The Spice Must Flow

Dual Specialty Store and a Tagine Recipe

I know many home cooks who avoid recipes with long ingredient lists, especially long lists of spices. It’s not that they don’t enjoy such food, but they’re more or less held hostage by their supermarkets when it comes to spices. The more “exotic” the spice the higher the price of a 1 oz. glass jar will be, if they even carry the spice in question. Stocking up to cook something as simple as a tagine can be an investment! What’s an adventurous home cook to do?

Here on Manhattan’s Lower East Side I’m lucky enough to have a remarkable spice shop just a stone’s throw away. Dual Speciality Store (91 First Ave) is located below street level just south of the East Village’s Curry Row. 400 kinds of beer for sale might be an exaggeration. Regardless, I’m not here for the beer, nor the Indian cosmetics, chutney, pickles or tea. For me it’s all about the spice, though they also have good deals on basmati rice, pulses and couscous.

Ever wonder what the difference is between Tellicherry and less expensive Malabar peppercorns? I found out for just a few bucks spent: Tellicherry is richer and more mellow, whereas Malabar has more bite. For table use or when salt and pepper are the only seasonings (like on a steak) go with the Tellicherry. Malabar is good for spice blends, and a pound of the stuff here didn’t even break six dollars – that’s half what it sells for online! Other deals included quarter pound bags of fennel and coriander seeds for under two bucks and 68 grams of green cardamom for $3.50. Hard to find Indian spices like fenugreek and asafetida are here, as well as common blends like garam masala and curry powder. You could amass a serious collection of spices for $20-$40, depending on how crazy you want to get. (Buy them whole and they’ll last a long time; just keep a dedicated coffee grinder to grind as much as you need when you need it). They even sell fresh ingredients, like hot peppers, turmeric root and Indian bitter melon. The less adventurous can check out various prepared curries and curry sauces in cans, jars and foil packets.

While outfitting yourself with spices pick up some dried fruit (apricots, white raisins, currants, whatever) and some nuts (pine nuts and slivered almonds) and try the following recipe:

Vegetable Tagine with Dried Fruit and Nuts

This is one of those recipes with a scary long ingredient list. In spite of that it can be made in about 45 minutes, and will feed four people a healthy, satisfying cost-effective meal. It also happens to be vegan, so it’s good for those who care about that stuff. For those who don’t there’s plenty of flavor and substance to this dish, regardless. Do not leave the nuts out of this recipe; their fat and protein content is the main foil for the spiciness. While this may not be a strictly traditional tagine the flavor is 100% authentic. It’s really easy to make, once you accept the idea of grinding your own spices and toasting nuts for a garnish, neither of which is a big deal – these extra steps happen once the dish is already cooking.

For the spice blend:

10-15 black peppercorns
tsp whole coriander seed
5-10 pods green cardamom
¼ tsp ground cinnamon
½ tsp ground turmeric (optional)
½ tsp crushed red pepper (more if you like it spicy)
½ tsp whole cumin seed
5 whole cloves

For the garnish:
1/3 cup pine nuts
¼ cup slivered almonds
½ cup chopped cilantro or mint (optional)

For the tagine:
3 carrots, cut in 1” sticks
2 zucchini, cut in 1” sticks
1 white turnip, peeled and cut into cubes
5 cloves garlic, chopped
½” piece of ginger, peeled and chopped (optional)
generous handful of dried fruit (white raisins, currants, apricots, etc)
15 oz can whole tomatoes, drained and broken up by hand
15 oz can chickpeas, drained
½ tsp salt (or more to taste)
2 Tbs oil for frying

Heat a large pan and add oil. Fry garlic, carrots, ginger (if using) and zucchini for a couple minutes. Do not let garlic brown! Add remaining tagine ingredients and bring to a simmer. If your pan isn’t big enough to hold everything transfer to a large enough pot. Grind spice blend ingredients together in a coffee grinder or a mortar and pestle. Add spices to simmering tagine. Cover and let simmer for 35 minutes until all veggies are cooked and flavors have blended. Give it a stir every now and then. In the meantime toast the nuts in a dry frying pan, shaking often so they don’t burn on one side.

Serve with couscous or basmati rice. (Couscous is easier because it can be made in the last five minutes of the tagine’s simmering). Garnish with toasted nuts (and chopped herbs, if using).

Vin Ordinaire 2, Southern Rhône

When I first got into wine Southern Rhône reds were considered “bistro wines,” in that they were somewhat undervalued and made great “house reds”. As these wines gained in popularity their prices increased to the point where they were no longer casually poured in many bistros. The Southern Rhône is where the familiar Côtes du Rhône, Côtes de Ventoux and Vacqueyras appellations are produced. These wines are usually fruity, often spicy blends that range from lighter to full bodied.

I remember a friend’s father walking me through his serious cellar over a decade ago, asking what kind of wines I liked. As I stood there looking at vertical profiles of famous vineyards I replied, “Southern Rhônes.” Without missing a beat he said, “We can change that.” At the time I thought he was being patronizing, but eventually the lesson sunk in: when someone proudly offers you a taste from their collection don’t ask for your daily drinkers. In addition to producing many of the world’s finest wines France is still a great place to look for daily drinkers, and the Southern Rhône region remains no exception. The 2003 and 2005 vintages are good to very good across France. The 2004 is particularly good in the Southern Rhône, even though that vintage was not as noteworthy in many other regions.

Chapelle-St-Arnoux, Vacqueyras, Reserve Veilles Vignes, 2003

This hearty wine offers big fruit (cherry and currant) and a hint of spice. Imagine a less elegant, less complex (and much less expensive) Châteauneuf-du-Pape and you’re in the ballpark. Falls down a little on the finish, which doesn’t quite keep up with the wine’s initial boldness. Good value at $12 a bottle.

Pierre Amadieu, Côtes du Rhône, “Roulepierre”, 2004

Showing just how good 2004 was to the Southern Rhône, this medium bodied wine is dominated by cherry, berry and spice. The finish, while not long, is clean and elegant. This wine plays well with food, but is just fine by the glass. $13 is a great price for this wine; one could easily pay more for much less. Easy to drink and easy to like, it’s a reminder of why many of us started drinking Southern Rhônes in the first place.

Domaine Monpertuis, Vignoble de Ramière, Vin de Pays du Gard, Cuvee Counoise, 2005

This wine is imported by Rosenthal, a company that prides itself on finding small producers like Paul Jeune and bringing their wines to the American market. It’s 100% Counoise, a grape traditionally used in blends, but in M. Jeune’s hands it’s an unexpected pleasure. It’s technically not a Rhône wine; the grapes were grown across the river from Châteauneuf-du-Pape. Since the producer is known for his wines bearing that appellation and Counoise is a traditional Rhône varietal I’m comfortable considering this wine a Southern Rhône in all but name.

There’s nothing showy or overblown here; it’s unusual to find a $12 bottle that displays such restraint. Fruit and peppery spice give way to an acid, almost earthy finish. Weighty enough to pair with beef, yet round and smooth in the mouth without feeling heavy. Almost austere, in the best sense of the word. This is a real find: a remarkably well balanced food wine at this price. Those tired of the trend toward face-crushing, fruit-forward lower priced wines will find this wine something to get excited about.