Recipes
Sheng Jian Baozi with Chile Oil
We rarely have come across a dumpling that we wouldn't eat, regardless of what cuisine that dumpling is from! We were very happy to find Andrea Nguyen's classic Asian Dumplings: Mastering Gyoza, Spring Rolls, Samosas, and More, which certainly took care of our obsession with all dumplings, and finger food, too! From the Author: "If you like pot stickers and steamed buns, you’ll love these spongy-crisp pan-fried treats from Shanghai, where typically they are cooked in humongous shallow pans (much like large paella pans) with wooden lids. These buns are made of yeast dough that is filled with an aromatic pork mixture and then fried and steamed in a skillet. Cooking under cover with a bit of water delivers plenty of moisture to puff up the buns. Ground beef chuck or chicken thigh can stand in for the pork in this recipe. A bāozi is a mini bāo (bun) and for that reason, I like to keep these true to their name and shape small ones. However, you can elect to form sixteen medium-size (23/4-inch) buns. Roll the dough circles out to 3-1/4 inches in diameter and use about 4 teaspoons of filing for each bun; increase the water and cooking time a tad.Many Asian cooks employ—to great success—a cakey, snowy-white Cantonese-style dough made from low-gluten cake flour or from a quickie flour and baking powder blend. This dough is different; it has more depth, and its loft and resilience comes from combining yeast and baking powder; fast-rising yeast works like a champ. All-purpose flour with a moderate amount of gluten, such as Gold Medal brand widely available at supermarkets, is what I prefer for this dough. Use bleached flour for a slightly lighter and brighter finish.Used in Chinese, Japanese, and Southeast Asian cooking, chile oil is easy to prepare at home, and it’s infinitely better than store-bought. Its intense heat enlivens many foods, especially dumplings, which benefit when chile oil is part of the dipping sauce or used as a garnish. Some cooks add aromatics, such as ginger, star anise, and Sichuan peppercorns, to the oil, but I like to keep the chile flavor pure. While you may use other cooking oils, such as canola oil, my preference is for the kind of peanut oil often sold at Chinese markets, which is cold pressed and filled with the aroma of roasted peanuts. It is texturally light, has a high smoking point, and offers a wonderful nuttiness that pairs well with the intense chile heat. Lion & Globe peanut oil from Hong Kong is terrific. Use just the infused oil or include the chile flakes for an extra brow-wiping experience.
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Steve's Sweet and Spicy Drumsticks
We are always on the lookout for new and interesting spice combinations, and this one is fabulous! It came from our globe trotting friend and fan, Steve R., and features the savory spice blend Tabil along with Piri Piri Blend and Smokin' Hot Garlic Pepper bringing the heat. The drumsticks get a quick brine to help them retain moisture and the spices flow into a sweet citrus sauce that hits all the hot-sour-salty-sweet flavors that shine in Asian cuisine. Steve was inspired by his travels - and love of street food - to create this fusion BBQ sauce, and we are so happy that he shared this recipe! We're planning to try it on wings next.
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Sassy Short Ribs
We love all things sassy, and these short ribs are no exception. The bold flavor of our Sassy Steak Spice is infused into every bite along with orange marmalade and fresh oregano for an impeccable flavor combination. The great charm in this dish is the layers of flavor developed by adding spices in stages along the way, and finishing with fresh herbs... who says you can't have it all? The melt-in-your-mouth beef is pretty good too.
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Voodoo Shrimp and Grits
Have you ever eaten something so good that it induces a trance? Well, check out our Voodoo Shrimp and Grits. This classic dish features our all-star spice blend Voodoo, a robust seasoning which includes onion, garlic, whole mustard seeds, thyme and allspice on a base of peppercorns and sea salts. We are excited to share Voodoo Shrimp and Grits just in time for Mardis Gras. French for Fat Tuesday, Mardi Gras refers to the practice of the last night of eating richer, fatty foods before the ritual fasting of the Lenten season. With no shortage of richness, this recipe could be the inspiration for your own Mardi Gras ritual.
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Hawk Wings
These sweet and spicy wings are just the ticket to victory on the table, and we plan to enjoy them by the heaping helping as we cheer on our team. They are easy to make, too, so you don’t have to spend much time in the kitchen. Seattle Salmon Rub is good on all kinds of things - not just salmon - and we’ve taken advantage of that to create this special Hawks-fan fare. Combine the pan-Asian flair of the spice rub with sweet orange and maple and a kick of heat from Aleppo and you’ve got a winner. This recipe is also good using boneless skinless chicken thighs, too! GO HAWKS!!!!
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Advieh-Spiced Persian Meatballs
Lamb is the perfect pairing for our version of the signature Persian spice blend, Advieh, and this easy meatball recipe will have a flavor feast on your table in no time. You can serve them on a bed of greens, over grains, as a sandwich or a wrap. Garnish with feta, mint, parsley, and pomegranate seeds and complement with a tangy sumac salad dressing or a mellow creamy tzatziki. Fabulous! Our version uses Panko bread crumbs as the binder, but for a gluten-free option you could use lentils, quinoa, or gluten-free bread crumbs.
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Heavenly Hawaij Mushroom Soup
This Heavenly Hawaij Soup is the perfect starter for a long holiday feast. Combining aromatic spices, earthy mushrooms and velvety cream, it is as decadent as holiday fare should be. Cardamom, turmeric and saffron are the essential spice elements of the Yemenese blend Hawaij, and they play wonderfully in this exotic mushroom soup. Serve as elegant soup shots to start a meal or by the bowl as a first course. It's a leftover that will have you sneaking back to the kitchen in the middle of the night!
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Get Your Sausage-Making on with Chorizo Bomb!
World Spice's Chorizo Bomb spice blend has been a favorite of our restaurant clients for years, so it was no surprise that it started flying off the shelves as soon as we started offering it to our retail family. This versatile blend can be used to make a Mexican-style chorizo, or even a North African-style merguez sausage, as links or patties. It pulls double, triple, and quadruple duty as a great grill seasoning, taco and fajita spice, or in simple beans and rice. A little smoky from the Pasilla Oaxacas, sweet smoked paprika, and Chipotle flakes, a little herbaceous from the generous dose of oregano, thyme, and marjoram, and a bit sweet from the Hungarian paprika... well, you'll see. There's a reason we call it the "bomb!"So, how do you use it? We're testing additional recipes right now, but in the meantime, here are easy patty-making recipes for both Mexican chorizo and North African mergeuz sausage. P.S. If you decide to go all D.I.Y. homemade, here's a great article explaining how to grind your own meat for patties as well as case up your sausage links: how to make your own sausage.
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Sassy Bacon Draped Meatloaf
I've finally nailed a simple and satisfying meatloaf recipe! A generous loaf draped in bacon is always a universal hit, but with classic comfort food, the brilliance is in the details. What set this loaf apart from all the rest was quick sauté on the onions before mixing them in. Their natural sweetness develops, complementing the Vietnamese cassia cinnamon in our bewitching Sassy Steak Spice. It's completely worth the extra step. Tip number two is to leave the loaf pan for banana bread - sculpt this masterpiece free-form in a shallow Pyrex baking dish to allow the bacon to properly crisp, moistening your loaf as it cooks, smoky juices mingling with the beef and spice...Delicious! Any leftovers make great sandwiches the next day, too!
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