Kitchen Pantry 101 | the secret to creative cooking

My blend made up of the unique flavor combination of black pepper, coriander, Middle Eastern leek and sumac adds just the right amount of zest to your favorite cut of meat. I prefer beef tenderloins, but this will work on any steak. It stands up beautifully to high heat from a hot pan to grill. Either way, make sure your meat is room temperature before you start cooking.

Grilled Middle Eastern Kabobs: Traditional lightly herbed meat scented with pepper, curry and turmeric. Lovely served with basmati rice and cooling spiced yogurt or wrapped in Lavash as a sandwich.

This tremendously versatile base sauce is packed with flavor and can be used in many different ways in rice, pasta, vegetables, casseroles, shepherd pies and sandwiches. It freezes very well for later use.

Lamb was very much part of the cuisine of my childhood.  Roasted lamb rack makes a dazzling main dish as it is elegant and sophisticated and surprisingly easy to make.  The combination of the herbs and spices in my Blend makes it so tasty and easy to pair  with a variety of sides, from rice to salad, roasted vegetable or potato gratins. Impress your guests with your creativity!

Every day is a day to celebrate life and live in the moment.  There is no reason to wait for the holiday season to have this healthy, lean and elegant piece of meat as we should celebrate life on a daily basis.  You can always ask your butcher to prepare the rack for you. My amazing Blend No.40 seasons and infuses your pork, making it tasty and juicy.  You can always add a soft creamy cheese or chutney for additional flavoring.

For years I would not think about making ribs because I thought it was very difficult and required special  techniques  and equipment.  The first time I made them with my Blend No.49, I was so surprised at how easy it was.  I did not even need to boil the ribs first.  If you like BBQ sauce glaze, brush your favorite sauce on the ribs about 20 minutes before they are done or when you take the ribs from the oven.

My Blend No.50, spiced with black pepper, paprika and lime, has just the right amount of kick and zestiness for chicken. This recipe works equally well when roasted in a pan with vegetables. Simply dice your favorite root vegetables (such as carrots, potatoes, and turnips) and coat with some of the herbed oil, separate from the chicken. Place vegetables in a roasting pan. Place chicken pieces on a rack and put the rack in the pan on top of the vegetables and roast. Try using this Blend for your Thanksgiving Turkey, you will be happy you did!

From a crazy busy quick weeknight dinner to an elegant sit-down celebration feast using an inexpensive piece of fish to Chilean Sea Bass, my Aromatic Savory Fish Blend does the magic for you and helps you achieve ultimate taste, aroma and presentation.  This is the easiest, most delicious cooking without compromise.

Mother nature has given us a bounty of wonderful, tasteful, aromatic herbs and spices with which to season our food.  There is no need to take a beautiful, colorful and vibrant piece of vegetable and mask the natural deliciousness and sugars with cream, mayonnaise or cheese.  My Divine Vegetable Blend No.70 enhances the natural flavors that come from soil, sun and water, while complementing and adding color and flavor to vegetable dishes of all kinds.

Pasta is now a staple food of global cuisines.  For a flavorful fabulous fast recipe use my versatile Herby Blend and have a gourmet healthy dish on your table in no time. You can always get creative by adding vegetables, meat, poultry and seafood to this simple dish to make it more exotic. For a delicious gluten-free option, I suggest you try Chickpea Pasta, which is higher in protein and lower in carbohydrates!

My fragrant rice is the simplest recipe in only 3 steps:  Soaking • Washing • Cooking This recipe calls for 3 cups of rice,  refrigerates well and is very versatile.  You can use the extra cooked rice in salads, in stuffed vegetables, in Paella, with grilled vegetables, with eggs, or Get Creative!  It also reheats beautifully in the microwave.