Pantry

Berbere Spice Paste

Makes 2 3/4 cups Berbere is a traditional Ethiopian spice blend made with chiles, warming spices, fenugreek, and other aromatic ingredients. Use this paste to rub meats, poultry, and fish before grilling. Ingredients 4 pequin chiles, seeds and stem removed 2 teaspoons cardamom seeds 1 teaspoon coriander seeds 1 teaspoon […]

Pantry

Dry Berbere Spice Blend

Berbere is an Ethiopian spice blend made from chiles and other spices. Though you can find it online or at most grocery stores, there is nothing like homemade, and you’ll especially love it for grilling season. Makes about 3/4 cup

Main Dishes, Soups and Stews

Hlelem (Tunisian Vegetable and Bean Soup)

Makes about 150 individual candies Packed with beans and greens, this slightly spicy vegetable soup is both tasty and good for you. Harissa is a Tunisian hot sauce or paste usually made with hot chiles, garlic, cumin, coriander, caraway, and olive oil. It’s available in cans, jars, or tubes from […]

Chef's Blog, Chef's Notes Plus

Ingredient Spotlight: Tamarind

There is a Buddhist parable about the tamarind tree in which its seeds are said to be symbols of faithfulness and forbearance. While the story doesn’t say much about the tamarind as food, it does illuminate a little bit about the history of this venerable plant and its incredible sweet […]

Chef's Blog, Chef's Notes Plus, Family Fun

Kitchen Vocab: Tagine

Tagine. It’s two words in one, though both are related. It is both a dish, and the dish the dish is made in! Get it yet? A tagine is a North African recipe of Berber origin and is a staple of Moroccan cuisine. Berber refers to the indigenous people of […]

Chef's Blog, Chef's Notes Plus

North Africa’s Fiery Sauce

Culinary cultures based in steamy equatorial climates all have their own spicy chile condiments, like Mexico’s hot salsas, Indonesia’s sambals, Caribbean vinegar-based habañero sauces—even our own Louisiana’s Tabasco. But harissa, the garlic-laced spice paste of Tunisia, shared also by Morocco and Algeria, imparts a singular fruity complexity in the luxurious […]

Main Dishes

Seared Salmon With Moroccan-Style Spices

Makes 8 servings Ingredients 3 pounds salmon fillet 1 teaspoon kosher salt, or to taste 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, or to taste 1 1/2 teaspoons curry powder 1 1/2 teaspoons coriander seeds 1 1/2 teaspoons cumin seeds 1 1/2 teaspoons caraway seeds 1 1/2 teaspoons anise seeds 1 […]