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.
During a stay in India not long before we opened Herbie’s, we found a marvellous 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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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
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
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
