THE GEAR
Buy a granite mortar and
pestle with a 4-cup
capacity at kitchen
supply stores or amazon
.com. Find whole spices
at spicewallabrand.com.34 MARCH 2019
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A STELLAR SPICE BLEND is one of the easiest ways to amp up
the flavors of a dish, taking a simple seared pork chop or baked
chicken thigh to the next level. But what makes a spice mix
great? We asked Meherwan Irani, chef and founder of the spice
retailer Spicewalla, for advice. His first tip? For the best flavor,
make your own blend from scratch. Toast whole spices first to
bloom their fragrance, then grind them to medium-coarse con-
sistency. And taste your spices as you go: “A common mistake is
assuming a spice will taste the way it smells. But there’s often a
big difference.” To get you started, check out two delicious DIY
spice blends on the following pages. KELSEY YOUNGMANSpice Skills Meherwan Irani shares
his secrets to blending spices.
MASTER CLASSToast spices to bloom
their fragrance and
flavor and to dry them
out for easier grinding.
2
Store dry spice blends
in an opaque container
in a cool, dark spot and
wet spice blends in
the refrigerator for
up to 2 days.
3
To refresh stored
spices and blends,
toast them lightly in a
dry pan or fry them in a
little oil before adding
them to dishes.HOW TO HANDLE
SPICE BLENDS1FOODSTYLING:^TORIECOX;^PROPSTYLIN
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AUDREYDAVI
Sphotography by VICTOR PROTASIO