SAUCY SOPRANO SPICES AND SWEETS
The Saucy Soprano Spice Blends
One of my favorite parts of my Saucy Soprano journey has been SPICE BLENDING! I've spent 6 months sourcing the very best spices from all over the world, creating recipes and testing them on family and friends. Here are my five original blends, created with passion, purpose and a whole lot of love. I hope they will transport you to faraway, exotic places!
The Saucy Soprano Spice Blends
$15 individual, $12 for orders of 3 blends, $10 for orders of 5 blends
The Saucy Soprano's Five Original Spice Blends, packaged and ready to go!
~ Middle Eastern Za'atar
~ Arabic Baharat
~ Melina's Everything Bagel Blend
~ Persian Advieh
~ Ethiopian Baharat
Persian Advieh
$15 individual, $12 for orders of 3 blends, $10 for orders of 5 blends
Maybe my favorite of the bunch (because it's beautifully flecked with pink rose petals), Advieh is a traditional spice blend used across Iran and other parts of the Middle East. The flavour is sweet, savoury and tart. It is fairly all-purpose but is often called for in Persian rice dishes and chicken stews. I love it on roasted vegetables, in chutneys and sauces. My Advieh is fragrant, with freshly ground cardamom, Sri Lankan cinnamon, cumin, coriander, cloves, and gorgeous rose petals.
Middle Eastern Za'atar
$15 individual, $12 for orders of 3 blends, $10 for orders of 5 blends
Za’atar is a spice blend that is very popular in Arabic and Israeli cuisine. It is commonly mixed with olive oil and spread on pita or flatbread, and can be used to season meat and vegetables. My Za'atar is packed with thyme, basil, oregano, toasted sesame seeds, and ground sumac, which grows in the Mediterranean and has a tart, fruity flavour. Try Za’atar on pita wedges or sprinkled on pizza, mixed with hummus or added to a soup or stew!
Arabic Baharat
$15 individual, $12 for orders of 3 blends, $10 for orders of 5 blends
The word “baharat” simply means "spice" in Arabic and is common throughout North Africa and the Middle East. My blend includes loads of black pepper, paprika, cinnamon, cardamom, clove and nutmeg and mint. It has a lovely exotic sweetness that stands out through the peppery heat. Use on chicken, beef or lamb before grilling. You can also make a quick marinade by mixing a tablespoon of baharat with a quarter-cup of fresh squeezed lemon juice and a quarter-cup of olive oil.
Ethiopian Berbere
$15 individual, $12 for orders of 3 blends, $10 for orders of 5 blends
Ready to breathe a little fire? Berbere is an all-purpose Ethiopian spice blend made from a huge variety of spices, depending on availability and the tastes of the chef. Mine has ginger, fenugreek, cloves, cumin, coriander, ajowan and a LOT of chiles. In addition to being very flavourful it is intensely spicy – beware! Berbere is traditionally used in Ethiopian stews, known as “wats.” It is also great in other types of stews and rubbed on any meat that is bound for the grill.
Melina's Everything Bagel Blend
$15 individual, $12 for orders of 3 blends, $10 for orders of 5 blends
I'm a bonafide Everything Bagel expert. I didn’t want to copy other blends so I created one that's similar in spirit but has uses and flavours that go far beyond bagels, with a coarse mix of poppy seeds, sesame seeds, garlic, onion, sea salt, nigella and caraway seeds and more. This is not meant to be cooked with but eaten as is – on avocado toast, roasted vegetables, in vinaigrette, hummus, or on cream cheese bagels. It’s a great topping for homemade bread, crackers, and of course, bagels.
The Jewish Cookbook's dessert section has 94 desserts!
So guess what I'm doing for the next three months?!
If I don't share the wealth, Craig and I will weigh 400 pounds each come July.
I'll be taking orders (local area/Okanagan Valley only) for my homemade desserts, encompassing some of the most beloved and iconic sweet classics of the cuisine. Honey cakes! Chocolate babka! Rugelach! Hamantaschen! Halva!
And so much more!
From April to July 2021, I will post the week's offerings here and take orders. Quantities will be limited and all orders must be pre-paid.
Pickup or delivery available.
STAY TUNED, bubbelehs!