NEWSLETTER: Summer 2004
- The latest on Spice Appreciation Classes
- Updated list of Spice Kits
- Should you keep spices in the Freezer
- What's New - Shichimi Togarashi
- The perfect seasoned barbecued steak
- Spice doesn't mean necessarily mean heat!
- Masaman Curry
The latest on Spice Appreciation Classes
After more than six years of trading, our Spice Appreciation Classes continue to be in great demand, and we have been sorry to have to turn people away from fully booked classes. As our classes for 2003 have been fully booked for some months, we are pleased to tell you that the timetable for next year has now been confirmed, and is available on the website, or from the shop. The cost of the Spice Appreciation Classes will stay at $49.00 including GST.
Since we moved the factory and office to the new premises, we have converted the old manufacturing area into a classroom. Now we can fit more people into each class, and we are not restricted to running classes out of shop trading hours. This brings us to the happy news that there will be more Saturday classes in 2004.
Those of you who are regulars in our shop will have probably met Jacqui, who has been with us since 1999. Having studied oriental cooking previously, her work with us is juggled around her two children in primary school and a Commercial Cookery course, so her understanding of food, spices and young families is comprehensive! As a working mum, Jacqui has found spices a valuable way to bring flavour and variety to very simple cooking methods, for both the family and entertaining. In 2004, Jacqui will run some daytime classes for us focusing on spices in family cooking … things that are tasty, interesting and enjoyable for kids and adults alike. These hour-long classes will be run during school hours and cost $30.00 including GST.
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Updated list of Spice Kits
With your newsletter we are including the updated list of Spice Kits, which are so popular as Christmas gifts. We can include gift cards with your order if you want to have it sent directly to the recipient,
and can send to anywhere in the world. Remember that Australia Post, although mostly very reliable, is working under extreme pressure in December, so put your order in early to be sure it arrives in time. The kits are extremely good value, as the cost of some spices has risen in recent months, but we have committed to keeping the price at $27.50 (excluding Herbie’s Favourites and simply the best) until after Christmas.
- Aphrodisiac
- Asian
- Bar-B-Que
- Festive Flavours
- Fish in the Dish
- Fledgling
- French Provincial
- Herbie's Favourites
- Indian Summer
- Kids in the Kitchen
- Moroccan
- Quick & Tasty
- Sea Foodie
- Seriously Chilli
- Simply the Best
- True Blue Aussie
- Vegetarian
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People often ask us about keeping spices in the freezer. Generally we wouldn’t bother, but if you have a packet of ground spice that you bought to make one recipe, and that pack is going to last you for the term of your natural life, then go ahead and pop it into the freezer. The main thing to remember is that if you take it out of the freezer half an hour before you use it, moisture will gather on the pack and might transfer to the spice when you open the pack. So use it directly from the freezer (it doesn’t need to thaw first), and put it straight back. For normal use, just keep them in a dark, cool, dry cupboard and they will be fine.
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What’s new at Herbie’s? Our new spice blends are usually a result of requests from customers, and such is the case with the new Shichimi Togarashi, a Japanese all-purpose seasoning. There are as many versions of this in the market place as there are versions of meat loaf in Australian households. We have seen some that are nearly all chilli, and others that are heavily loaded with salt or with monosodium glutamate (MSG). Ours is none of these, but a lively, tasty mixture of chilli, salt, white poppy seeds, golden sesame seeds and black sesame seeds, orange peel, brown mustard seeds, Szechuan pepper and lemon myrtle. It is quite delicious, with a crunchy texture, and truly is an all-purpose mixture that can be used before, during or after cooking. You can even add it at the table instead of salt and pepper!
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Is it true that there is nothing better than a perfectly-cooked barbecued steak? (Providing you’re not vegetarian, of course!) Well no, in fact there is something better, and that’s a perfectly-cooked, seasoned barbecued steak. The use of herbs and spices should not be like a sledgehammer on an eggshell – even people who say they don’t like spicy foods will find a moderate sprinkling of something like Greek Seasoning, Bay Seasoning, Herb and Celery Salt or Crusting Mix on their barbecued meat deliciously tasty. If you like it with a small amount of heat, try the Tasty Meat Sprinkle, and graduate to Cajun spice mix or the new Shichimi Togarachi for more pepper bite.
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Speaking of people who don’t like spicy foods, we find that that’s not what they mean at all. There are spices in ice cream (vanilla), donuts (cassia or cinnamon), tomato sauce (allspice), cheesecake (nutmeg) and doner kebabs (sumac). What they probably mean is that their preference is for foods without chilli, pepper, or horseradish, which are the hot tastes. It’s easy to avoid these and still have wonderfully flavourful food. We recently presented a spice session at Bowen Estate as part of the Coonawarra Cabernet Festival in South Australia, and were served lamb backstraps rubbed with ground cumin seed and barbecued, served with tahini with cumin and garlic. These simple flavours were positively mouth-watering. (We can recommend their Cabernet and Shiraz too!)
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There’s no doubt that a good Masaman curry is pretty hard to beat. As we don’t have such a blend in our range, lots of people ask how they can achieve it, so get your little pen and paper because here’s the formula. Use our Red Curry Mix and make up the curry as per the label on the back. Towards the end of cooking, add about 3 Tablespoons of roasted and crushed peanuts or crunchy peanut butter and 1 dessertspoon of Gula Melaka. There you have it! Simplissimo!
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There have been several price movements recently Quite a few products are costing us more, however due to a strengthening dollar and more plentiful production, some others are cheaper than they were, and we’re happy to pass our saving on to you.
If you’re thinking Traditional this Christmas, there are some fantastic recipes in our new Festive Kit. Oysters with akudjura dipping sauce is a lovely Australian starter, the glazed, clove-studded ham is to die for, and the individual Christmas puds can be made in advance and will have everyone swooning before they stagger off for the post-prandial Chrissie-day snooze.
Happy Christmas, Happy New Year, happy spicing!
