Friday, April 13, 2007

and i thought i was a spice-junkie

Today the topic on my mind was GRAINS OF PARADISE.
I had ordered some from World Spice when my Mom came to visit at Christmas. If you don't know World Spice Merchants in Seattle, I highly recommend them as the freshest and highest quality source for all your spice needs. World Spice sells bulk spices to over half the restaurants in Seattle and creates custom blends. And they do mail-order!! One of the few businesses I know that does business the old-fashioned way with only cash and checks -- no credit cards! (Sorry for the commercial, I used to work there, so the store is close to my heart.)

I ordered these paradise grains without really knowing what to do with them. I knew they were exotic and definitely something that I would never in a thousand moons find here in Ljubljana. Now to actually cook with them.

I did a search and found this very handy site by Gernot Katzer a guy who lives between Graz and Berlin. So much information! So much inspiration! Well ... for me, a spice geek, yes ... etymology, photos, chemical components, names in 32 languages ...

Thanks to Gernot and his site, I have a clearer picture about what should be in Baharat as well.

Will make this short ... the kitchen is calling.

No comments: