My Spice Blends

You asked for it! I've been carefully sourcing my ingredients and testing my spice blend recipes. I'm planning on debuting at least least three blends by the end of December 2007 or mid January 2008. I chose the date because there will probably be a very nice selection of my recipes in a national food magazine at about the same time. My spice blends will be available in stores around the country, to the wholesale trade and via online. I've been talking to buyers from gourmet chains, as well as "ethnic" stores. As regular readers of my blog know I take a cross-cultural approach to not only teaching, but with publicity as well. If you'd like to placed on a pre-order waitlist, please email me with the subject header "Spice Blends".

Comments

[jeena]

Hi there you have a wonderful website. :-)

[Holly]

Salaam, Farid--

Though you and some of your readers know us on ALMOSTITALIAN.COM, we also write more broadly about the Old World on our other food blog.
Peposo notturno, a peppery Tuscan stew that goes back to at least the 15th century http://skiplombardi.org/blog/recipes/peposo-alla-fornicina/
is our current post on our general food and culture blog, Sarasota Soundings. Since you are as entranced by spice as we are, I wanted to ask you what the nearest cousin to peposo would be in Algeria? I'm sure there is one, and I wonder if it tends to the robust or delicate! Peposo, with its ample amount of black pepper (though no other spice) is definitely in the former category. I know the Moroccan "bachelor" preparation of lamb chunks cooked in clay in the embers of the hamam fires, while in Turkey, there are similar slow-cooked treatments for lamb; my favorite is with heads of romaine lettuce and lots of dill. But spicy it is not.

You see,I've sort of "bracketed" Algeria here, and I would like to know more about both the technique and ingredients of any slowly baked stews that may persist in Algeria.

Mabrouk on the fragrant release of your spice blends!

Holly (at) almostitalian (dot) com

[Zareefa La Noor]

I read about you in Saudi Aramco.
As a middle eastern dancer and avid cook who loves ethnic foods, I felt compelled to check your website out. I love it. Your knowledge and extensive discussions about Algerian cuisine and how it related to other/nearby cuisines are impressive.
Please let me know when you will be in Miami, Florida. I would love to cook with you one day.

[robert fremont]

We traveled in Algeria this past March with an archaelogical group and we loved the food especially the soups which we now make like Loubia and a chicken/saffron dish Djedj b'L-Qasbur. We stopped for lunch in Sétif and had excellent lamb served with couscous.We read your article in Saudi Aramco World.

[lali]

I found out about Zadi from reading the Aramco Magazine, December issue. I got so excited to learn that finally an Algerian/berber chef is making his strides in the big USA ,and eventually around the world.
My algerian/berber/turkish and spaniard roots come handy in being creative in preparing meals. I am looking forward to learn from your school of culinary, and have my friends and family learn from a rich and colorful ancient traditions and civilizations.