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these-eyebrows-are-not-even · 3 years

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Christmas Gift Ideas 2020

All of the gifts below that I thought of can be altered/customized to your budget, personal style and resources.

Face Mask’s

If you are handy with a sewing machine then this is a great one for you, using fabric scraps you already own or thrift bedsheets/t-shirts etc you could make your loved ones some custom face masks. Bonus points if you find a silk shirt and flip that into some face masks as silk, is hypo-allergenic, breathable and causes less friction on the skin so is perfect for anyone suffering from maskne (mask-acne). However, if sewing isn’t for you then places like Etsy have a wide range of masks for everyone and purchasing from sellers on their also supports small business.

Candle and match sticks

Candles are all the rage with thousands of reels and tik tok’s on how to twist candles. If you are brave enough then go for it! You can gift your hand-twisted candles to your friend along with a box of nice matches. Writing empowering messages or mantra’s on the matches (maybe get extra-long ones if you have large handwriting!) will mean that every time your loved one goes to light a candle there is a message from you to brighten their day. There is no need to twist candles, you could support a small business and buy theirs or just get a standard candle. You don’t have to support every trend! Bonus points for matching your loved one’s colour palette to the candles or vice versa. For example, my favourite colour right now is green so a set of candles ranging from emerald to sage would be much appreciated.

Seasonal Drink

It may be the British in me but Christmas is a time where having something to drink on these long winter nights is the norm. I am speaking of something alcoholic but non-alcoholic also works. I love vintage/second-hand glasses and they can be pretty cheap €1 a glass. You could get a second-hand glass of your choosing and send it to your friend along with a bottle of their favourite drink. If you want to amp it up, you could also include a cocktail/mocktail recipe book and some drink rocks. Drink rocks are reusable and do not dilute your drink. If they aren’t a spirit/liquor drinker then a stainless steel ice cube tray is also an eco-friendly and plastic-free option. I could go on with more items to include in this bundle but metal straws, coasters, fabric napkins and more are all ways you could expand this gift idea.

Seasonings

If you know a good amateur chef or home cook then getting them some fancy salt, oil and or vinegar may be an interesting idea. You could buy; one, two or all three and either make sure they coordinate e.g. Rosemary salt, garlic oil and lemon vinegar or they could be contrasting e.g. Truffle salt, chilli oil and amaretto vinegar. The endless combinations make this a fun gift and allow for some fun experimentation when cooking. If you’re a big diy’er you could infuse the oil and make custom labels for everything. You could also add in crackers, olives and risotto to turn it into a Mediterranean hamper or harissa, dried apricots and Ras-el-hanout to make it more North-African.

In the Bag.

A thrifted bag from a second hand/vintage shop (if open where you are) or one bought of Depop/eBay may make a great gift for a fashion-conscious person you know. Then you could add in a lip balm and/or a lip-gloss, a packet of their favourite sweets, a cute bottle of hand-sanitiser and a travel-size bottle of hand cream. These are all optional, the bag would be more than enough but they are just extras for you to think about. You could also make any of these extras vegan, cruelty-free, plastic fee etc

Cosy Toe’s

I don’t know about you but I get really cold feet in the winter. So thick socks are a must! A great idea could be to give someone a pair of fluffy socks. They could be practical or whimsical. I have been gifted thick, grey woollen pairs and a fun foxed themed pair (I love foxes). You could embroider a message or design on them if that’s your thing or pack them with some foot cream and a pedicure kit. As salons haven’t really been open this year pamper time is even more important.

Dried flowers

I do not mean the trendy ones, all over insta interior posts, I mean the Victorian past time. Pressed dried flowers, you could use flowers or leaves you have, buy some and then press them or that sounds too long then you could even buy pre-pressed and dried online. I saw a cute DIY on YouTube where they had been glued on to a small bowl or plate in a pretty pattern. This could be used to display jewellery, makeup etc. Furthermore, you could also arrange pressed flowers and plants into a pattern and place them on a canvas or in a frame to make a minimalistic art piece for someone.

Body care kit

I often joke, I am secretly an old lady as I have dry skin and so am always re-applying lotion. Now, its wintertime that is an absolute necessity but it’s also an act of self-care and 2020 has been a long year so extra self-care is needed. So gifting someone a kit of body scrub, body wash and lotion is a little bit of luxury we all need right now. You could expand on this and include a dry brush to get that circulation and lymphatic drainage going as well somebody oil or a bath bomb to increase the level of pampering. Making body scrub is quite easy but I recommend sugar and not coffee grounds if you do go the DIY route and you can turn regular liquid soap into fun shapes with jelly moulds and gelatine.

Homemade bookmark

Before you laugh, I am not suggesting the ones you made when you were seven unless you were an expert crafter. I am suggesting more sophisticated ones but the end product is up to you so I take no responsibility, I am just the provider of ideas! Those pressed flowers we had earlier? Extra ones could be attached in a pattern and glued onto card. You could go full out an paint one using all your creativity. Or make one out of photos of you and the booklover you’re giving this too. Lastly, it could just be an inspirational quote like: you deserve another glass of wine

Or you could do one of each and give them a medley of bookmarks for all their mood and needs.

Last but not least a Playlist

I know this may seem a little 2012 Tumblr but bear with me. You curate a playlist for them on their preferred app; if you don’t have access or its different to your one then give them detailed instructions for how they should assemble it). The playlist could be based upon a memory you have together or something you’re planning to do with them in the future, or anything you want! Then write out an explanation behind why you chose each song, what it reminds you of and why you thought that person would get it. You could burn the playlist onto a CD if you have the tech for that. For all the artsy types you could illustrate the written out reasoning with drawings, attach photos, collage – whatever you like to get the emotion across.

To everyone reading, I hope you have a wonderful Christmas and for those who don’t celebrate then this list may come in handy for another gift-giving occasion. I don’t know about you but I cannot wait to be stuffed full of food on Christmas day, opening presents and sharing laughs.

Happy Christmas!

Elsa x

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easyfoodnetwork · 4 years

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Stock Your Pantry With Ingredients from Around the World, Care of These Online Shops

Photo-illustration: Eater

A guide to buying everything from miso to paneer to prosciutto online

You’ve stocked your pantry with some basics, but now you can’t stop thinking about vegetable dum biryani, chorizo tacos, or nasi lemak. Maybe you can’t bring yourself to do anything but refresh Twitter, and snacks count as meals now, and you’re dreaming about salami and cornichons but you can’t really justify stepping out for such luxuries. (I’m not speaking from experience. Not at all.)

There is a wide world of pantry items from global regional food cultures that you can use to add acidic brightness (think sumac), heat (a dab of yuzu kosho), and umami (a dash of fish sauce) to your dishes — just like your favorite restaurants do. Sometimes it just takes adding a couple of items to your pantry.

It’s always worth starting with your local specialty markets, bakeries, butchers, wine shops, restaurants, and coffee shops that you’d normally frequent, who may be doing local delivery or contactless pick-up. Check their social media feeds — you may find that they’re getting creative. In certain locations, wholesalers and CSAs that normally serve restaurants have opened business to home cooks and can deliver locally. Don’t forget to tip extra.

Meanwhile, many online retailers are overwhelmed and shipping may take longer than usual. As things develop, some may stop taking new orders or restrict their delivery zones (alas, Sahadi’s in Brooklyn). The list below includes stores that are still shipping nationwide as of this writing.

Many cooking traditions share ingredients, and our eating — both at restaurants and at home — increasingly crosses borders. With that in mind, I’ve organized this pantry shopping list by flavor profile and ingredient type. It’s by no means comprehensive. Let’s get shopping:

One-Stop Shops by Region

Unfortunately, there are entire culinary regions that have been omitted from this list. Please let us know of any hot tips.

Central America

igourmet

MexGrocer

Zocalo Foods

East Asia

H Mart

Yamibuy

Gotham Grove

The Japanese Pantry

Kayanoya

Nijiya

Europe

Despaña

Gustiamo

La Tienda

Mercado Little Spain

Portugalia

Real Good Food

Middle East

igourmet

New York Shuk

Nouri Brothers

Persian Basket

Shatila (sweets)

South Asian

I Shop Indian

igourmet

Southeast Asian

iourmet

Pinoy Groceri

Yamibuy

Cheese

Europe & North America

Arrowine, Cowgirl Creamery, Despaña, La Tienda, Murray’s Cheese, and Zingerman’s offer a variety of cheeses from across Europe and North America. A few of these also offer subscriptions.

If you’re splitting orders with friends or neighbors, you might also be interested in a big order from Zabar’s.

Middle East & South Asia

Murray’s Cheese sells feta. You can also try Persian Basket and igourmet for feta in olive oil and halloumi.

igourmet is one of the few online retailers selling paneer.

Condiments and Toppings

Asia

Soy sauce: Nijiya and H Mart for cooking, The Japanese Pantry for high quality, small batch soy sauce that you’ll want to use to finish dishes.

Sriracha and sambal oelek: Yamibuy

Yuzu kosho: The Milk Street Store, H Mart, and igourmet.

Middle East

Dukkah: New York Shuk

Preserved lemons: Chelsea Market Baskets, Milk Street, New York Shuk (or make your own)

Za’atar: Seed + Mill and New York Shuk

Meat and Seafood

Mediterranean Europe

Anchovies: igourmet, La Tienda, Murray’s Cheese

Cured meat: Whether you’re looking for speck, prosciutto, salami, chorizo, or ’nduja for snacking or dressing up a humble pot of beans, try La Tienda, Murray’s Cheese, and Olympia Provisions.

Tinned fish: Portugalia specializes in Portuguese tinned fish, including sardines and cod. You’ll find excellent, if pricey, Spanish canned seafood from Despaña’s online store and from La Tienda. Food52 usually sells canned sardines from BELA and may restock soon. Murray’s Cheese and Real Good Food sell a small selection of sardines and PNW-sourced tinned seafood, like smoked oysters.

Oils and Vinegars

Multiple Regions

Extra virgin olive oil: Pineapple Collaborative and Real Good Food have good “everyday” options.

Other styles — at varying price points — are available at Brightland, Real Good Food, Milk Street or Italian and Spanish specialty stores like Gustiamo.

East Asia

Rice vinegar: The Japanese Pantry (artisanal) or Nijiya (larger production)

Purple sweet potato vinegar: East Fork (shipping delays)

Toasted sesame oil: The Japanese Pantry sells a range of artisan toasted sesame oils, and a little goes a long way. H Mart is a good bet for supermarket versions.

Europe and North America

Apple cider vinegar: For extra-delicious if spendy apple cider vinegar, try “The Apple Cider Vinegar” from Pineapple Collaborative or Katz Gravenstein Apple Cider Vinegar (also available through Real Good Food).

Wine vinegar: There are many options for good salad and finishing wine vinegars, including Katz and Real Good Food. This is likely also an item you can order locally.

Seasoning and Spices

Caribbean

The Spice House sells Jamaican allspice, jerk and cajun seasoning blends, and tamarind paste.

East Asia

Chili garlic paste: Yamibuy sells a few options.

Dashi: For ingredients to make dashi (kombu, bonito flakes, and dried shiitake) as well as instant dashi, try H Mart, Nihon Ichiban, or Rakuten. The Japanese Pantry, Kayanoya, and Milk Street are also good for artisanal or small batch versions of these essentials.

Dried fish: Try the Japanese and Korean markets listed above. Real Good Food sells dried shrimp sourced from Louisiana.

Dried gochugaru and sansho peppers: Milk Street or igourmet

Fermented black bean: The Mala Market and Yamibuy

Fish sauce: Order from Red Boat directly, or try Son from Real Good Food.

Gochujang: Yamibuy and H Mart for supermarket brands. Gotham Grove specializes in gourmet Korean ingredients, with a few pricier, artisanal options for gochujang and ssamjang.

Miso and doenjang: Try the Japanese and Korean markets mentioned above or Milk Street. Gotham Grove also sells a small batch doenjang that is aged for three years.

Oyster sauce: Yamibuy

Sichuan pepper: The Mala Market specializes in Sichuan spices, including Sichuan peppercorns and other aromatic spices like star anise. Milk Street also sells Sichuan peppercorns.

Yuzu kosho: Milk Street, H Mart, and igourmet

Mediterranean Europe, Middle East, North Africa

Burlap & Barrel is an excellent source for single origin spices and seasonings, including sumac, Urfa chili, saffron, and smoked paprika.

igourmet, it should come as no surprise by now, is also a good source if you can’t find something. They carry Calabrian chilies.

The Milk Street Store and The Spice House are also good bets for Middle Eastern, African, and Asian flavors.

New York Shuk sells a variety of Middle Eastern and Sephardic seasonings and spices, including dukkah, harissa, ras el hanout, and hawaij.

Central America and South America

Burlap & Barrel is also good here for things like cumin and various types of chili.

The Spice House has a Latin American spice section, including aji amarillo ground chile, ancho chile, guajillo, and chile de arbol.

For whole dried chipotle and chipotle in adobo, also try MexGrocer, Zocalo Foods, igourmet, or Melissa’s.

For tamarind, try The Spice House.

South and Southeast Asia

Burlap & Barrel, Diaspora Co., and Rumi Spice are all stand-outs for ethically sourced single origin spices commonly used in South Asian and Southeast Asian cooking, including turmeric, cardamom, cinnamon, and cumin. Milk Street and The Reluctant Trading Experiment are also worth checking. I Shop Indian and igourmet, once again, will fill any holes.

The Mala Market focuses on Sichuan spices, but many of the aromatic spices like star anise are also used in South Asian and Southeast Asian cooking.

The Spice House sells a variety of spices and harder-to-find ingredients like tamarind paste.

If you’re looking for shortcuts: For Indian cooking, Brooklyn Delhi sells its sauces direct. Chilicali sells various bumbu for Indonesian flavors, including galangal and sambal.

Other Pantry Items

Multiple Regions

Dried fruit: Bellaviva produces organic dried fruit from California’s Central Valley. New York City’s Russ & Daughters sells excellent dried fruit (the strawberries will ruin you forever).

Central America

Dried hibiscus: Burlap & Barrel, The Spice House, Alma Semillera

East Asia

Black sesame paste: The Japanese Pantry

Europe and North America

Capers and olives: Despaña, Gustiamo, La Tienda, Mercado Little Spain, Murray’s Cheese, igourmet, Real Good Food

Seasonal Jams: Ayako & Family (Seattle) and Sqirl (Los Angeles)

Middle East and North Africa

Dates: Joolie’s ships its fresh Medjool dates nationwide.

Date Syrup: Just Date Syrup

Preserved lemons: Chelsea Market Baskets, Milk Street, New York Shuk

Pomegranate molasses: Milk Street or Just Date Syrup

Tahini: You can order direct from Seed + Mill or Soom (which is currently only selling in 6-jar cases, but no complaints there).

Baking

With all purpose and run-of-the-mill (literally!) bread flour becoming harder and harder to come by, you may want to branch out into heritage flours.

Anson Mills freshly mills its cornmeal, grits, buckwheat, rye, oats, semolina, gluten free, and other specialty baking flours.

Central Milling, Hayden Flour Mills, and Maine Grains are excellent sources for pastry flours, bread flours, spelt, buckwheat, rye, and other grains. Availability varies from day to day, but they seem to be updating their websites frequently.

Geechie Boy Mill is great for grits, corn flour, and other southern American staples

If you’re looking for masa to make your own tortillas, Masienda and Alma Semillera both specialize in heirloom corn varieties.

Katie Okamoto is a Los Angeles–based writer and former editor at Metropolis, the New York–based design and architecture monthly. Find her work at katieokamoto.com and occasionally on Twitter and Instagram. Photocredits: Laptop: Tawatchai Prakobkit / EyeEm / Getty; Dates: Joolies; Jasmine rice / Hmart; Sumac: Burlap and Barrel; Minerva Sardines: Portugalia; Hondashi: Hmart; Gochujang: Amazon; Olives: Murrays’ Cheese; Chorizo: Tienda

Vox Media has affiliate partnerships. These do not influence editorial content, though Vox Media may earn commissions for products purchased via affiliate links. For more information, see our ethics policy.

from Eater - All https://ift.tt/2VMng7y https://ift.tt/3eHVZM6

Photo-illustration: Eater

A guide to buying everything from miso to paneer to prosciutto online

One-Stop Shops by Region

Unfortunately, there are entire culinary regions that have been omitted from this list. Please let us know of any hot tips.

Central America

igourmet

MexGrocer

Zocalo Foods

East Asia

H Mart

Yamibuy

Gotham Grove

The Japanese Pantry

Kayanoya

Nijiya

Europe

Despaña

Gustiamo

La Tienda

Mercado Little Spain

Portugalia

Real Good Food

Middle East

igourmet

New York Shuk

Nouri Brothers

Persian Basket

Shatila (sweets)

South Asian

I Shop Indian

igourmet

Southeast Asian

iourmet

Pinoy Groceri

Yamibuy

Cheese

Europe & North America

Arrowine, Cowgirl Creamery, Despaña, La Tienda, Murray’s Cheese, and Zingerman’s offer a variety of cheeses from across Europe and North America. A few of these also offer subscriptions.

If you’re splitting orders with friends or neighbors, you might also be interested in a big order from Zabar’s.

Middle East & South Asia

Murray’s Cheese sells feta. You can also try Persian Basket and igourmet for feta in olive oil and halloumi.

igourmet is one of the few online retailers selling paneer.

Condiments and Toppings

Asia

Soy sauce: Nijiya and H Mart for cooking, The Japanese Pantry for high quality, small batch soy sauce that you’ll want to use to finish dishes.

Sriracha and sambal oelek: Yamibuy

Yuzu kosho: The Milk Street Store, H Mart, and igourmet.

Middle East

Dukkah: New York Shuk

Preserved lemons: Chelsea Market Baskets, Milk Street, New York Shuk (or make your own)

Za’atar: Seed + Mill and New York Shuk

Meat and Seafood

Mediterranean Europe

Anchovies: igourmet, La Tienda, Murray’s Cheese

Cured meat: Whether you’re looking for speck, prosciutto, salami, chorizo, or ’nduja for snacking or dressing up a humble pot of beans, try La Tienda, Murray’s Cheese, and Olympia Provisions.

Oils and Vinegars

Multiple Regions

Extra virgin olive oil: Pineapple Collaborative and Real Good Food have good “everyday” options.

Other styles — at varying price points — are available at Brightland, Real Good Food, Milk Street or Italian and Spanish specialty stores like Gustiamo.

East Asia

Rice vinegar: The Japanese Pantry (artisanal) or Nijiya (larger production)

Purple sweet potato vinegar: East Fork (shipping delays)

Toasted sesame oil: The Japanese Pantry sells a range of artisan toasted sesame oils, and a little goes a long way. H Mart is a good bet for supermarket versions.

Europe and North America

Wine vinegar: There are many options for good salad and finishing wine vinegars, including Katz and Real Good Food. This is likely also an item you can order locally.

Seasoning and Spices

Caribbean

The Spice House sells Jamaican allspice, jerk and cajun seasoning blends, and tamarind paste.

East Asia

Chili garlic paste: Yamibuy sells a few options.

Dried fish: Try the Japanese and Korean markets listed above. Real Good Food sells dried shrimp sourced from Louisiana.

Dried gochugaru and sansho peppers: Milk Street or igourmet

Fermented black bean: The Mala Market and Yamibuy

Fish sauce: Order from Red Boat directly, or try Son from Real Good Food.

Gochujang: Yamibuy and H Mart for supermarket brands. Gotham Grove specializes in gourmet Korean ingredients, with a few pricier, artisanal options for gochujang and ssamjang.

Miso and doenjang: Try the Japanese and Korean markets mentioned above or Milk Street. Gotham Grove also sells a small batch doenjang that is aged for three years.

Oyster sauce: Yamibuy

Sichuan pepper: The Mala Market specializes in Sichuan spices, including Sichuan peppercorns and other aromatic spices like star anise. Milk Street also sells Sichuan peppercorns.

Yuzu kosho: Milk Street, H Mart, and igourmet

Mediterranean Europe, Middle East, North Africa

Burlap & Barrel is an excellent source for single origin spices and seasonings, including sumac, Urfa chili, saffron, and smoked paprika.

igourmet, it should come as no surprise by now, is also a good source if you can’t find something. They carry Calabrian chilies.

The Milk Street Store and The Spice House are also good bets for Middle Eastern, African, and Asian flavors.

New York Shuk sells a variety of Middle Eastern and Sephardic seasonings and spices, including dukkah, harissa, ras el hanout, and hawaij.

Central America and South America

Burlap & Barrel is also good here for things like cumin and various types of chili.

The Spice House has a Latin American spice section, including aji amarillo ground chile, ancho chile, guajillo, and chile de arbol.

For whole dried chipotle and chipotle in adobo, also try MexGrocer, Zocalo Foods, igourmet, or Melissa’s.

For tamarind, try The Spice House.

South and Southeast Asia

The Mala Market focuses on Sichuan spices, but many of the aromatic spices like star anise are also used in South Asian and Southeast Asian cooking.

The Spice House sells a variety of spices and harder-to-find ingredients like tamarind paste.

If you’re looking for shortcuts: For Indian cooking, Brooklyn Delhi sells its sauces direct. Chilicali sells various bumbu for Indonesian flavors, including galangal and sambal.

Other Pantry Items

Multiple Regions

Dried fruit: Bellaviva produces organic dried fruit from California’s Central Valley. New York City’s Russ & Daughters sells excellent dried fruit (the strawberries will ruin you forever).

Central America

Dried hibiscus: Burlap & Barrel, The Spice House, Alma Semillera

East Asia

Black sesame paste: The Japanese Pantry

Europe and North America

Capers and olives: Despaña, Gustiamo, La Tienda, Mercado Little Spain, Murray’s Cheese, igourmet, Real Good Food

Seasonal Jams: Ayako & Family (Seattle) and Sqirl (Los Angeles)

Middle East and North Africa

Dates: Joolie’s ships its fresh Medjool dates nationwide.

Date Syrup: Just Date Syrup

Preserved lemons: Chelsea Market Baskets, Milk Street, New York Shuk

Pomegranate molasses: Milk Street or Just Date Syrup

Tahini: You can order direct from Seed + Mill or Soom (which is currently only selling in 6-jar cases, but no complaints there).

Baking

With all purpose and run-of-the-mill (literally!) bread flour becoming harder and harder to come by, you may want to branch out into heritage flours.

Anson Mills freshly mills its cornmeal, grits, buckwheat, rye, oats, semolina, gluten free, and other specialty baking flours.

Geechie Boy Mill is great for grits, corn flour, and other southern American staples

If you’re looking for masa to make your own tortillas, Masienda and Alma Semillera both specialize in heirloom corn varieties.

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orbemnews · 3 years

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Foods From Afar Hope to Catch the Eye of American Shoppers Fonio, a cereal grain imported from West Africa, was once relegated to the shelves of tiny grocery stores frequented by immigrants primarily from Senegal and Mali. But it has gradually made its way to Whole Foods, where pouches decorated with a painted map of Africa are nestled amid packages of rice and lentils, aimed at a broader range of American consumers. That journey was pushed in part by a Brooklyn company, Yolélé, which roughly means “let the good times roll” in Fula, a West African language. Yolélé also offers seasoned fonio pilafs, a line of fonio chips and, coming soon, fonio flour. The company was founded in 2017 by Philip Teverow, a food industry veteran, and Pierre Thiam, a chef from Senegal who grew up eating fonio. Mr. Thiam is confident that Americans would eat fonio, too, if they had better access to it. The nutritious grain is gluten-free and has a slightly nutty flavor. It’s also easy to prepare: “Fonio never embarrasses the cook,” Mr. Thiam said. But crucial to their effort to appeal to the average American consumer was the packaging. Innovative package design and brand identity are vital when selling unfamiliar foods to mainstream markets, industry experts say. “People really do shop with their eyes,” said Chris Manca, a buyer at Whole Foods Market focusing on local products for the company’s stores in New York, New Jersey and Connecticut. “If your product doesn’t really jump off the shelf and catch your eye, it’s going to get overlooked.” In 2019, 182,535 immigrant-owned food businesses, from manufacturing to restaurants, were operating in the United States, according to an analysis of the American Community Survey by the New American Economy, a research organization. Chinese and Mexican immigrants owned most, selling cuisines familiar to American palates. But entrepreneurs from countries like Guinea, Kazakhstan and Senegal are gaining a foothold with less well-known cuisines. Marketing these foods in the United States has its challenges, like cultural identity and consumer perception. The savviest entrepreneurs work with designers and brand strategists to make their products more approachable. One of the biggest hurdles is choosing visual clues — fonts, colors, illustrations and photographs — that channel a product’s physical or conceptual provenance. A brand identity that’s too sleek and polished might appear inauthentic and lose credibility. Yet folksy designs or a reliance on regional symbols can look cliché and dated. Creating the right visuals is a “subtle balance,” said Paola Antonelli, senior curator of the department of architecture and design at the Museum of Modern Art. A new foreign food’s packaging must stimulate curiosity and radiate authenticity, “making you feel like there’s some sort of familiarity that maybe you had not yet discovered in yourself,” she said. Cultural heritage is crucial for a new product, said Phil Lempert, a food industry analyst known as the Supermarket Guru. “You have to stand out,” he said, adding that there is a strong appetite for foreign cuisines and products, especially among younger generations: “They love to experiment with food.” The global food industry has changed substantially over the past several decades, Mr. Lempert said. New foreign food brands today tend to celebrate their origins, whereas businesses just 10 years ago might have pushed to Americanize their products. “There was a stigma there,” he said. Supermarket distribution has also changed. “A lot of these smaller ethnic brands used to be distributed by ethnic food distributors,” Mr. Lempert said. “Now, these companies are going direct to the supermarket.” Other strategies include posting on social media, especially Instagram, which is considered an effective, low-cost way to market products, and selling directly to consumers through websites and e-commerce marketplaces like Amazon. But the key is often packaging. A designer’s ability tends to be a blend of creative thinking, diverse professional experience and wide travels. This often outweighs a shared nationality, ethnicity or culture; in fact, many entrepreneurs prefer working with designers from different backgrounds to better see their story through a fresh lens. Mr. Thiam wanted to use Yolélé to claim fonio’s West African identity while avoiding labels like “exotic” and “ethnic.” He and Mr. Teverow approached Paula Scher, a partner at the design firm Pentagram, where Mr. Thiam already had connections because of his cookbooks. He said that he would have liked to use a designer of African descent, but that when he saw Ms. Scher’s map of Africa, it was “love at first sight.” After Ms. Scher’s design hit the shelves last spring, sales surged 250 percent, Mr. Teverow said. Using product names in foreign languages is a common hurdle for food business owners. To broaden the appeal of her classic Middle Eastern spice blends like hawaij, baharat and ras el hanout, Leetal Arazi, a co-founder of New York Shuk, worked with the graphic designer Ayal Zakin to craft a visual solution. The labels feature elegant illustrations of the contents in each jar, like turmeric or chili peppers, balanced with a modern gold logo and a tiny stylized camel in silhouette. “All of a sudden, you are less afraid and intimidated to pick it up,” said Ms. Arazi, whose products are sold at supermarkets like Whole Foods and specialty stores. Mohammed and Rahim Diallo, brothers from Guinea, faced the same challenge for their intensely flavored gingery drink, Ginjan. The designer Ruen Ellis removed any mystery about the drink by listing the ingredients — ginger, pineapple, lemon, vanilla and anise — on the label below a circular logo that centers on a silhouette of Africa. A straightforward or celebratory story that can bolster a brand’s identity isn’t always possible. Some immigrant founders have fraught relationships with their homelands, or history has convoluted their story. In late 2018, Daniyar Chukin and the design firm Little Fury rebranded Mr. Chukin’s vaguely Russian-sounding company, Misha, to the vaguely German-sounding Wünder Creamery. Mr. Chukin had struggled with how to market quark, a creamy yogurtlike product popular in Germany. He grew up eating it in Kazakhstan, where the Soviets had brought it. “Here I am, a Kazakh guy, marketing a product I knew as a Russian one, as a German one to American consumers,” he said with a laugh. “It’s starting to work now.” His quark is packaged in a yogurt cup with a clean, Nordic look, and Wünder Creamery’s annual earnings are about $1 million after growing 50 percent a year, he said. Some immigrant entrepreneurs choose to have zero visual references to their food’s country of origin. “What if we basically just remove the whole idea of being an ethnic food?” said Nigel Sielegar, a designer from Indonesia and the owner of Moon Man, minimalist Southeast Asia dessert stall in the cavernous basement below Essex Market on Manhattan’s Lower East Side. After pandemic restrictions closed his eatery, Mr. Sielegar pivoted in July to producing sweet kaya jams featuring purple ube, golden palm sugar and green pandan. The coconut milk-based jams are packaged in glass jars with “Moon Man” running diagonally in huge white type across a black label. The company has sold more than 1,000 kaya jam jars directly to consumers nationwide, Mr. Sielegar said, and recently expanded to selling half-gallon containers wholesale to restaurants. Package design and brand identity might seem superfluous, even shallow, but they are often the needed prompt for customers to buy, said Dan Formosa, a design consultant. “There is a expectation of what it’s about and a sense that it’s worth trying,” he said. Source link Orbem News #Afar #American #catch #eye #foods #Hope #shoppers

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vsplusonline · 4 years

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May’s missing maushis: A Mumbai summer without the itinerant East Indian masala makers

New Post has been published on https://apzweb.com/mays-missing-maushis-a-mumbai-summer-without-the-itinerant-east-indian-masala-makers/

May’s missing maushis: A Mumbai summer without the itinerant East Indian masala makers

Ever since I can remember, synaesthesia has played a particularly important role in my life. Numbers for me have genders. Days of the week have a definite hierarchy, with Sundays leading the pack. And all my months are neatly divvied up to form a rainbow of colours.

May’s colour has always been somewhere on the spectrum between a buttery yellow and an earthy burnt Sienna. No big surprise there. Think bright summer suns, freshly baked lemon chiffon cakes and yes, the indescribable hue of a ripe Alphonso.

But there are two more shades in the family that truly define the month and, by default, summer for me.

One, the almost-neon tangerine shade of freshly pounded East Indian bottle masala, and two, the amber-coloured beer bottles that it is always stored in for longer shelf-life. Thus, the name — bottle masala.

While I am not an East Indian by birth, I have always been a big fan of their culture and, most pertinently, their cuisine. I’ve lived most of my life here in Dadar West, Mumbai, surrounded by a close-knit, strongly matriarchal community of East Indian families led by genial aunties who made it their mission to indulge the budding foodie in me with their yummy curries and succulent roasts. Almost all jazzed up with the ubiquitous East Indian bottle masala. From the coconut milk-enhanced mutton lonvas to a spicy chicken moile, the bottle masala reigns supreme.

Just like the 36-ingredient Moroccan ras-el-hanout spice blend or the Ethiopian berbere mix, East Indian bottle masala is made up of a bewildering variety of spices, from the more obvious Kashmiri chillies to the ‘Google-it-now’ nagkesar. The latter — I learnt just for the purposes of this piece — is also called Indian rose chestnut or cobra saffron, by the way! Besides this, the complex dry spice blend has several iterations, each with varying measurements and ratios of spices.

More the merrier

I would not be exaggerating if I said that every East Indian family uses a different recipe for bottle masala — some use 20 spices, some 30, while the most elaborate of the lot use up to 40. But try asking any self-respecting East Indian cook to part with the recipe and they will sooner part with their lives. Such is the almost militant level of secrecy that shrouds the hallowed recipe.

In fact, I remember an old neighbourhood aunty once telling me that East Indian mothers never teach their daughters how to make bottle masala for fear of them taking the prized recipe out of the family after getting married. They have no such compunctions, I was informed, for incoming daughters-in-law. I rest my case.

This leads me to a vital link, not just to the whole bottle masala supply chain, but also to my very synaesthetically-heightened month of May — the masalawaali maushis. It is the rhythmic thumping sound that these singing, itinerant spice-grinding ladies make while pounding the aromatic, roasted spices for bottle masala that I associate most with summer as well.

Illustration: Getty Images/ iStock

That May music has been missing this year. Thanks to the pandemic and the ensuing lockdown, my backyard will not be infiltrated this season by the pungent fumes and lilting melodies wafting from neighbourhood gardens. The maushis will not be coming this year.

Travelling troupes

Mainly drawn from the local Maharashtrian Agri community, these women are generally always much in demand and need to be booked months in advance. They are always armed with their wooden pounding vessel, the ukli, and its cohort, the mussal, a mace-like tool with a metal base to hit the ingredients. These groups of ladies travel from house to house from early March to the end of May to grind the annual supply of bottle masala according to each family’s specifications, making sure to finish this important task before monsoon sets in.

Interestingly, though the maushis are experts in the sifting, roasting and final pounding of the spices, they will never fully know the final recipe. Not only will the house matriarch weigh each ingredient separately and hand it over to the maushis just before pounding, but as per tradition she will also withhold one vital ingredient that she will pound herself and add later to the final mix.

One of the most enduring and endearing traditions of the maushis is the singing of ovis (which literally means ‘strung together’) while they pound the spices. More specifically, they sing jatyavarchi ovi, specialised Marathi grinding songs that are used as poetic metre for rhythmic prose.

One such ovi by Bahinabai, an unlettered 19th century peasant-poet from the Khandesh region of Maharashtra, comes to mind and seems a perfect way to sum it up in times like these. It says:

Get up at midnight, neatly set

out the grain

Begin working the grinding

stone

Be patient, don’t talk back, hold

your tongue

Let the memories of your old life

comfort you.

SUNDAY RECIPE

Bottle Masala

(Recipe courtesy Ann Dias)

Photo: Getty Images/ iStock

Ingredients

1 kg dried red Kashmiri chilies

250 gm dried red Madras chilies

25 gm whole wheat grain

80 gm powdered turmeric

5 gm dagdaphool, also called stone flower

200 gm cumin seeds

15 gm fenugreek seeds

500 gm coriander seeds

150 gm mustard seeds

250 gm poppy seeds

50 gm peppercorns

15 gm cloves

250 gm white sesame seeds

15 gm caraway seeds

14-15 green cardamoms

7-8 black cardamoms

10 gm cinnamon stick

10 gm asofoetida

25 gm bay leaves

1 nutmeg

5 gm tirphal, also called Japanese pepper

5 gm star anise

5 gm nagkesar, also called Indian rose chestnut

15 gm fennel seed

5 gm mace

50 gm whole Bengal gram

5 gm allspice

Method

1. Precisely measure and dry all the ingredients under the sun for two days, making sure no moisture remains in them.

2. Over low heat, dry roast the Kashmiri chillies and the Madras chillies for 8-10 mins in a wide-bottom pan, making sure to not to burn them.

3. Similarly roast the rest of the ingredients for 7-8 mins on low heat or until they are aromatic.

4. Dry grind the roasted ingredients in several batches until fine, either in a large ukli or in a spice blender. You could also take the mix to a local mill to get it pounded.

5. To stick with tradition, tightly pack the bottle masala into amber- or green-tinted, sterilised beer bottles, sealing the top off with butter paper and hot wax. Otherwise, one can also store it in an airtight container or any other lidded glass container.

(This makes for an approximately 2.5 kg yield of bottle masala, so adjust according to desired quantity.)

The Mumbai-based writer and restaurant reviewer is passionate about food, travel and luxury, not necessarily in that order.

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tipsycad147 · 5 years

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THE BASICS: QUICK GUIDE TO EVERY HERB AND SPICE IN THE CUPBOARD

by Crooked Bear Creek Organic Herbs

INGREDIENT GUIDES FROM THE KITCHEN

Ever get coriander confused with cumin? Or wonder just what exactly curry powder is made out of? As much for our benefit as for yours, we’ve put together this quick reference guide to all the most common (and some uncommon) herbs and spices!

Saffron

For any herb or spice listed below, click on the name to read the full description. We’ll continue adding to this list as we cover more of the seasonings we use in our cooking.

Dried Herbs & Spices

Asafoetida (Asafetida) – Used as a digestive aid in Indian cooking, asafoetida has a strong odour that mellows out into a garlic-onion flavor.

Achiote Paste and Powder – Reddish-brown paste or powder ground from annatto seeds with an earthy flavor. Used primarily in Mexican dishes like mole sauce, cochinita pibil, and tamales.

Allspice – Similar to cloves, but more pungent and deeply flavoured. Best used in spice mixes.

Annatto Seeds – A very tough reddish-brown seed with a woodsy aroma and an earthy flavor. Called Achiote Paste (see above) when ground, this is used to flavor many Mexican dishes.

Bay Leaf (also: Indian Bay Leaf) – Adds a woodsy background note to soups and sauces.

Caraway Seed – These anise-tasting seeds are essential for soda bread, sauerkraut, and potato salad.

Cardamom – This warm, aromatic spice is widely used in Indian cuisine. It’s also great in baked goods when used in combination with spices like clove and cinnamon.

Cayenne Pepper – Made from dried and ground red chilli peppers. Adds a sweet heat to soups, braises, and spice mixes.

Chia Seeds – No, these seeds aren’t just for growing crazy terracotta sculptures! Nearly flavourless, they can be ground into smoothies, cereals, and baked goods for extra nutrition and texture, or even used as a vegan egg substitute.

Cinnamon (also: Vietnamese Cassia Cinnamon) – Found in almost every world cuisine, cinnamon serves double duty as spice in both sweet and savoury dishes.

Cloves – Sweet and warming spice. Used most often in baking, but also good with braised meat.

Coriander Seed – Earthy, lemony flavor. Used in a lot of Mexican and Indian dishes.

Cumin – Smoky and earthy. Used in a lot of Southwestern U.S. and Mexican cuisine, as well as North African, Middle Eastern, and Indian.

Fennel Seed – Lightly sweet and liquorice flavoured. It’s excellent with meat dishes, or even chewed on its own as a breath freshener and digestion aid!

Fenugreek – Although this herb smells like maple syrup while cooking, it has a rather bitter, burnt sugar flavour. Found in a lot of Indian and Middle Eastern dishes.

Garlic Powder – Garlic powder is made from dehydrated garlic cloves and can be used to give dishes a sweeter, softer garlic flavor.

Ginger – Ground ginger is made from dehydrated fresh ginger and has a spicy, zesty bite.

Gochugaru – This Korean red pepper spice is hot, sweet, and ever-so-slightly smoky.

Grains of Paradise – These taste like a cross between cardamom, citrus, and black pepper. They add a warming note to many North African dishes.

Kaffir Lime Leaves – Used to flavor curries and many Thai dishes. Can be sold fresh, dry, or frozen.

Loomi – Also called black lime, this is ground from dried limes. Adds a sour kick to many Middle Eastern dishes.

Mace – From the same plant as nutmeg, but tastes more subtle and delicate. Great in savoury dishes, especially stews and homemade sausages.

Mahlab – Ground from sour cherry pits, this spice has a nutty and somewhat sour flavor. It’s used in a lot of sweetbreads throughout the Middle East.

Nutmeg – Sweet and pungent. Great in baked goods, but also adds a warm note to savoury dishes.

Nutritional Yeast – Very different from bread yeast, this can be sprinkled onto or into sauces, pastas, and other dishes to add a nutty, cheesy, savoury flavor.

Oregano – Robust, somewhat lemony flavor. Used in a lot of Mexican and Mediterranean dishes.

Paprika – Adds a sweet note and a red colour. Used in stews and spice blends. There is also a spicy version labelled hot paprika.

Peppercorns – Peppercorns come in a variety of colours (black, white, pink, and green being the most popular). These are pungent and pack a mild heat.

Rosemary – Strong and piney. Great with eggs, beans, and potatoes, as well as grilled meats.

Saffron – Saffron has a subtle but distinct floral flavor and aroma, and it also gives foods a bright yellow colour.

Sage – Pine-like flavor, with more lemony and eucalyptus notes than rosemary. Found in a lot of northern Italian cooking.

Smoked Paprika – Adds sweet smokiness to dishes, as well as a red colour.

Star Anise – Whole star anise can be used to add a sweet liquorice flavor to sauces and soups.

Sumac – Zingy and lemony, sumac is a Middle Eastern spice that’s great in marinades and spice rubs.

Turmeric – Sometimes used more for its yellow colour than its flavor, turmeric has a mild woodsy flavor. Can be used in place of saffron in a pinch or for those of us on a budget.

Thyme – Adds a pungent, woodsy flavor. Great as an all-purpose seasoning.

Vietnamese Cassia Cinnamon (also: Cinnamon) – Sweet and spicy. Can be used in both sweet baked goods and to add depth to savoury dishes.

Sage, rosemary, and thyme

Fresh Herbs

Basil (also: Thai Basil) – Highly aromatic with a robust liquorice flavor. Excellent in pestos, as a finishing touch on pasta dishes, or stuffed into sandwiches.

Chervil – Delicate anise flavour. Great raw in salads or as a finishing garnish.

Chives – Delicate onion flavor, great as a garnish.

Cilantro – From the coriander plant, cilantro leaves and stems have a pungent, herbaceous flavour. Used in the Caribbean, Latin American, and Asian cooking.

Curry Leaves – These pungent leaves are not related to curry powder but impart a similar flavor. Used in Indian, Malaysian, Sri Lankan, Singaporean, and Pakistani cuisine. Used to flavour curries, soups, stews, and chutneys.

Dill – Light and feathery herb with a pungent herb flavor. Use it for pickling, with fish, and over potatoes.

Fenugreek – Although this herb smells like maple syrup while cooking, it has a rather bitter, burnt sugar flavour. Found in a lot of Indian and Middle Eastern dishes.

Lemon Thyme (also: Thyme) – Sweet lemon aroma and a fresh lemony-herbal flavor. This is excellent with poultry and in vinaigrettes.

Lovage – Tastes like a cross between celery and parsley. Great with seafood or to flavour stocks and soups.

Marjoram – Floral and woodsy. Try it in sauces, vinaigrettes, and marinades.

Mint – Surprisingly versatile for such an intensely flavoured herb. Try it paired with lamb, peas, potatoes, and of course, with chocolate!

Oregano – Robust, somewhat lemony flavour. Used in a lot of Mexican and Mediterranean dishes.

Parsley – Available in flat-leaf (Italian) or curly varieties, this very popular herb is light and grassy in flavour.

Pink Pepper – Small and sweet, these berries are fantastic when marinated with olives or simply sprinkled on shortbread.

Rosemary – Strong and piney. Great with eggs, beans, and potatoes, as well as grilled meats.

Sage – Pine-like flavor, with more lemony and eucalyptus notes than rosemary. Found in a lot of northern Italian cooking.

Summer Savoury – Peppery green flavor similar to thyme. Mostly used in roasted meat dishes and stuffing, but also goes well with beans.

Shiso – A member of the mint family, this herb is used extensively in Japanese, Korean, and Southeast Asian cooking as a wrap for steaming fish and vegetables, in soups, and as a general seasoning.

Tarragon – Strong anise flavour. Can be eaten raw in salads or used to flavor tomato dishes, chicken, seafood, or eggs.

Thai Basil (also: Basil) – A spicy, edgier cousin to sweet Italian basil. A must-have for Thai stir-fries, Vietnamese pho, spring rolls, and other South Asian dishes.

Thyme (also: Lemon Thyme) – Adds a pungent, woodsy flavour. Great as an all-purpose seasoning.

Ras El-Hanout

Spice Blends, Rubs & Mixes

Baharat – Black pepper, cumin, cinnamon, and cloves. Used to flavor soups, tomato sauces, lentils, rice pilafs, and couscous, and can be a rub for meats. (Middle Eastern)

Bebere – Hot peppers, black pepper, fenugreek, ginger, cardamom, coriander, cinnamon, and cloves. Other ingredients may include ajwain, cumin, allspice, nutmeg, paprika, onion, or garlic. Used to flavor slow-cooked stews. (African)

Bouquet Garni – Thyme, parsley, and bay leaf. Used to flavor broths and soups. (Classic French)

Chili Powder – Ground chilis, cumin, oregano, cayenne, and lots of optional extras to make this seasoning uniquely yours. Use for chilli, stew, beans, grilled meat, and tacos. (Mexican/Southwestern U.S.)

Chinese Five-Spice Powder – Star anise, Szechuan peppercorns, fennel, cassia, and clove. Adds sweetness and depth to savoury dishes, especially beef, duck, and pork. (Chinese)

Curry Powder – Typically includes turmeric, coriander, cumin, fenugreek, and red pepper, but mixes can vary. Used primarily to quickly flavour curry sauces. (Indian)

Dukkah – Includes nuts (most often hazelnuts), sesame seeds, coriander, and cumin. Great spice rub for lamb, chicken, and fish. (Egyptian)

Garam Masala – Typically includes cinnamon, cardamom, cloves, cumin, coriander, nutmeg, and pepper. Sweeter than curry powder. Also used to season curry sauces. (Indian)

Herbes de Provence – Usually savoury; contains rosemary, marjoram, thyme, and sometimes lavender. Use as a marinade or dry rub for roast chicken, fish, and vegetables. (French)

Old Bay – Celery salt, mustard, red and black pepper, bay leaves, cloves, allspice, ginger, mace, cardamom, cinnamon, and paprika. Created in the Chesapeake Bay area of Maryland, it is traditionally used for shrimp and crab.

Pickling Spice – Most often includes bay leaf, yellow mustard seeds, black peppercorns, allspice, and coriander. Used for pickling vegetables in vinegar.

Pumpkin Pie Spice Mix – Cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and cloves. Used for seasoning pumpkin pie, but also great in other spiced baked goods.

Ras el Hanout – Cardamom, clove, cinnamon, paprika, coriander, cumin, mace, nutmeg, peppercorn, and turmeric. Use as a spice rub on meat or as a simple condiment. (North African/Moroccan)

Shichimi Togarashi – Although the ingredients vary, they typically include sansho or Sichuan pepper, dried citrus peel, sesame seeds, poppy seeds, hemp seeds, ginger, garlic, shiso, and nori. Used on noodles and grilled meats. (Japanese)

Za’atar Seasoning Blend – Thyme, sumac, and sesame seeds. All-purpose seasoning for many Middle Eastern dishes, like grilled meats, grilled vegetables, flatbread, and hummus. (Middle Eastern)

Are there any herbs or spices you’ve been wondering about? Let us know and we’ll work on adding them to the list!

crookedbearcreekorganicherbs.com/2018/03/19/the-basics-quick-guide-to-every-herb-and-spice-in-the-cupboard/

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gardencityvegans · 7 years

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Celine Steen’s Harira

http://www.thefullhelping.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/Celine-Steen-Harira-5.jpg

There aren’t too many things I love more than a giant, hearty pot of soup, especially at this time of year. When that soup is packed with fiber and nutrition, pantry-friendly, and boldly flavored, so much the better. All of those qualities apply to Celine Steen’s harira, which I’m so happy to be sharing today.

Celine Steen’s blog, Have Cake Will Travel, was one of the earliest vegan blogs I found. I was drawn in by Celine’s clearly written and scrupulously tested recipes, her knack for baking, and her commitment to the vegan lifestyle, which shone through her words.

Over the years, I’ve built up a steady collection of her cookbooks, some of which are co-authored, some of which aren’t: The Great Vegan Protein Book, The Great Vegan Grains Book, The Complete Guide to Vegan Food Substitutions, and Vegans Go Nuts. There are many, many more; Celine is a prolific author, and the range of books she’s written speaks to how thorough her knowledge of vegan cookery is. You can count on her recipes to work exactly as written, to boast user-friendly instructions, and to taste consistently excellent.

Another one of my favorite qualities of Celine’s food is that it’s bold, diverse, and globally inspired. The Great Vegan Grains book introduced me to a number of spice blends I hadn’t tried before, and Celine’s new book, Bold Flavored Vegan Cooking, follows suit.

Celine begins by noting that there are few worse scenarios for a home cook than serving bland food to friends; she also notes that vegan food has long been misperceived as dull and boring. “If only they knew,” she writes, “and now they can! Creating big, bold, exciting flavors for vegan and vegan-friendly cooks is what this book is all about.”

Celine makes good on that promise. The book is divided into four sections: savory (umami-rich), spicy, sweet, and staples. The chapter names are fairly self-explanatory, and the recipes are appropriately rich in seasoning. As someone who came to home cooking with a pretty timid palate—I didn’t grow up eating heavily seasoned or boldly flavored food, so it was very foreign to me for a long time—the book has been a particularly great and informative resource.

Some of my favorite recipes—or rather, the ones I’m most excited to make at home—include the smoky kale and chickpeas with miso peanut drizzle, the gochujang kimchi bowl, red chana dal mujaddara, and red curry scramble with lime-y broccoli. And those are just the savory ones: I’m also intrigued by Celine’s miso sweet cookies and peachy tamari creamy farina (what an unusual breakfast!).

In the meantime, I’m loving this spicy, thick, textured Harira, or Moroccan soup. The recipe is filed under spicy, and it certainly can be, but Celine invites readers to adjust the harissa paste to taste. I kept mine relatively mild, but there’s plenty of room to kick the flavor up further. The soup is brimming with vegetables and chickpeas; you can top it however you like, but I opted for chopped parsley and some of my savory cashew cream (vegan yogurt would also be lovely).

Celine Steen's Harira

Recipe type: main dish, soup

Cuisine: vegan, gluten free, soy free, tree nut free

Author: Celine Steen

Prep time: 20 mins

Cook time: 30 mins

Total time: 50 mins

Serves: 6-8 servings

Ingredients

1 ½ tbsp (23 ml) grapeseed oil or olive oil

2 medium carrots, trimmed, peeled and minced

1 medium red onion, trimmed, peeled and chopped

4 ribs celery heart, chopped

4 large cloves garlic, minced

1 ¼ cups (111 g) chopped leek (I substituted white onion)

1 small jalapeño pepper, trimmed, seeded and minced (optional)

8 oz (227 g) chopped baby bella mushrooms

1 to 2 tbsp (20 to 40 g) Harissa Paste, to taste

3 tbsp (49 g) double-concentrated tomato paste

2 ½ tsp (5 g) Ras el Hanout

½ tsp Tunisian Baharat

½ tsp ground ginger

¼ tsp ground turmeric

¾ tsp coarse kosher salt (adjust to taste, especially if ras el hanout contains salt)

1 vegan bouillon cube

½ cup (90 g) dry red lentils

28 oz (794 g) fire-roasted crushed tomatoes, with juice

28 oz (828 ml) water

1 ½ cups (256 g) cooked chickpeas

1 to 2 tbsp (15 to 30 ml) lemon juice, to taste

½ cup (8 g) fresh cilantro leaves, chopped

½ cup (8 g) fresh parsley leaves, chopped

Dry roasted pine nuts, for garnish

Instructions

Place the oil, carrots, onion, celery, garlic, leek and jalapeño (if using) in a large pot. Heat on medium-high and cook for 4 minutes. Add the mushrooms, and cook until their moisture is released, about 4 minutes. Stir frequently during the cooking process.

Add the harissa paste, tomato paste, ras el hanout, baharat, ginger, turmeric, salt and broth powder. Stir to combine and cook for 1 minute. Add the lentils, tomatoes, water and chickpeas. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer and cook for 20 minutes or until the lentils are tender. Stir occasionally. Add the lemon juice and stir to combine.

Serve topped with fresh herbs and pine nuts. This stew tastes great served with pita and hummus, or try it with steamed potatoes. Store cooled leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

Notes

Celine's book includes recipes for homemade harissa paste, Ras el Hanout, and Tunisian Baharat, as well as a homemade Broth Mix that I replaced with bouillon (next time!). You can use the book to guide you through these homemade mixes, or use store-bought versions.

3.5.3226

Celine suggests serving the soup with pita bread and hummus. As luck would have it, I’ve been on a homemade pita kick for the last month, and my freezer is now routinely stocked with puffy rounds. So far, I think pita is the best accompaniment for the soup—it’s intentionally a lot denser than others soups, so it begs for something to be scooped up with—but I plan to have some of the leftovers with couscous or rice, too. The recipe yields a lot, so it’s an excellent batch cooking option.

If you’re still figuring out the wide world of spice blends out there, or trying to create them from scratch, this book will walk you through everything you need to know. Beyond that, it’s a perfect resource for anyone who’s hoping to embolden his or her home cooking. I can’t wait to continue exploring it this fall, and in the meantime, I’d love to offer a copy to one of my US or Canadian readers. Enter below to win a copy! I’ll announce a winner in two weeks.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

It’s another packed week here, so I’m happy to have plenty of Harira leftovers to get me through it. See you on Sunday!

[Read More ...] http://www.thefullhelping.com/celine-steens-harira/

#infrared #health

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easyfoodnetwork · 4 years

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Photo-illustration: Eater A guide to buying everything from miso to paneer to prosciutto online You’ve stocked your pantry with some basics, but now you can’t stop thinking about vegetable dum biryani, chorizo tacos, or nasi lemak. Maybe you can’t bring yourself to do anything but refresh Twitter, and snacks count as meals now, and you’re dreaming about salami and cornichons but you can’t really justify stepping out for such luxuries. (I’m not speaking from experience. Not at all.) There is a wide world of pantry items from global regional food cultures that you can use to add acidic brightness (think sumac), heat (a dab of yuzu kosho), and umami (a dash of fish sauce) to your dishes — just like your favorite restaurants do. Sometimes it just takes adding a couple of items to your pantry. It’s always worth starting with your local specialty markets, bakeries, butchers, wine shops, restaurants, and coffee shops that you’d normally frequent, who may be doing local delivery or contactless pick-up. Check their social media feeds — you may find that they’re getting creative. In certain locations, wholesalers and CSAs that normally serve restaurants have opened business to home cooks and can deliver locally. Don’t forget to tip extra. Meanwhile, many online retailers are overwhelmed and shipping may take longer than usual. As things develop, some may stop taking new orders or restrict their delivery zones (alas, Sahadi’s in Brooklyn). The list below includes stores that are still shipping nationwide as of this writing. Many cooking traditions share ingredients, and our eating — both at restaurants and at home — increasingly crosses borders. With that in mind, I’ve organized this pantry shopping list by flavor profile and ingredient type. It’s by no means comprehensive. Let’s get shopping: One-Stop Shops by Region Unfortunately, there are entire culinary regions that have been omitted from this list. Please let us know of any hot tips. Central America igourmet MexGrocer Zocalo Foods East Asia H Mart Yamibuy Gotham Grove The Japanese Pantry Kayanoya Nijiya Europe Despaña Gustiamo La Tienda Mercado Little Spain Portugalia Real Good Food Middle East igourmet New York Shuk Nouri Brothers Persian Basket Shatila (sweets) South Asian I Shop Indian igourmet Southeast Asian iourmet Pinoy Groceri Yamibuy Cheese Europe & North America Arrowine, Cowgirl Creamery, Despaña, La Tienda, Murray’s Cheese, and Zingerman’s offer a variety of cheeses from across Europe and North America. A few of these also offer subscriptions. If you’re splitting orders with friends or neighbors, you might also be interested in a big order from Zabar’s. Middle East & South Asia Murray’s Cheese sells feta. You can also try Persian Basket and igourmet for feta in olive oil and halloumi. igourmet is one of the few online retailers selling paneer. Condiments and Toppings Asia Soy sauce: Nijiya and H Mart for cooking, The Japanese Pantry for high quality, small batch soy sauce that you’ll want to use to finish dishes. Sriracha and sambal oelek: Yamibuy Yuzu kosho: The Milk Street Store, H Mart, and igourmet. Middle East Dukkah: New York Shuk Preserved lemons: Chelsea Market Baskets, Milk Street, New York Shuk (or make your own) Za’atar: Seed + Mill and New York Shuk Meat and Seafood Mediterranean Europe Anchovies: igourmet, La Tienda, Murray’s Cheese Cured meat: Whether you’re looking for speck, prosciutto, salami, chorizo, or ’nduja for snacking or dressing up a humble pot of beans, try La Tienda, Murray’s Cheese, and Olympia Provisions. Tinned fish: Portugalia specializes in Portuguese tinned fish, including sardines and cod. You’ll find excellent, if pricey, Spanish canned seafood from Despaña’s online store and from La Tienda. Food52 usually sells canned sardines from BELA and may restock soon. Murray’s Cheese and Real Good Food sell a small selection of sardines and PNW-sourced tinned seafood, like smoked oysters. Oils and Vinegars Multiple Regions Extra virgin olive oil: Pineapple Collaborative and Real Good Food have good “everyday” options. Other styles — at varying price points — are available at Brightland, Real Good Food, Milk Street or Italian and Spanish specialty stores like Gustiamo. East Asia Rice vinegar: The Japanese Pantry (artisanal) or Nijiya (larger production) Purple sweet potato vinegar: East Fork (shipping delays) Toasted sesame oil: The Japanese Pantry sells a range of artisan toasted sesame oils, and a little goes a long way. H Mart is a good bet for supermarket versions. Europe and North America Apple cider vinegar: For extra-delicious if spendy apple cider vinegar, try “The Apple Cider Vinegar” from Pineapple Collaborative or Katz Gravenstein Apple Cider Vinegar (also available through Real Good Food). Wine vinegar: There are many options for good salad and finishing wine vinegars, including Katz and Real Good Food. This is likely also an item you can order locally. Seasoning and Spices Caribbean The Spice House sells Jamaican allspice, jerk and cajun seasoning blends, and tamarind paste. East Asia Chili garlic paste: Yamibuy sells a few options. Dashi: For ingredients to make dashi (kombu, bonito flakes, and dried shiitake) as well as instant dashi, try H Mart, Nihon Ichiban, or Rakuten. The Japanese Pantry, Kayanoya, and Milk Street are also good for artisanal or small batch versions of these essentials. Dried fish: Try the Japanese and Korean markets listed above. Real Good Food sells dried shrimp sourced from Louisiana. Dried gochugaru and sansho peppers: Milk Street or igourmet Fermented black bean: The Mala Market and Yamibuy Fish sauce: Order from Red Boat directly, or try Son from Real Good Food. Gochujang: Yamibuy and H Mart for supermarket brands. Gotham Grove specializes in gourmet Korean ingredients, with a few pricier, artisanal options for gochujang and ssamjang. Miso and doenjang: Try the Japanese and Korean markets mentioned above or Milk Street. Gotham Grove also sells a small batch doenjang that is aged for three years. Oyster sauce: Yamibuy Sichuan pepper: The Mala Market specializes in Sichuan spices, including Sichuan peppercorns and other aromatic spices like star anise. Milk Street also sells Sichuan peppercorns. Yuzu kosho: Milk Street, H Mart, and igourmet Mediterranean Europe, Middle East, North Africa Burlap & Barrel is an excellent source for single origin spices and seasonings, including sumac, Urfa chili, saffron, and smoked paprika. igourmet, it should come as no surprise by now, is also a good source if you can’t find something. They carry Calabrian chilies. The Milk Street Store and The Spice House are also good bets for Middle Eastern, African, and Asian flavors. New York Shuk sells a variety of Middle Eastern and Sephardic seasonings and spices, including dukkah, harissa, ras el hanout, and hawaij. Central America and South America Burlap & Barrel is also good here for things like cumin and various types of chili. The Spice House has a Latin American spice section, including aji amarillo ground chile, ancho chile, guajillo, and chile de arbol. For whole dried chipotle and chipotle in adobo, also try MexGrocer, Zocalo Foods, igourmet, or Melissa’s. For tamarind, try The Spice House. South and Southeast Asia Burlap & Barrel, Diaspora Co., and Rumi Spice are all stand-outs for ethically sourced single origin spices commonly used in South Asian and Southeast Asian cooking, including turmeric, cardamom, cinnamon, and cumin. Milk Street and The Reluctant Trading Experiment are also worth checking. I Shop Indian and igourmet, once again, will fill any holes. The Mala Market focuses on Sichuan spices, but many of the aromatic spices like star anise are also used in South Asian and Southeast Asian cooking. The Spice House sells a variety of spices and harder-to-find ingredients like tamarind paste. If you’re looking for shortcuts: For Indian cooking, Brooklyn Delhi sells its sauces direct. Chilicali sells various bumbu for Indonesian flavors, including galangal and sambal. Other Pantry Items Multiple Regions Dried fruit: Bellaviva produces organic dried fruit from California’s Central Valley. New York City’s Russ & Daughters sells excellent dried fruit (the strawberries will ruin you forever). Central America Dried hibiscus: Burlap & Barrel, The Spice House, Alma Semillera East Asia Black sesame paste: The Japanese Pantry Europe and North America Capers and olives: Despaña, Gustiamo, La Tienda, Mercado Little Spain, Murray’s Cheese, igourmet, Real Good Food Seasonal Jams: Ayako & Family (Seattle) and Sqirl (Los Angeles) Middle East and North Africa Dates: Joolie’s ships its fresh Medjool dates nationwide. Date Syrup: Just Date Syrup Preserved lemons: Chelsea Market Baskets, Milk Street, New York Shuk Pomegranate molasses: Milk Street or Just Date Syrup Tahini: You can order direct from Seed + Mill or Soom (which is currently only selling in 6-jar cases, but no complaints there). Baking With all purpose and run-of-the-mill (literally!) bread flour becoming harder and harder to come by, you may want to branch out into heritage flours. Anson Mills freshly mills its cornmeal, grits, buckwheat, rye, oats, semolina, gluten free, and other specialty baking flours. Central Milling, Hayden Flour Mills, and Maine Grains are excellent sources for pastry flours, bread flours, spelt, buckwheat, rye, and other grains. Availability varies from day to day, but they seem to be updating their websites frequently. Geechie Boy Mill is great for grits, corn flour, and other southern American staples If you’re looking for masa to make your own tortillas, Masienda and Alma Semillera both specialize in heirloom corn varieties. Katie Okamoto is a Los Angeles–based writer and former editor at Metropolis, the New York–based design and architecture monthly. Find her work at katieokamoto.com and occasionally on Twitter and Instagram. Photocredits: Laptop: Tawatchai Prakobkit / EyeEm / Getty; Dates: Joolies; Jasmine rice / Hmart; Sumac: Burlap and Barrel; Minerva Sardines: Portugalia; Hondashi: Hmart; Gochujang: Amazon; Olives: Murrays’ Cheese; Chorizo: Tienda Vox Media has affiliate partnerships. These do not influence editorial content, though Vox Media may earn commissions for products purchased via affiliate links. For more information, see our ethics policy. from Eater - All https://ift.tt/2VMng7y

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