Spice up your life right now

Strong spices can go a long way to relieve the bleak tedium of winter and the few foods it still offers fresh. Many of them actually warm the body. All of them wake the taste buds. They are a great benefit.

Many cultures have their own mix for the job. In South Asia (India, Pakistan, Nepal) it's garam masala, literally 'mixed spice'. It's subtler than our version, "curry powder," and often added at the final moment of cooking so it hits the tongue with full force. The key ingredients of garam masala are turmeric, cumin, coriander, cinnamon, clove and black pepper.  Moroccans have "ras al hanout", a fragrant concoction  whose name means "head of the shop" as in "best available spices in the shop." It's likely to include cardamom, clove, cinnamon, paprika, coriander, cumin, mace, nutmeg, peppercorn, turmeric and sometimes even rose petals or lavender.

My favorite is Ethiopian berbere, which has a zing of heat. I use it to roast pumpkin seeds, steam cauliflower and mash winter squash. I love it on chicken, especially fried, and put a pinch on ribs. It's terrific in a chickpea tagine or soup, or with any beans.  Here's my version, which I bother to make every few months and keep in a jar in the fridge to grab at any moment my taste buds need a wake-up call.

Ethiopian Berbere
1/2 tsp cumin seeds

2 tsp. coriander seeds

1 tsp. fenugreek seeds

1⁄2 tsp. whole black peppercorns

6 white cardamom pods

4 whole cloves

3 dried arbol chiles, stemmed, seeded,

and broken into small pieces

3 tbsp. paprika

1 tsp. salt

1 tsp. ground allspice

1 tsp. ground nutmeg

1⁄2 tsp. ground ginger

1⁄2 tsp. ground cinnamon

1. In a small skillet, combine coriander seeds, fenugreek seeds, black peppercorns, allspice, chilies, cardamom pods, and cloves. Toast spices over medium heat, swirling skillet constantly, until fragrant, about 4 minutes.

2. Let cool slightly; transfer to a spice grinder and grind until fine. Mix with the other salt and spices until everything is thoroughly blended.

3. Transfer the mixture to a bowl and stir in paprika, salt, allspice, nutmeg, ginger, and cinnamon.

NOTE: when ready to use you will have to add a garlic clove or two blended with minced with 1 tsp freshly minced ginger root. 

Here's an easy way to try this with ingredients from the pantry and winter market:

Spicy Green Lentils with Carrot

1 cup french green lentils

3 c vegetable broth

2 cups diced onions

5 cloves garlic, minced

1 tbsp  fresh ginger, minced

1 cup diced carrot

1 cup diced tomatoes (boxed are fine right now)

2-3 tbsp Berbere spice mix

1 tsp salt

3 tbsp olive oil

Fresh Italian parsley for garnish

In a medium heavy bottom pot, or dutch oven, sauté the diced onion, carrots, garlic and ginger in the olive oil, until soft, about 5 minutes. Add the berbere, blend and sauté 2-3 minutes. Add green lentils,  diced tomatoes,  and 3 broth.  Bring to a boil, cover, reduce heat to low and cook until lentils are just past al dente, about 30-40 minutes. Check there is enough liquid as they cook and add 1/4 cup at a time if necessary.  Serve garnished with chopped fresh Italian parsley. 

These are great for vegetarians on a bed of basmati rice or couscous with garlic laced sauteed broccoli rabe on the side. Carnivores can enjoy them with deep fried chicken that's dusted with berbere before getting coated, with pan fried chicken, roasted turkey, or flank steak marinated in red wine to soften tough fibers and dusted with berbere before being grilled or broiled. Just remember to get chicken and beef from your local farmer so it's poison free.

For carnivores, fragrant and filling lamb tagine is another good option right now. A tagine is a North African stew made in the oven or on the stove top that mixes meat with the sweetness of fruits, nuts and sensuous spices. For 4-6 people, you'll need 2 lbs of good quality stewing lamb cut into chunks. After that, it's up to you.  I just made a lazy lamb tagine with raisins, dried apricots, green olives and raw almonds.  I seasoned the lamb with salt and pepper, then browned it in olive oil in a heavy casserole pot with lid. I threw in a diced onion and when it was soft and golden, I added in lieu of 2 tbsp ras al hanout 4 minced garlic cloves, an inch of fresh ginger minced, 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon, 2 tsp ground coriander, 2 tsp ground cumin, 2 tsp paprika, a lg pinch of saffron threads, 1/2 tsp dried mint and 1/2 tsp salt. I let that saute a minute and added raisins, about a doz dried apricots and a dozen pitted green olives. (Some people would add an inch of orange peel but I didn't.) I covered everything with water that was about 1" over the top, stirred in a tbsp tomato paste, brought everything to a boil. covered the pot, reduced heat to low and let the tagine stew for 90 minutes. Then I skimmed off impurities and fat, threw in a dozen raw almonds and let it cook another 5 minutes while I made couscous to serve underneath where it could sop up that scented sauce.  I garnished the whole shebang with freshly chopped cilantro leaves and savored the sublime smell in the house.