If you purchase an independently reviewed product or service through a link on our website, SheKnows may receive an affiliate commission.
As the autumn weather begins creeping in, we start craving cozy comfort for all our senses: soft sweaters, fall foliage, nostalgic tunes, pumpkin spice aromas, and hearty flavors. Who isn’t ready for a delicious banana cardamom muffin fresh from the oven on a crisp fall morning? Or a cumin-laden chili to warm our bellies on a chilly night? How about a Shabazi-sprinkled pasta dish, or a Isphahan-enhanced stew? Not familiar with those spices? No worries, you can easily give them a try thanks to a set of mini spices from La Boîte, the high-quality spice brand with which the Martha Stewart collaborates on her exclusive spice offerings.
Started by Chef Lior Lev Sercarz in 2006 after he worked with chef Daniel Boulud, La Boîte is a French biscuit and spice shop in New York City. Sercarz was inspired by spices he discovered while traveling around the world learning about new cuisines, so he created his own blends and began experimenting with the use of spices. Though delightful in his biscuits, the blends can also be used in many preparations, offering endless possibilities for savory dishes, creative desserts, and unique cocktails.
This special mini spice collection
includes five, 1-ounce jars of some of La Boite’s famous blends. Isphahan N.1, Mishmish N.33, Shabazi N.38, Ararat N.35, Moruno N.21. To create the blends, Sercarz uses the best spices from around the world to obtain fresh, aromatic, and powerful flavors. Each of them is a reflection of a place, a moment, or cultural influence, and this set is a great introduction to the mastery of La Boîte’s spice blends.
La Boîte Mini Spices Set
“Such an interesting array of spice mixes,” raves one shopper on Amazon of this mini spice set. “Love them all; great introduction to the spices of the Middle East (the true Orient).” The shopper also notes that because the blend’s “high quality and great potency” you don’t need to use much to experience the flavor. Plus, she loves the small size so she can “use them before they go stale.” Yes! We hate when we have to throw out practically full container of a special spice we bought for one recipe and never used again.
So, what are these interesting master blends? Here’s a cheat sheet from La Boîte:
ISPHAHAN: A musky, smoky, sour, and bitter Persian-inspired blend with a citrus aroma that enhances soups, stews, rice, broths, and pickles.
MISHMISH: Crystallized honey is added for sweetness, add it to yogurt for breakfast, sprinkle it over fresh fruit, or use it to rim a margarita glass.
SHABAZIi: Capturing the essence of zhoug, a spicy paste made with cilantro, green chiles, and lemon juice that is the classic Yemenite hot sauce, Shabazi N.38 transforms a labor-intensive condiment into a simple powder, easy to sprinkle into pasta sauce, on scrambled eggs, or on mojitos.
ARARAT: Blending fenugreek leaves and seeds with pimentón and chocolatey Urfa chile, mimics the smokiness of bastirma. Use to elevate fish, chicken, or even a Bloody Mary.
MORUNO: In the traditional pintxo moruno, a mix of cumin and saffron is used to flavor meats, fish and sausages, but when this blend is added to grilled vegetables, it carries a similar flavor profile. Wedges of fennel sprinkled and braised with Moruno N.21 is particularly good.
As another Amazon shopper notes, this set of five is “a perfect spice mix for grilled chicken, potatoes and fish. Excited to explore other combinations!”
So are we. Fall meals just got a lot more interesting!
Source: Read Full Article