Ber…What?

I recently watched a cooking demonstration with Chef Marcus Samuelsson.  He was expressing how important spices are to his cooking.  The statement sparked curiosity but also made me realize how much I rely on the usual staples in my kitchen.

As he began to prepare a fish dish, I became determined to pay attention to the spices and attempt to use them in my cooking.  He used berbere in his recipe which is an Ethiopian blend of chiles, garlic, fenugreek, and warm spices such as cinnamon and allspice.  Big Guy placed an order that evening so we could experiment with it.

We fell in love with berbere for its flavor and hint of heat.  We have used it as a marinate on chicken and even sprinkled it over rice and vegetables.  So, get out of your box and try something new.  We are so excited and can’t wait to explore another new spice.

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