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.

Ground Turkey Kofteries

Ground turkey. The very idea of it used to make me scoff. It didn’t seem like a real ingredient. Where was there a cuisine that traditionally used ground turkey? Wasn’t it just a substitute for other, better tasting meats that health conscious people could use to dumb their food down while ostensibly making it “healthier”? Like turkey Italian sausages: they don’t taste as good as pork sausages, and the texture is all wrong.

Still, ground turkey goes on sale at the supermarket pretty regularly, so if I could find a use for the stuff it could become a cost-effective part of an ostensibly healthy diet. Was there a way to make this inexpensive, low fat source of protein delicious? I started playing around with the stuff in my kitchen. As a substitute for ground beef in a red pasta sauce, turkey proved to be unsatisfying as Italian sausages made from it – too dry and bland. Turkey burgers weren’t an experience I’d seek out again, for the same reason. Then I got to thinking: who in the world eats turkey often? Middle Easterners do. On a trip to Paris last year I bought Döner sandwiches on the street from Lebanese immigrants, and the meat was a combination of veal and turkey. Why not try Middle Eastern spicing with the stuff? That direction met with success: these Turkish style meatballs work so well with they don’t leave me pining for the more classic lamb and beef combination. I serve them with tzatziki, which adds a bit of much needed moisture. A tomato and cucumber salad and bread (or a pilaf) nicely rounds a meal out in a Turkish/Greek vein.

Turkish Style Turkey Kofteries
(serves four)

20.8 oz package (or scant 1 ½ lbs) ground turkey
4-5 cloves garlic, chopped
½ cup flat leaf parsley (or mint), chopped
tsp salt
Tbs ground allspice
tsp ground cumin
tsp ground coriander seed
ground black pepper, to taste
pinch crushed red pepper
2 Tbs oil for frying

Mix together all ingredients by hand in bowl while heating frying pan. Wash hands, and add oil to pan. Form meatballs by hand and place in hot pan. Let cook on one side until slightly browned. Turn meatballs with a spoon in pan to brown the other side until equally browned. Reduce heat and roll meatballs on their sides, turning every couple minutes until you’re sure they’re completely cooked. Plate and serve.

(Tip: If you keep a dedicated coffee grinder for spices you can buy your spices whole. They'll last longer and taste fresher when you grind them yourself. This allows you to keep a wide variety of spices in your cupboard without worrying about them losing their flavor if you don't use some of them very often).

Tzatziki
(feeds four as a side dish that’s something between a sauce and a salad)

1/2 seedless cucumber or 2 Kirby or 3 Persian cucumber
1 generous cup yogurt (Greek is better, as full fat is better over 2% over nonfat)
tsp salt
½ clove garlic, finely chopped
2 Tbs olive oil
Juice of ½ lemon (optional)

Grate cucumber into serving bowl. Add salt and mix by hand. Let stand for 30 min. while you do something else, such as make the meatballs in the recipe above. Squeeze cucumber in bottom of bowl by hand, draining the juice into the sink. Stir in remaining ingredients. Either serve immediately or cover and let sit in fridge for up to 24 hours (it gets better with time up to that point). Dunk bread into it or use as a sauce for meatballs (or grilled meat).

Vin Ordinaire

Sacha Lichine, La Poule Blanche, Vin de Pays D’Oc, 2006

There’s a white chicken on the label. That’s generally a bad sign in my book, but I’m happy to let La Poule Blanche be the exception to my “no critter wines” rule, screw top and all. This wine is a blend of mostly Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc, showing a little crispness from the Sauvignon and some body from the Chardonnay. A very simple wine, but at $8 a bottle I’m happy there are no “off” flavors to get in the way of La Poule’s drinkability.

Distributed by Borvin – Sacha Lichine U.S.A.

Bodega J&F Lurton, Pino Gris, Argentina, 2007

At $11 this is a good value. Not much of a surprise, since the Lurtons are part of a France winemaking legacy now operating in Argentina. The main expressions we see of this grape are featherweight Italian Pino Grigios and the fuller bodied Alsatian Pino Gris. This wine leans toward the Alsatian style: It’s still light and crisp, but has some body to it. Not big on the finish, but nice in the mouth. Refreshing citrus character, with just a hint of sweetness.

Distributed by Monsieur Touton, Ltd.

Château le Chêne de Margot, Premières Côtes de Blayes, Bordeaux, 2005

Here’s a find: a good $12 bottle of red Bordeaux in NYC. This wine offers soft dark fruit up front, then finishes with tannic, earthy restraint. This wine is medium bodied, so it doesn’t feel at all heavy in the mouth. It’s a pleasure on it’s own, but clearly this is a wine meant to accompany food. I’m starting to see the 2006 show up in stores, so now is the time for budget minded Bordeaux fans to snap up any 2005’s they can find.

Distributed by Monsieur Touton, Ltd.

Pere Ventura, Cava, First Press Cuvee, Spain, NV

This sparkler hits the top of my price range for ordinary wine: $15. I’d consider this a splurge for someone who was trying to cut down on expenses. But what an inexpensive splurge it is! No, it doesn’t taste like champagne: different grape, less complexity and larger bubbles. Then again, if you’ve been trying to save a couple bucks by substituting prosecco for champagne this cava is a drier alternative. It’s good enough to have been well-received when I toasted a wine-loving friend’s birthday with it. A pleasing acidity allows it to accompany food as well as it drinks on its own.

Distributed by Monsieur Touton, Ltd.