May
15
Our Spring Limited Edition Teas are available through the end of May, so now is a great time to stock up! And I don’t just mean adding a few extra pouches of your favorite tea to your order… I’m talking about making a stock from your favorite tea! And what’s better way to use that stock than to braise?!
While most of us tend to put cooking techniques such as roasting or braising on the back burner (so to speak) during the spring and summer months, braising can actually serve you well throughout the whole year. All you need for spring and summer braising is a lighter-bodied braising liquid. During the summer, I switch out my wine and tomato sauce for tea. That’s right… a fruity or herbal based aromatic tea.
I often recommend TSTE® Carrot Cupcake Tea to make a light and aromatic braise for chicken. But why stop there? Why not braise some spring vegetables, or even fruits in any of our Spring Limited Edition Teas? The Spice & Tea Exchange’s® Limited Edition Teas are a perfect ingredient for this springtime cooking method.
Read the rest of this entry »
April
12
I’m certain I’ll be needing a few drinks this weekend. First, a calming cup of tea as I pour through forms and files. But once I’m done, I know I’ll be ready to celebrate, and there’s nothing better than taking that already-brewed cup of tea and transforming it into a pleasing cocktail.
While I’m finishing up my taxes a calming cup of green tea, like The Spice & Tea Exchange Mountain Jasmine or Mystic Dragon will hit the spot. But once those taxes are filed, you can be confident I’ll be taking the tea and using it to flavor my post-filing cocktail! Any green, rooibos or herbal tea can work here. Don’t be afraid to experiment!
Read the rest of this entry »
April
4
When one of our guests received a grinder bottle of Parfume de Sel for her birthday, and was uncertain how to use it, she inquired, through the Ask Chef Donna portal: “I just love the smell and taste of it. What pairing suggestions do you have?” I was happy for the question, since I too was once uncertain about how to use such a richly perfumed salt!
Read the rest of this entry »
April
2
I always have an abundance of food on Easter. It’s the only day of the year I know I can’t find a market open, and most convenience stores don’t carry the missing odd ingredients that I’m likely to need at the last minute. So I stock up and count on my freezer to neatly hold my leftovers until I’m ready to transform them into another meal. And though April is a pretty quiet month around here, May is bustling with activity – a lot of gatherings that include food. So, my Easter ham gets all packaged up and in a few weeks it will begin to reappear. I make a Ham-stuffed Bread, which is perfect at cocktails, brunch or along-side a hearty dinner salad. Seasoned with TSTE™ Tomato Tarragon Blend, the bread is fragrant, delicious, and better still? It’s easy.
Read the rest of this entry »
March
27
It’s not often someone can convincingly say making bread at home is easy! Especially when you’re talking about a hearty and somewhat rustic French bread, known as a boule. Rich in whole wheat, nut meal and flax seed, this yeast bread is easily made and, I’d even go as far to say foolproof! The boule can be made ahead of the Easter holiday and kept in a cool spot or even frozen. Or, for that warm just-from-the-oven treat, start the bread
in the morning and by the time you’re sitting down for dinner, your bread will be cool enough to slice.
Read the rest of this entry »
March
25
Whether you choose lamb or ham for Easter supper, you’re going to dedicate some serious oven-time to your meal if you’re the one doing the cooking. Still, there’s no reason you need to spend a lot of time on the meal, especially if it’s a leg of lamb that’s the centerpiece of your meal. The Spice & Tea Exchange® Lamb Seasoning is the way to start. Or finish. (For ideas on how to perfect your ham, check out our previous blogpost here. )
Read the rest of this entry »
February
13
Looking for a way to spice up your Valentine’s Day? This easy recipe just might do the trick! It’s a nice alternative to a big-night-out-kind-of-meal, but still lets you enjoy that glass of red wine with your loved one (not to mention it also has bacon in it!). TSTE™ Spiced Caramel Corn gets its kicked up flavor from our new World Festival Blend.
Read the rest of this entry »
February
7
When a group of us here at TSTE™ got together intending to create an all-purpose seasoning that would raise the red-wine-affinity of just about any food, we had no
idea what we were on to. TSTE™ World Festival Blend turned out to be a sensory delight, from its bright, jewel-toned look, to its heady aromatic profile. But most of all, in test after test after test, this blend does exactly what we intended it to do! Sprinkle TSTE™ World Festival Blend on anything either before or after cooking, or mix into sauces, stews, braises to heighten the flavors and aromas. It’s that simple.
Read the rest of this entry »
February
1
Bacon, the ultimate man-food, especially when it’s tailgatin’ food. For the Big Game it’s no different, except we do it one better. And for our home-team TSTE™ stores, Annapolis and San Francisco, they’ve pulled out their best bacon recipes. Both the Candied Bacon and Chicken-Fried Cajun Bacon recipes are excellent nosh-on-these kind of dishes, not to mention they’re both versatile. Go ahead and make up a batch or two of each. Toss the candied bacon in with some nuts or caramel corn; the Cajun bacon is fantastic as a topping to Mac ‘n Cheese, or tossed into that big hearty salad.
Read the rest of this entry »
February
1
Nothing says love like the way a home crowd gets behind their team, especially when that team is going all the way to the BIG game! TSTE™ San Francisco is sporting some delicious recipes this week (click here for their Chicken Fried Cajun Sausage Balls and Cream Gravy), and TSTE™ Annapolis (follow on Facebook here) is throwing out a nod to its neighboring city, Baltimore with their Garlic Poached Crab. Classic flavors tossed with linguine and vegetables, this is the perfect half time dish to serve up after all those spicy wings. We add a bit of adoro, or love, just to spice things up a bit!
Read the rest of this entry »
January
30
Leave it to the Host City to really make a big game day memorable! New Orleans is be-decked and ready to welcome fans from all over the country and our own TSTE™ New Orleans store located in the French Quarter is about to throw one of the best parties in town! Stop in and say hello, and be greeted with a tasty little beverage we call the Super Fan! One taste and you’ll be asking for more, so our great
little NOLA store owner, Robin, is sharing her recipe. But jump on this today! You’ll need a few days to let all that delicious Blood Orange Smoothie Tea taste infuse your vodka!
Read the rest of this entry »
January
29
It’s the time of year we’re all fans. The day that one BIG game defines everything from what we wear to what we eat. Here at The Spice & Tea Exchange, with stores in San Francisco, Annapolis, and New Orleans, no matter who you’re rooting for (or where you’re watching the game) we’ve got you covered. We’ve got a
whole lotta recipes and ideas straight from the home-teams and the host city, and a bunch of tips and tricks to help you get your game on! Everything is easy to make and it’s all SUPER-delicious for that one Sunday and that big game.
Read the rest of this entry »
January
25
SPQR: Modern Italian Food and Wine
by Shelley Lindgren and Matthew Accarrino with Kate Leahy
photos by Sara Remington
Facts: Ten Speed Press, 304 pages, $35.00 (or Amazon at $23.10)
Photos: 180 plus maps
Recipes: 79
Give To: Italian food and travel enthusiasts; anyone interested in culinary and Roman history.
Stock up on: Classic seasonings: Sea Salts such as Brazilian Atlantic, La Baleine French Sea Salt, and finishing salts such as Cyprus Flake, Murray River, and Fleur de Sel. For the Fluke Crudo recipe that follows, Lime Frost Sea Salt is a must! Peppercorns to season, including Black, Green, and White. Classic pantry seasoning and spice staples like clove, nutmeg, allspice, cinnamon, and herbs such as thyme, sage, basil, and rosemary, etc.
Working the Pantry: Traveling the historic roads of Italy requires a traditional pantry. Then, again, giving that tradition the modern flair San Francisco is known for requires
a touch of the avant-garde. To satisfy both, stock up on blends that are rooted in traditional flavor profiles such as Italian Street Fair, Florida Sunshine and Pirate’s Bite for seasoning; experiment with blends and rubs, such as Chef Donna’s Adoro Blend, Tuscany Blend, and Vik’s Garlic Fix. Then, stretch your curiosity with things like Chef’s Choice Steak rub, or the interesting flavors of Espresso Steak rub and Butcher’s rub. Naturally, TSTE™ Extra Virgin Olive Oil and the four olive oil blends (Mushroom Paradise, Tomato Tarragon, Tuscany Blend, and Gourment Pepper) are a must!
Read the rest of this entry »
January
24
Along with being National Hot Tea month (don’t forget to enter our great giveaway), January seems to be perfect for Comfort Food — you know, that rich, hearty, deeply satisfying kind of meal that warms you through and through. Welcoming comfort food season to your kitchen means opening the door to almost endless possibilities. That’s the best thing about comfort food: it’s as different as the people you are cooking for. Take this bean recipe, for example. More of a chili
or bean stew than a side dish, this comfort food classic is a fave of a good friend – who is Greek!
Read the rest of this entry »
January
22
If you’re a fan of the monthly TSTE™ Newsletter, then no doubt you took to heart the invitation to discover a new favorite tea, this being National Hot Tea month and all. Our Newsletter and Social Media Editor extraordinaire suggests trying Coconut Oolong among a few others. I’ve long enjoyed the delicate coconut infusion with the fresh floral notes coming from the Bao Zhong oolong tea. It’s the perfect brew on those bright and sunny but still frigidly cold winter days! I’ve managed to find a few ways to wrap that delicious flavor into my cooking, and after a hearty comfort-food kind of meal, my Coconut Oolong Tea Ice Cream was the perfect light finish to the day. TSTE™ first introduced this recipe when the days were warm and iced tea was on our minds. But really, who doesn’t like ice cream regardless of the season?
Read the rest of this entry »
