NEWSLETTER: Spring 2004
- Spice Grinding Mills
- New - Pepper Steak Seasoning
- New Spice Kits - Spice Travels & Pantry StartUp
- What is Thai Cardamom
- A Dessert for Diabetic Guests
- Spice Appreciation Classes on DVD
It would seem that our Spring newsletter never made it out due to a technical hitch, sorry! We thought as spring is still not quite over you may still enjoy this update.
All the best, Herbie.
Spice Grinding Mills
During a stay in India not long before we opened Herbie’s, we found a marvelous spice grinding mill. It is the size of an old-fashioned meat mincer, with a fitting to attach it to the edge of a bench or table, and a handle to turn to work the grinder. The adjustable grinding plates are virtually an industrial mill in miniature. Attempts to connect with the manufacturer and bring more into the country were fruitless, so just imagine our delight when we recently found almost identical mills being imported from Eastern Europe. There are two sizes; the smaller one identified as a poppy seed mill is perfect for most seeds, and the larger mill will handle almost anything you choose to throw into it, including star anise. (But don’t even think of grinding whole nutmegs!) We have them in stock now, priced at $64.00 and $98.00.
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New - Pepper Steak Seasoning
The marriage of steak with pepper is classic, and has been on menus probably longer than most of us have been alive. Sadly, what is often offered is a mediocre slab of meat with a commercially prepared, starchy, pepper sauce poured over.
In response to some requests for a really good pepper steak seasoning, we started by thinking about the word pepper and its various meanings. If you think of Red Hot Chilli Peppers, it’s quite a different thing to red or green Bell Peppers, which are capsicums by a different name. And if you think of a pepper mill, it’s not a chilli or capsicum you’re seeing in your mind, but crunchy, bitey, flavourful peppercorns. With these thoughts in mind, we combined black peppercorns, red and green bell peppers and paprika with salt, onion, parsley, mustard, garlic and a pinch of our fantastic natural lemon powder. A touch of sugar helps this sprinkle-on mix to caramelize during cooking, giving a mouth-watering finish to a really good piece of steak. We’re really pleased with the result, and we know that it’s going to be a hit.
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Spice Travels, our book telling the story of some of our sojourns in search of spices, has been popular with foodies, even though it’s not exactly a recipe book. So we’ve created the Spice Travels Kit, which includes the book and some of the spices that are mentioned, described and photographed within it. It occurred to us that although we have encountered the food of many countries in our travels, the spices we bring home find their way into our Australian cooking, and the recipes in the Spice Travels Kit reflect this melding of new flavours with Mod Oz cooking styles. At a cost of $40.00 for this kit, you pay just $10.00 for the book, which normally retails for $29.50.
And with new kits in mind, we have addressed the many requests for a Pantry Start-up Kit. Now if you’re reading this newsletter, you have already equipped your pantry with spices and herbs, so it’s not for you. Filled with 20 packs of such essentials as Bouquet Garni, cinnamon, Italian herbs, chilli, mixed spice and rosemary, it’s priced at $65.00. Packaged in a big sturdy spicy-orange coloured box, it’s the perfect setting-up bundle for new home-makers, therefore appropriate for weddings, moving-in-together gifts, and house-warmings.
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Devotees of Thai cooking have found David Thompson’s Thai Food the complete must-have reference book. But his reference to Thai cardamom has left them puzzling over exactly what it is and where to find it. This South-East Asian variety is also called Siam cardamom (Amomum krervanh), and the pods are small, cream in colour and almost spherical. In flavour, they are quite similar to the green cardamom that everyone knows and loves, but a little milder. We have recently added Thai cardamom to our range, so you’ll find them under “C” for “Cardamom pods, Thai” on the mail order form and the website.
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Do you ever find yourself cooking for a diabetic guest? While main courses are not too much of a problem, desserts can be a bit of a headache. Here’s a no-sugar, low-fat suggestion.
Lemon Myrtle Pancakes with Fragrant Berries
Pancakes:
- 2 eggs
- ½ cup milk
- 2 Tabs plain flour
- ½ teaspoon lemon myrtle
- pinch salt
- butter for cooking
Berries:
- 1 pack frozen mixed berries
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon rosewater
- extra cinnamon for serving
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Our Spice Appreciation Classes continue to astound us by selling out every year – all of Herbie’s 2004 classes were fully booked by mid-July! While we don’t want to burn out doing too many classes, we understand the disappointment of people who can’t attend classes, so we have made a three-hour DVD called (surprise surprise) “Spices”.
Full of information, recipes, and hints, the DVD is easy to navigate. Each chapter may be selected and viewed when a quick reference is desired, or you may sit back, take out a notebook and pencil, and enjoy your own personal Spice Appreciation Class with Herbie. Available in August, and priced at $39.95, it could be a good way to get some early Christmas shopping done! View the DVD online [Top]
We look forward to welcoming some of you on our 2005 India tour in January. If you’d like more information about the tour, phone or email and we’ll send it for you! Happy spicing!
