http://www.spicelines.com/ en Copyright 2012 Fri, 03 Feb 2012 14:43:14 -0800 http://www.sixapart.com/movabletype/ http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss A handira, or traditional Moroccan wedding blanket, spangled with hundreds of silver sequins, is said to protect the wearer from the evil eye. Don't we all need a little good luck? Happy Friday! All this week I’ve been packing and shipping books for the lucky winners of the SpiceLines’ Cookbook Giveaway. I’ve commandeered more boxes, mangled more brown wrapping paper, and stuck my fingers with more mailing tape than you can imagine. I just hope I’ve sent the right books to the right addresses. (Down with the flu, you see.) Then yesterday, a big box arrived—for me! I knew what was inside, but still I opened it with trepidation. I can’t tell you how my heart leapt when a magnificent Moroccan wedding blanket, festooned with fluffy fringe and sparkly silver sequins, emerged from layers of brown tissue paper. ]]> http://www.spicelines.com/2012/02/happy_friday_a_moroccan_weddin.htm http://www.spicelines.com/2012/02/happy_friday_a_moroccan_weddin.htm evil eye handira Moroccan wedding blanket Fri, 03 Feb 2012 14:43:14 -0800 “Cinnamon might have reminded you of your grandmother’s apron," says the narrator of Perfect Sense, a new movie about the end of the world. "Without smell an ocean of images disappears.” From a review by Richard Corliss. In “Till the Last Doughnut and Drumstick” (The New York Times, February 1, 2012, pp. D1 and D3), Pete Wells reveals the secret of Federal Donuts’ fabulous flavors: Spice blends by Lior Lev Sercarz of La Boite a Epice. Hot fried doughnuts “are sprinkled with sugar and a little sea salt mixed with one of Mr. Lev Sercarz’s blends, like lavender with powdered vanilla or cocoa with orange blossoms.” All the doughnuts are made from batter seasoned with another mixture that tastes like “a Turkish pumpkin pie spice,” says chef Michael Solomonov. The only other item on the Philadelphia restaurant's menu is fried chicken. This too gets the Lev Sercarz treatment with a whisper of dry harissa, a spicy North African blend, or za’atar, a mix of a thyme-like herb, sumac and sesame seeds. You can read more about the unique blends from La Boite a Epice in an interview with Lior Lev Sercarz right here on SpiceLines. What would happen if everyone suddenly lost their sense of smell? A roundup of new "food-happy" movies from Tasting Table includes Perfect Sense, the apocalyptic tale of a chef (Ewan McGregor) and a scientist (Eva Green) who fall in love as a pandemic sweeps the world, robbing victims of their ability to smell and then all the other senses. Smell is, of course, the key to taste. Without taste, there is no flavor, no memory, ultimately no life--which may be why some afflicted characters in the movie resort to eating lipstick and flowers. Though Perfect Sense might sound like another mass market disaster epic, Time Magazine reviewer Richard Corliss praises the “intense intimacy” of this “art house” film which “takes its cue from Albert Camus’ The Plague, concentrating on the victims, their panic or resilience, stabs of violence or passive acceptance.” Winner of the Edinburgh Film Festival’s prize for Best New British Feature. ]]> http://www.spicelines.com/2012/02/spice_news_a_doughnut_chefs_secret_spice_weapon_losing_the_sense_of_smell.htm http://www.spicelines.com/2012/02/spice_news_a_doughnut_chefs_secret_spice_weapon_losing_the_sense_of_smell.htm Federal Donuts La Boite a Epices Lior Lev Sercarz Perfect Sense Wed, 01 Feb 2012 14:21:00 -0800 2012 Cookbook Giveaway is without question the most exciting yet. My inbox is overflowing with your requests—and I am thrilled! Thanks to all of you who wrote in asking for one of these great books. Cheryl Tan’s A Tiger in the Kitchen was the book most of you wanted—no surprise since this often hilarious Singapore/New York memoir is a great read and she included the tasty recipes her extended family taught her to make. (Personally I can't wait for Tan's next culinary endeavor.) Sonya was the lucky winner. But the runner-up was a surprise, at least to me: Sandeep Chatterjee’s The Spice Trail: One Hundred Hot Dishes from India to Indonesia, proof, it seems, of our boundless appetite for spicy food. Mireille, a personal chef, was first to claim this curry compendium. She also has a lively blog currently featuring paneer recipes. There are only two books left: Fashion designer Rebecca Moses' A Life of Style is charming and fun—I hope one of you decides to take the plunge. The illustrations are divine and it is just the sort of book that will brighten a dreary winter day. Curl up under a blanket on your most comfy sofa with a cup of violet-scented tea and dive in! Danyelle Freeman’s Try This: Traveling the Globe Without Leaving the Table is a good way to pass the time whilst incarcerated on a plane, especially if you’re stuck on the runway. I picked it up in an airport and spent a few hours discovering all sorts of things I didn’t know, such as why biscotti are long and thin, or exactly how late you should arrive for a meal in Mexico. Send an email to spicelinesatgmaildotcom if you’d like either of these two books. Be sure to include your mailing address. I’ll keep the giveaway open until the end of this week. ]]> http://www.spicelines.com/2012/01/spicelines_4th_annual_cookbook.htm http://www.spicelines.com/2012/01/spicelines_4th_annual_cookbook.htm Tue, 31 Jan 2012 07:52:42 -0800 A baker's dozen: The 13 delectable books in SpiceLines annual giveaway span the globe, from Paris to India, Morocco to New Mexico. And for the first time, there are Moleskines and notebooks for recipe storage. At last! This is my favorite day of the entire year: SpiceLines annual book giveaway. For 2012 there are some particularly tasty offerings. Most but not all are cookbooks. There’s also a stellar foodie biography, a Paris guide, and a charmingly illustrated style book by a well-known fashion designer. Not to mention a couple of Moleskines, which, most grievously, are too organized for me to use. But they might be exactly what you’ve been longing for. My gift? Shelf space for all those cookbooks I got for Christmas, and the chance to hear from you. Here’s how it works: Send your first and second choices, along with your mailing address, to spicelinesatgmaildotcom. If you’re first to request a particular book, I’ll let you know by return email and send it to you by media mail. Practically effortless. But don’t delay: Most books are snapped up right away. I’m unplugging for a week, so you won’t hear from me till next weekend. In the meantime, enjoy! ]]> http://www.spicelines.com/2012/01/spicelines_4th_annual_book_giv.htm http://www.spicelines.com/2012/01/spicelines_4th_annual_book_giv.htm cookbook giveaway Sun, 22 Jan 2012 09:50:51 -0800 Another way to make the most of winter: Taking a pause with a cup of violet tea, a few raspberries and a good book. The Annual Cookbook Giveaway is just around the corner. It’s the golden hour. Four o’clock and the afternoon winter sun streams through the library windows. As its pale light glances off the walls, it turns warm and luminous, gilding the room with a dazzling hue. It’s time for la pause. Time to curl up on the sofa with a good book and, today, a cup of violet-scented tea. Its old-fashioned perfume evokes the memory of a palace hotel in Lisbon, where the scent of the flower hung faintly in air, as if a marquesa had just turned the corner, trailing violets in her wake. This is the kind of sensory escape I adore when taking a break from all things digital, including, I must confess, a foray into the odiously addictive Twitter. And since this is la pause gourmande, there are raspberries to eat. Why? A ripe raspberry tastes, quite simply, of the flower. This “violet-like note,” says Harold McGee in On Food and Cooking, comes “from caretenoid fragments called ionones.” More than you want to know, I imagine. The flavor echoes are heavenly, though. If the raspberries aren’t sweet enough, a sprinkle of powdered sugar will balance the acidity. In a few days, SpiceLines will launch the 4th Annual Cookbook Giveaway. (Here's a look at last year's contest.) There are some delicious books coming your way. Another treat for making the most of winter. Keep watching. It’s coming soon! ]]> http://www.spicelines.com/2012/01/january_pause_in_the_library_v.htm http://www.spicelines.com/2012/01/january_pause_in_the_library_v.htm la pause raspberries Spicelines Annual Cookbook Giveaway violet tea Wed, 18 Jan 2012 18:04:13 -0800 Winter pleasures: A crackling fire, a green and white azalea, and daydreams of nothing much at all. When you're hungry, there's a savory vegetable tagine simmering in the kitchen. How do you make the most of winter? Oh, I know: It’s tempting to defy it. To head south where turquoise water laps white sand beaches. To fill grey rooms with pots of riotous tulips and hyacinths. To wear bright colors as a talisman against the darkness. But, we could make the most of winter. This is the season for stillness. For silence after the delirious cacophony of the holidays. For stepping deliberately off the merry go round. For slowing down so we can see more clearly. For unplugging so we can dream our own dreams. No chattering, no glowing screens, no distractions. Philippe Starck, the prolific cutting edge designer, told Pico Iyer how he stays ahead of the curve. “’I never read any magazines or watch TV,’ he said....‘Nor do I go to cocktail parties, dinners or anything like that.’ He lived outside conventional ideas," Iyer wrote, "because ‘I live alone mostly, in the middle of nowhere.’” (See “The Joy of Quiet,” The New York Tiimes, January 1, 2012) So let’s take a moment to embrace the stillness of this cold, goose-pimpled season. Right now I'm nestling… ]]> http://www.spicelines.com/2012/01/making_the_most_of_winter_fire.htm http://www.spicelines.com/2012/01/making_the_most_of_winter_fire.htm fire-roasted peppers preserved lemons tagine winter Sun, 15 Jan 2012 15:08:17 -0800 Pears poached in red wine with black pepper, cinnamon, star anise and other spices can satisfy dessert cravings when you're on the austerity diet. Sort of.... OK, I admit it. The austerity diet of 2012 is fully operational—and I hate it. Farewell to the creamy pots au chocolat, crisp and buttery gingersnaps, rich lemon tarts, and the late, lamented New Orleans pecan cakes saturated with 5,000 calories worth of sugar-shock-inducing toffee sauce. Now it’s about oatmeal cooked in water, quinoa and swiss chard for lunch, longing glances at the banks of Scharffenberger chocolate at the grocery store. And no dessert to reward the virtuous eater. That’s where fruit comes in. Not, sadly, spiced apples oozing butter, brown sugar and chopped walnuts, but fresh apples, clementines and pears. Especially pears. Winter is the season for pears. I love slicing a ripe Comice and spreading its sweet, silken flesh with tangy goat cheese. And the Concorde, a British cross between the Comice and Conference pears, has the Comice’s succulence and the Conference’s elongated neck. Excellent with a handful of toasted walnuts. But when I can’t stand the austerity any longer and visions of chocolate bars bombard my crumbling willpower, I divert and make poached pears for dessert. ]]> http://www.spicelines.com/2012/01/something_sweet_pears_poached_in_red_and_white_wine_with_black_peppercorns_cinnamon_and_rosemary.htm http://www.spicelines.com/2012/01/something_sweet_pears_poached_in_red_and_white_wine_with_black_peppercorns_cinnamon_and_rosemary.htm cinnamon fennel ginger pears pepper poached pears rosemary spices star anise Wed, 11 Jan 2012 12:23:09 -0800 How real are nutmeg's hallucinogenic properties? Here nutmeg fruit, freshly plucked from the tree, opens to reveal scarlet mace covering the nut's shiny brown shell. When dried, mace becomes pale orange. “Stock up on nutmeg,” said Kathryn as she handed me a neatly folded clipping. “The price is about to go up.” In “My Nutmeg Bender” (The Atlantic Monthly, January-February, 2012, p. 31), writer Wayne Curtis says that nutmeg is “enjoying something of a revival in the craft cocktail world.” But the spice’s affinity for punches and eggnogs may not be the only reason that savvy bartenders have added nutmeg graters to their arsenal of cocktail tools. Curtis’s research into nutmeg revealed that it has a “psychoactive element called myristicin, whose chemical structure shares similarities with mescalin, amphetamine and ecstasy.” In other words, ingesting the spice is another way to get high. This is not exactly a new discovery. As far back in the 12th century, a Benedictine abbess named Hildegard of Bingen wrote about nutmeg’s "mind-altering effects." (In Physica, she gave a recipe for spice cookies containing nutmeg, cinnamon and cloves and said that eating them often "will make your spirit happy.") But really, how potent is nutmeg? To find out, Curtis ate 1-1/2 tablespoons of the grated spice.... ]]> http://www.spicelines.com/2012/01/spice_news_is_nutmeg_a_halluci.htm http://www.spicelines.com/2012/01/spice_news_is_nutmeg_a_halluci.htm cinnamon hallucinogen McCormick nutmeg pepper spice Sun, 08 Jan 2012 11:01:40 -0800 New Year's resolutions are easier over a cup of detox tea from Morocco. Made of nine mostly familiar herbs like lemon verbena and mint, it's a delicious way to soothe the ravages of the holiday season--and it's simple to make at home. No more laundry lists. You know: Twenty-seven (or more) resolutions that you absolutely must keep in 2012. A giant, overarching to-do list with impossible ambition written into every word. I blush when I look back at some of my old lists. All well-intentioned, but forgotten by, oh, February. And how about the sense of disbelief when you run across them in the fall? Did I really intend to do that? Seriously? So this year I’m keeping it simple. Yes, I must get back to yoga class, cut down on the bourbon, and lose enough weight to zip that one-size-too-small Chloe chiffon skirt (just had to have it) all the way up. But my real resolutions are different. Here are the five that I absolutely positively will keep in 2012. ]]> http://www.spicelines.com/2012/01/a_cup_of_moroccan_detox_tea_and_5_simple_resolutions_for_2012.htm http://www.spicelines.com/2012/01/a_cup_of_moroccan_detox_tea_and_5_simple_resolutions_for_2012.htm Wed, 04 Jan 2012 17:44:10 -0800 In Asia mandarin oranges symbolizing good fortune and abundance are often presented as New Year’s gifts to family and friends. The sweet juice is delicious with champagne. In China and much of Asia, the mandarin orange is a popular New Year’s symbol of good fortune and abundance. Like the golden orb of the sun, this radiant fruit, often bestowed on loved ones, evokes the dawning of a new day. Old ills and travails are left behind as bright hopes are launched for the future. In the ancient Teochew dialect, the fruit is called gik, which resembles the word for “luck” or “fortune”. It’s said that in Malaysia and Singapore, unmarried women write their phone numbers on the skin of the oranges and toss them into a river or lake. Single men pluck the fruit from the water and eat it—but bad fortune awaits the man who bites into a sour mandarin. Chinese New Year celebrations won’t begin for a couple of weeks, but around here, as the battered old year limps to a close, we’ll be greeting 2012 with a glass of bubbly poured over the luscious juice of mandarin oranges. May the coming days be filled with sweetness and joy, and may your dearest wishes come true. ]]> http://www.spicelines.com/2011/12/happy_new_year_a_bowl_of_manda.htm http://www.spicelines.com/2011/12/happy_new_year_a_bowl_of_manda.htm champagne Happy New Year mandarin oranges Sat, 31 Dec 2011 10:44:37 -0800 No matter how far and how widely we roam, home is where I want to be on this the most magical night of the year. Because home is where the heart is, especially when the chicks return to the roost. Tonight we’ll sip a cup or three of old-fashioned bourbon-vanilla eggnog and unwrap a single gift, then set the lights to twinkle all night long so that good karma will visit in the wee hours. Just in case, there’ll be a plate of gingersnaps by the fireside for good St. Nick. Or maybe on the table so the pup won’t get there first. After midnight you’ll find me in kitchen, making pots au chocolat for our holiday feast. On the 25th we’ll light the fire even if it is 55 degrees outside and listen to Andre Rieu’s “Christmas Medley” and all B’s other favorites of the season. The wrapping paper will pile up in the library like banks of snow, the aroma of herb-crusted tenderloin slow-roasting in the oven will drift through the house, and as the sun goes down, we’ll light the candles and join hands in gratitude for the deep domestic joy of being together on Christmas Day. Wherever you are, at home or away, in Paris, Istanbul or Buenos Aires, in London or Lisbon, in Mumbai, Mendoza, San Antonio or Singapore, we wish you the most joyous of holidays and a 2012 filled with miracles. ]]> http://www.spicelines.com/2011/12/home_for_the_holidays_a_merry.htm http://www.spicelines.com/2011/12/home_for_the_holidays_a_merry.htm Christmas egg nog gingersnaps holiday Sat, 24 Dec 2011 11:57:30 -0800 A holiday pause: Girl talk and a glass of Vosges La Parisienne cocoa infused with Madagascar vanilla. Heard on the street: “So that’s how much my mother makes!” (Aggrieved tone of voice.) “So why does she always buy my Christmas present on the street or in Chinatown?” (Fury rising.) “I swear, if I get another crummy scarf or hat this year….” The couple, one red-faced and sputtering, swept by me. I couldn’t hear her companion’s reply. Yes, it’s the most wonderful time of year. Jostling crowds, screechy holiday music, impossible decisions to make. The Istanbul Grand Bazaar limited edition ($500) or a decoupaged plate of an iridescent blue beetle ($88, but strange)? Neither one is exactly right, of course. Time to breathe. Wander into your favorite café and order a tall glass of very dark, divinely rich hot chocolate. No whipped cream. Drinking the hot stuff from a glass makes it special enough. Share la pause with a good friend. There’s plenty to gossip about. Men for one thing. That’s always a compelling topic... ]]> http://www.spicelines.com/2011/12/decembers_pause_gossip_and_a_t.htm http://www.spicelines.com/2011/12/decembers_pause_gossip_and_a_t.htm Sun, 18 Dec 2011 08:57:00 -0800 For the pepper addict: At Epices Roellinger in Paris, dried red peppercorns from Cambodia are sweetly spicy. Notes of caramel, vanilla and honey make Poivre Kampot Rouge the ideal dessert pepper for adding heat to chocolate mousse and apple tart. Tis the season to be jolly—even if pervasively Scroogish attitudes are doing their best to dampen our merriment. So let’s buck the gloomy trends. Here are a host of imaginative holiday gifts to make the spirits soar. You may even rekindle that giddy sensation of wonder and excitement felt when, as children, we knew that a beribboned gift was a harbinger of all things magical and delightful. This list will not include such dreary novelties as the Achoo Peppermill, a giant snuffling nose (instant re-gift) or mundane necessities such as a handy-dandy expandable wooden trivet (yawn). Really, do you know anyone who would be gaga over a set of Animal Butt refrigerator magnets, except perhaps the 9-year old boy in your life? Luckily, this is an excellent year for the spice-obsessed. As you might know I myself am mildly fixated on Olivier Roellinger’s Paris spice shop. If there’s a pepper addict in your life, especially one who gets a pleasurable frisson from nuances of aroma and flavor... ]]> http://www.spicelines.com/2011/12/holiday_gifts_for_the_spice-ob.htm http://www.spicelines.com/2011/12/holiday_gifts_for_the_spice-ob.htm couscoussiere granola Holiday gifts peppercorns shopping spices vanilla Fri, 09 Dec 2011 07:50:00 -0800 Dear Santa: All I want for Christmas is this set of rustic chic table and chairs. They'll be just perfect in the woods behind our house. Of course the crystal chandelier is also a must...did I mention that you'll be shopping in Paris? Santa Baby, You’ll be so relieved. My list is short this year. Just one or two teensy-weensy items. Oh, did I mention that you'll be stopping in Paris? (Do I hear gnashing of teeth? Really?) Well here goes: Maybe, just maybe, on the 24th you could set your GPS for Merci, the uber-cool Marais boutique on Boulevard Beaumarchais where I found those exquisitely biodegradable Wasara plates and bowls this fall. (It’s all in a good cause since every cent of the profits goes to help women and children in Madagascar—and of course you’ll be making moi deliriously happy.) Just zoom up to the second floor, where hopefully there’ll be a crate with my name on it. Oh it’s nothing much, just a one-of-a-kind table—a freeform slice of a massive tree trunk balanced on three legs fashioned from a single branch. And please don’t forget the matching chairs: Each is a gnarled tree with a wedge cut out for the back and seat. I especially love the groovy bark. It’s the last word in rustic chic, especially with that crystal chandelier dangling overhead. (Santa darling, I think you’d better wrap that up too.) Surely you’ll have room in the back of your sleigh…. When you get here, please drop it off—oh so gently—in the woods behind our house. In my fantasy life, I’ll be dining in the snow this winter, chandelier glittering under the stars, sharing something spicy—maybe lamb shanks braised with cinnamon, ginger and dried apricots—with my nearest and dearest. We’ll bundle up in colorful blankets—the pup will wear her plaid vest—and keep warm with glasses of hot the a la menthe. ]]> http://www.spicelines.com/2011/12/dear_santa_about_the_rustic_ta.htm http://www.spicelines.com/2011/12/dear_santa_about_the_rustic_ta.htm Christmas list Merci Paris Santa shopping Sun, 04 Dec 2011 10:22:55 -0800 For anyone who has a sweet tooth, this sultry DIY dessert syrup is a perfect gift. Based on the vanilla bean-rum syrup poured over the baba au rhum at a Paris bistro, it can also be drizzled over poundcake and vanilla ice cream, or mixed into holiday cocktails. The house across the street is festooned with red wreathes hanging in the front windows. A giant inflatable snowman appeared—and then mysteriously disappeared—on the lawn nearby. Çhez nous the lighted grapevine balls didn’t exactly go down this year, so I can truthfully say they’re up and twinkling brightly. Glittering reindeer are prancing through the woods, and soon the apple arbor will be aglow. The holidays are upon us, and with them shopping lists that seem to grow longer by the moment. So I’ve been thinking about DIY gifts, which is why I spent Sunday afternoon in the kitchen making a luscious treat that I discovered in Paris: Madagascar Vanilla Bean-Rum Syrup. It will thrill anyone who loves dessert. Isn’t that everyone? Maybe it has to do with the bistro revival, but I don’t remember ever seeing so many Paris menus on which the traditional baba au rhum was front and center. At Bistro et Terroir, tables of 20-somethings topped off plates of giant pork ribs with hefty conical babas liberally doused with sirop du rhum. The bottle was left on the table alongside a bowl of whipped Chantilly cream so they could help themselves—repeatedly. At Astier, the garcon was less generous—he poured the syrup, then whisked the bottle away—but the babas were just as big. But what exactly is a baba? ]]> http://www.spicelines.com/2011/11/diy_holiday_for_dessert_lovers.htm http://www.spicelines.com/2011/11/diy_holiday_for_dessert_lovers.htm baba au rhum DIY gift holiday Madagascar vanilla rum vanilla vanilla bean Wed, 30 Nov 2011 09:48:38 -0800