Happy Valentine's Day to one and all

"The way to a man's heart is through his stomach?"
We at Passion for spices truly believe in this.

Win the heart of your loved one by making delicious meals that satisfies the body and soul.

We had some of our clients buy our curated cooking classes as surprise gifts to their loved ones for birthdays and special celebrations and many have told us that it was the best gift they have ever received. Cooking together with your loved ones is a special treat and the memories are unforgettable. 

Cooking with a loved one or the family is such a romantic and fun experience and we encourage everyone to learn the art of cooking. We at Passion for Spices™ have a sustainable test kitchen where we experiment with various ingredients and cooking techniques from various heritages and share it through our cooking classes. Please take advantage of it and it is not just a class, but as everyone says, it is a "Culinary experience" learning about food ingredients, integrating spices and flavors, and presenting it in the most beautiful way. 

Here are some examples of our classes where families cook together and having the best time of their life.

Check our recipe collection and enjoy the complimentary recipes for the Valentines menu.

A Special Valentine's Menu

Compliments of Passion for Spices™
A menu that will satisfy your heart and soul.

Peppery Kerala Shrimp w/ Curried Mayo

One Pot Dum Biryani in a French Cocotte

Garam Masala Spiced Dark  Chocolate

Please check out our upcoming classes. We have exciting classes planned for Spring.

Celebrate the season with exotic spices

A special holiday recipe, compliments of Passion for Spices for you and yours. Hope the New Year is filled with happiness and good health. Passion for Spices is happy to help you create special memories of cooking together with family and friends. The Passion for Spices team will be there to teach you the basics of cooking with spices and exciting food from around the world. Please check our Culinary Learning Center where you can learn about ingredients and techniques that we will be updating from time to time. Visit our site to learn about our upcoming exciting culinary classes and events. We have some exciting new classes in the coming year. 

Please enjoy this special recipe with your friends and family, with exotic spices without feeling guilty.  These recipes are full of flavor that everyone can devour. This can be a great presentation on your holiday table for Christmas Eve or New Years, and we can guarantee you this will be a friends and family favorite.

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Photo Credits to James Peterson and Passion for Spices

Classic lobster tandoori

SERVES: 6 - SERVING: 3 oz / 84 g - PREP TIME: ABOUT 4 HOURS - COOKING TIME: 10 MINUTES 

Procedure:

1. To prepare the marinade, place all of the ingredients in the tandoori masala in a blender and process until smooth. 

2. For the lobster, bring a large pot of salted water to a rapid boil. Place the live lobsters into the boiling water, cover tightly, and let cook for 4 or 5 minutes, until the lobster tails are curled and the shells have turned bright red. With tongs, remove from the water and place in an ice-water bath to stop the cooking. 

3. Break off the claws. Separate the head from the tail. Remove the meat from the tail in one piece by cutting along the soft underside shell to expose the flesh. With the back of a knife, lightly crack the shells of the large claws and carefully remove the meat in one piece. Place the lobster tail and claw meat in the marinade, cover, and refrigerate for 4 hours.

4. To serve, preheat the oven to 500ºF. Place the marinated lobster meat on a baking sheet, brush with a oil and cook for about 4 minutes, until the meat is opaque white and the marinade is slightly browned.
 

Ingredients:

TANDOORI MARINADE

1 small piece onion
2 cloves garlic
1/16 tsp ground ginger
1 Tbsp ground cumin
1 Tbsp ground coriander
1 Tbsp smoked paprika
2 Tbsp lime juice
1/2 cup plain low-fat Greek yogurt
1/4 tsp ground black pepper
1/4 tsp ground tumeric
1/2 tsp salt
2 tbsp minced cilantro leaves
1 tbsp minced mint leaves
1 tsp honey

2 live lobsters
1 tsp sunflower oil or ghee

Recipe courtesy of Indian Cuisine Diabetes Cookbook and the American Diabetes Association.

SUBSTITUTIONS

1 tbsp Keralan Curry can be used in place of the coriander, paprika, black pepper, and turmeric.

Passion for Spices team wishes you a Happy Holidays and a Healthy, Happy, Prosperous 2018.

Spice of Life with May Fridel

A HomeTowne Television Production.

HomeTowne Television recently introduced a new show, "Spice of Life;" at a Passion for Spices event, showcasing sustainable lifestyle practices. The highlights included the Edible Garden and cooking together with friends.

Ed Albright from Yard2Kitchen.com, a collaborator with Passion for Spices, was here to explain the features of the garden and how you can incorporate a home edible garden in your own home.

I invited my friends, Amy & Lisa, to try several recipes from my recent book, Indian Cuisine & Diabetes Cookbook, and see how fun and easy it was to cook together and enjoy the prepared meal. 

On the menu was a refreshing papaya lassi, a savory avocado and cucumber soup, flavorful Chicken Kebabs, and a yummy grilled fruit with ice cream dessert.

This is an example of how anyone whose not familiar with spices or cooking techniques, can make these recipes from the book without compromising health or flavor. There are more than 140 recipes like this, suitable for special occasions or everyday cooking with your family.  The book is available and a perfect idea for holiday cooking. You can purchase your own copy of the book from our shop.

Easy Weeknight Meal Using Swiss Chard a Fall Vegetable

We would like to introduce you to this vibrant green, which many people find it intimidating to cook for their families. 

Some of the nutrition and health benefits of this gorgeous vegetable are worth noting. I even use this as an edible table arrangement. Passion for Spices showcases organic edible garden and thanks to our partners Yard2Kitchen for your expertise in providing garden services.

Swiss chard is one of the most nutritious vegetables out there, as it packed with nutrients. The range of antioxidants in Swiss chard nutrition can be seen both in its deeply colored green leaves and also in the reds, purples, and yellows of its vibrant, multicolored stalks and veins. Swiss chard nutrition benefits include its many forms of polyphenol, betalain and carotenoid antioxidants which are powerful at fighting free radical damage, inflammation, and disease development.

Swiss chard nutrition is especially noted for having chemical properties that make it helpful for preventing and treating diabetes. Swiss chard helps the blood sugar-regulating system within the body by helping to regulate activity of the enzyme called alpha-glucosidase, aiding in the slow release of glucose (sugar) into the blood stream.  Please check the  US National Library of Medicine, National Institutes of Health for reference.

There are many varieties of recipes using Swiss chard. We are showcasing the following recipe from my recent cookbook Indian Cuisine Diabetes Cookbook for sale on shopdiabetes.org featured in the July issue of the American Diabetes Association's Diabetes Forecast.

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Fish Wrapped in Banana Leaves from Indian Cuisine Diabetes Cookbook by May Abraham Fridel; photography by Greg Larson; food styling by Skyler Myers

Fish Wrapped in Banana Leaves

Makes: 4 servings Serving Size: 4 oz Preparation Time: 5 minutes Cooking Time: 15 minutes

Procedure:

1. In a blender, combine the green chutney masala ingredients and blend to a fine paste.
    
2. Evenly apply the paste to the whole fish (or some paste to each fillet), and then wrap the fish tightly in the banana or Swiss chard leaves. Brush the tops of the leaves with the sunflower oil. Place the wrapped fish in a steamer and cook for 15 minutes.
    
3. Cut open the leaf wrapping, slicing away from your body, and carefully release the steam before serving.

Cook’s Note: This dish is known in India as Patrani Machi. You can replace the mango in the masala with the juice of 1/2 lemon, if desired.

Ingredients:

Green Chutney Masala

1 green chili, seeds removed
3 cloves garlic
2 oz. mango
1/2 cup cilantro leaves
2 Tbsp. grated fresh coconut
1/2 tsp. salt
1 1/2 lb. sea bass, scaled and cleaned, or 4 (4-oz) fillets
4 pieces banana leaf or 4 Swiss chard leaves
1 Tbsp. sunflower oil

At Passion for Spices Test Kitchen we constantly create recipes which are easy to use with seasonal ingredients, using authentic flavors. To learn more about our upcoming cooking classes, please check our Classes & Workshops page.  Based in Summit, NJ, our cooking classes are focused on food literacy programs which helps everyone to learn to cook at home from scratch. Please find your favorite class and reserve today. Happy Fall Cooking!

Passion for Spices 8th Annual Summer Cooking Camp: Farm to Table - Our Third Week

Highlights of Our Third Week: Farm to table

This third week of our summer cooking camp was all about using farm fresh and seasonal vegetables. The Passion for Spices team focused on teaching campers the importance of knowing where your food comes from, identifying in season fruits and vegetables, and creating fresh and summery foods.

Refreshing Cold Soups: From the Garden

To begin the week, our first day was all about soups; cold soups and summery soups specifically. Author May Fridel taught the campers several different techniques for crafting soups using fresh vegetables including:  avocado cucumber soup with fresh picked herbs from May's cookbook Indian Cuisine and Diabetes Cookbook,  a Russian style vegetable soup, and what became their favorite soup, gazpacho, all served with crusty country bread!

Summer Veggie Combos

The second day was no less exciting as the campers learned how to turn ordinary farm fresh vegetables into culinary masterpieces from scratch! First they were asking, "If there is any meat in the chili," but as they tasted the soups, with all the flavors and different textures they relished it. The campers finished the day making Moroccan Tajine, Spanish Escalivada, and vegetarian chili; all the while snacking freshly cooked chickpeas as they prepared the dishes.

Visit To Murph Farm in Chatham

A highlight of our week was the trip to Murph Farm in Chatham. Eliza Murphy, owner of the farm, gave a tour of the farm, where the campers got to feed the chickens, pick vegetables, and learn how their favorite fruits and vegetables are grown. The campers had fun picking vegetables like cucumbers , many varieties of tomatoes, eggplants, and zucchini, as well as fresh herbs.. They kids experienced a real farm to table concept, where we made fresh pizzas to foccacias, and used the vegetables straight from the farm. We also made  fresh fruit baskets, and honey lemonade.

Veggies & Farm-Fresh Eggs

On the fourth day, the campers learned how to incorporate farm fresh eggs with seasonal vegetables, making dishes such as quiche, summer frittatas, and Korean pancakes!

Handmade Free Form Pies

Friday featured guest Chef Bob Conway, owner and baker at Brownie Points Bakery in Summit, NJ. Chef Conway taught the campers how to craft free form handmade pies, including apple crisp, peach cobbler, and a delicious plum crostata! All the fruits were picked from Race Farm in Blairstown, NJ.

Family Cooking Series Next Week

We are looking forward to next week, where parents cook and eat together with their kids. 

We have a few more seats left. We have many fun themes including "Oodles Noodles Class" where we learn to make soba noodles from scratch. 

This is going to be an exciting last week. So calling all families to come cook with us with your kids/teens.

Click here for the Camp Brochure to learn more about our last week!

Or Please Click Below to Register: