Tag Archives: spice company

Everything’s Coming Up Roses, Part I: The Roast Chicken

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Dried rose petals make this roast chicken extra pretty and even more delicious.
Dried rose petals make this roast chicken extra pretty and even more delicious.

Let me just flat-out say that this dish of “Rosy Harissa Chicken” proved to be the most deeply flavorful chicken I’ve had in a long time.

Part of the reason? The addition of dried rose petals.

I know, I know, you’re squinting your eyes in disbelief, thinking that surely that ingredient would make this roast chicken taste unappetizingly of your mother’s face cream.

Granted, on its own, there is a rather potpourri quality to dried rose petals. But when used judiciously with other complementary ingredients, they make everything all together soar.

I got mine as a sample from Selefina Spices, a new online business by Adagio Teas. It’s a natural extension for the tea company, which already sources from farms all over the world.

Selefina's fragrant dried rose petals.
Selefina’s fragrant dried rose petals.

What’s especially nice is that it sells in small quantities to ensure freshness. So, you can buy just the amount you need. For instance, you can get a 0.07-ounce sample of the dried rose petals for only 75 cents, a 2-ounce pinch for $3, or a 1.5-ounce refill for $6.

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The Best Chicken Soup You’ll Ever Make

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Loaded with chicken and vegetables, and an array of aromatics, this chicken soup is the best I've ever had.
Loaded with chicken and vegetables, and an array of aromatics, this chicken soup is the best I’ve ever had.

Forget any ifs, ands or buts, because this, my friends, is the tastiest chicken soup you’ll ever slurp up.

The kind that makes your eyes widen in unexpected pleasure from the first spoonful. The kind that boasts layers upon layers of deep, full, satisfying flavor. The kind that nourishes and comforts no matter if you’re ailing or just in need of something wonderfully warming.

The secret is that the chicken in the soup first gets roasted. In fact, the entire soup is mostly made in the oven, concentrating the flavors and leaving the chicken as tender and moist as your favorite rotisserie bird.

“Limon Omani Oven-Roasted Chicken Soup with Celery Seeds” may have a long name with an ingredient or two that may give you pause. But don’t let that put you off from what is essentially a quite easy recipe that delivers more than you’d ever expect.

The recipe is from the new “Mastering Spice: Recipes and Techniques to Transform Your Everyday Cooking” (Clarkson Potter), of which I received a review copy.

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Delectable Stocking Stuffers and Host/Hostess Gifts

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Studded with candied citrus peel, Emporio Rulli panettone is always a treat.

Studded with candied citrus peel, Emporio Rulli panettone is always a treat.

For The Holiday Sweet Tooth

Nothing says Christmas like a fluffy, buttery, sweet panettone.

And nobody makes them as irresistible as the Bay Area’s Emporio Rulli.

Chef Gary Rulli makes this 16th century Italian specialty in the time-honored tradition.

The Panettone Milanese, which I had a chance to sample, is made with plenty of butter, egg yolks, golden raisins, acacia honey, and Italian candied orange and citron peels. It’s yeasty bread meets cake.

Enjoy a big wedge on its own, or toasted and smeared with butter or jam, or as the foundation for an over-the-top bread pudding or French toast.

Rulli only makes them at this time of year. So don’t miss out. A small is $23.95; a large is $29.50.

For The Outdoor Enthusiast

If you thought Patagonia only made outdoor clothing and gear, you’re in for a surprise with its Patagonia Provisions, a line of food products made to be enjoyed on-the-go. I had a chance to sample a few.

The “Wild Sockeye Salmon, Lemon Pepper” comes in a shelf-stable package. The salmon is rich and meaty tasting, and not overwhelmed by a heavy-hand of smokiness.

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