It’s hard to believe that it’s almost two years since we closed the door of our dear little store in Rozelle. In the 19 years that we were there, in addition to our range of herbs, spices and books, we offered packs of empty jars, with blank Herbie’s Spices labels, for people to fill with their favourites. We believe that our high-barrier, zip-lock plastic laminate pouches are the best way to store spices, however we know that jars are very handy for those frequently-used spices.
And let’s face it, some people love to have their herbs and spices in glass jars!
Now, to make your hearts glad again, we have packed twelve empty, lidded jars in a box that will be easy to pop in the mail for you (with labels, of course), so you can name what you put in them. The pack is $25.80, plus postage, and you can see an image and ordering details on our website.
We can’t help noticing that turmeric is the buzz-word all over the place. Now we know that it has benefits, but really, some of the claims are a bit over the top. “Take turmeric and you’ll never die” is almost the message. Here at Herbie’s, we have always been about making your food delicious, and we think it’s time to get back to why turmeric is such an important culinary spice. It makes your food taste and look good!!!! To illustrate our point, Herbie has created a new blend, Turmeric Seafood Rub, in a 35g pack for $5.30. It’s a blend of turmeric, ginger, curry leaf, chilli, kaffir lime leaf, pepper, amchur and cardamom … just delicious, and so easy. Turmeric is very popular in southern India, where seafood is a staple, as it is particularly good at taking away the slightly pungent “fishiness” that some fish has. Just pat it on to your fish fillet before roasting or pan frying. You’ll see there is no salt in the blend, so you are in charge of salting it to your own taste.
Our Box of Ideas for Summer is a winner, with four packs of spices (Bay Leaves ground, Bush Tucker Rub, Star Anise ground, and Shish Kebab Spice). Ground herbs and spices are so very easy to use, and have the benefit of not needing a long cooking time. There are some super ideas for your Christmas catering, as well as simple family meals, in the recipes. In our sunny-blue-sky summer box, it’s $25.00 plus postage.
If you’re looking for Christmas ideas ….. The third edition of Herbie’s The Spice and Herb Bible continues to be a best-seller, here and overseas. It’s just the thing for your foodie loved-one, and if you order online, Herbie can sign it especially for you. Just put a note on your order and he’ll be happy to oblige.
Speaking of The Spice and Herb Bible, it is so full of information that Herbie has even given away the recipes for many of our top-selling spice blends. Now what you need to remember is that the finished blend is only good as its components … if you think you’re economizing by using inferior spices, your blend will be compromised. (Forgive us if we’re preaching to the converted!)
If you have only recently entered the world of Herbie’s Spices, you may sometimes wonder, who is this character who seems to be regarded as an expert? Where did he come from and what qualifies him as such? There’s a blog on our website about the Hemphill family history and the three generations that have built and progressed their standing in the international spice scene. Interesting for those who didn’t know, and a walk down memory lane for those who have known us for many years!
We were looking at our wide range of spice kits recently, and pondering that those of you who have given them as gifts in previous years might need a new angle this year. Of course, there’s our popular recent slow-cooking kit, Cook it Slow, as well as a brand new Stars and Stripes Spice Kit, to celebrate all the iconic Stateside foods. It’s certainly more than burgers, pizza and fries! Dare we say, it will trump all your other options this Christmas! With seven truly American flavours – Gumbo File, Rib Spice, Bay Seasoning, Cayenne Pepper, Creole Seasoning, Cajun Spice Mix and Pumpkin Pie Spice – it’s in our $35.00 range of spice kits. By the way, the red box does not signify any political preference!
Thanks to so many of you for the feedback on our Ginspiration Kit. You have concurred with our thoughts that it’s the perfect gift for “the friend who has everything”. In our house, we now prefer to make our gin from the combination of spices in the kit, (having found that starting with a better vodka makes a better gin) rather than buying a branded gin. We enjoy having control over our end product … a little more fennel seed this time, or perhaps a slightly more floral note with rose petals?
This Christmas Day, it will be all about relaxing. Pre-prepared skewers are the plan … fish skewers with our new Turmeric Seafood Rub, lamb skewers with Shish Kebab Spice, chicken skewers with Sydney Spice, and haloumi, mushroom and tomato for the vegetarian, with Greek Seasoning – together with lovely pilafs with barberries, pine nuts and fresh mint, and plenty of salads. See Festive Recipes for more great ideas.
We wish you all a happy and flavor-filled festive season and a new year filled with promise.
Herbie and Liz
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Baharat, also known as Lebanese Seven Spice or Advieh, has become one of the many ‘go-to’ spice blends along with Ras el Hanout and Chermoula. Herbie, always up to date or ahead with spice trends, was asked to contribute this article to Australian Gourmet Traveller in 1999. Yes, 24 years ago! This is the article: Legendary spice merchant and blender, Ian (Herbie) Hemphill, has
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We’re all in accord about single-use plastics. Having seen huge drifts of plastic in the pristine seas off the Indonesian islands, we know just how important it is to get rid of those shopping bags, plastic wraps and sandwich bags. When one gets emotional about bad plastics, it’s easy to begin to demonize all plastics, and perhaps it’s timely to repeat this message from our Newsletter of some years ago.
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We invite you to join us, Herbie and Liz, as we return to our beloved India to take you to some places where many tourists don’t go! And some amazing places that you just can’t miss. This is designed as a holiday, not an endurance test, and we have made the itinerary a little more leisurely than some earlier tours, so that you arrive home refreshed and well. Be a part of our small group and join the fun!
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Besides being a popular spice for Yotam Otolenghi, Aleppo Pepper is becoming the go-to chilli for many cooks and food lovers. Why would a style of chilli be called a pepper? After all it is not a peppercorn! Let’s start with a bit of background. You may recall that Christopher Columbus was sailing west to get to the Indonesian spice islands, because he guessed
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LATEST RECIPES FROM KATE AT HERBIE’S KITCHEN For people with intolerances or special diets, spices are an excellent way of adding flavour when avoiding a variety of other ingredients Our Recipe Page has a handy check box for vegetarian, vegan, nut free, dairy free, gluten free, keto, paleo, low-fodmap and healthy eating categories (please bear in mind we are not trained in nutrition, and
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LATEST RECIPES FROM KATE HEMPHILL AT HERBIE’S KITCHEN Longer evenings are just beginning, and depending on where you are, perhaps you’re eating dinner outside already. It’s also a time that we look to lighter fare (although to us curry is definitely a year-round meal); with crunchy salads, fresh seasonal veg, and grills on the menu. Check out our Al Fresco Dining Spice Kit, which
