and extremely pungent (almost eucalyptus) so has to be used sparingly.

4. Is there a spice or seasoning that you know of or just learned about and would like to add to your collection?
I’ve been trying to get my hands on wattle seeds for a while now. They’re native to Australia and add a coffee-chocolate flavour to desserts. Another Australian native I’d like to cook with is the akudjura or bush tomato. They are supposed to be very strong and taste sweet on entry with a lasting acidic end. The other spice I’m after are nigella seeds. No, these are not named after the Domestic Goddess but are pungent members of the buttercup family. The seeds are also known as kalonji and have a peppery onion flavour. Nigella seed is used a lot in Indian cooking, for instance in the five spice mix panch phora.

5. Are there any health remedies that you practice with the use of spices?
Peppermint water is great for indigestion. I had a lot of tummy problems as a kid (maybe it was all that pepper and chilli) and I found peppermint water to be wonderfully soothing. Jonas' flu remedy is arguably the world’s most disgusting drink: honey, crushed garlic, grated ginger, lemon juice and a bit of chilli with hot water. It’s foul but he swears by it. I’m still skeptical.

And here is my spice rack in full:
all spice (pimento) – whole
aniseed – seeds
asafoetida powder – yellow (hing powder)
bay leaves
caraway – seeds
cardamom – green pods
cassia – ground
cayenne pepper – ground
chilli – dry, flakes
chilli – dry, whole
cinnamon – ground
cloves – ground + whole
coriander – ground + seeds
cumin – ground + seeds
curry leaves
curry powder
fenugreek seeds
ginger – ground
juniper berries – dried
lemon myrtle – ground
marjoram
mustard – powder + seeds
nutmeg – ground
orange blossom water
oregano
paprika – smoky + sweet
pepper – black (whole) + white (ground) + cayenne (ground) + Szechwan (whole)
peppermint water
poppy seeds – black
rosewater
salt – coarse sea salt
salt – fine table salt
sesame – white
spice mixes – “Season All” + "Cajun" + "Mexican" + "tagine"
star anise
sumac – ground
Szechwan pepper – whole
Tajin – Mexican chilli & lime seasoning
turmeric
vanilla – bean + essence

So what's your favourite and least favourite spice? Let Rowena know!

Tags: morsels and musings food blog food and drink australia spices spice+rack