It’s early still, but I’m thinking of dubbing this the year of the olive (for me, anyway). Although truth be told, I think the Everyman has unofficially gone ahead and done it for me already.
My hunt for those elusive Cerignolas last week led me to The Spice Trader, but only after I’d already picked up an overpriced jar of Lucques olives (that barely resembled them) while I was out procuring supplies for New Years Eve dinner at the Leslieville Cheese Market; this was prior to Carlo Catallo contacting me with their name.
Once I arrived home and received his reply, I began a) kicking myself for not using my iPhone as nature intended (to check email while away and thus circumventing this problem) and b) wracking my brain for possible sellers of the Cerignola olive that would be open on the day before New Years Eve. Terroni and The Olive Pit (sister store of The Spice Trader) immediately sprang to mind, both of which auspiciously happened to be in my neighbourhood…
Heading back out into the cold, I wandered down the street to The Spice Trader, half convincing myself that in my sickly state I should just turn around and go back the next morning, but for whatever inane reason I pressed on. It was a good thing I did, too, because once I got there I found a holiday hours sign pasted to the door advising me that the 30th was the last day they were open until the new year. Fortuitously, they also happened to be having a 25% off sale.
Of course, once I got inside I couldn’t help browsing to see what was new and interesting in herbs and spices. In the basement of The Olive Pit, I found my precious Cerignolas, plus an intriguing bottle of pear vinegar that I decided to bring home.
Returning to the main floor, I began stocking up on tins of the various Christmassy spices I’d used up over the holidays, like cinnamon and ginger, but also grabbed 6 new tins to play with. First I snapped up a bottle of Pacific smoked sea salt that I’d been meaning to buy for some time (even though I know I can make it myself, I just wasn’t up to it in the dead of winter). It gave off a lovely aroma that reminded me of my childhood love affair with Hickory Sticks, those slightly abhorrent potato chip products that are doused with a mesquite-y flavour and shredded into matchsticks. I tried finishing some roasted potatoes with it a few days later to amazing effect.
Next there was a tin of dulse flakes, and although these aren’t new to me, I wanted to see what sort of bizarre uses I could come up with. As of this writing I haven’t quite figured it out yet, but every time I pop open the lid, they remind me of the flakes I used to feed my neon tetras when I was just a kidlet. Not exactly an appetizing thought, but I’m working on it!
I got a little anal retentive once I got to the pepper shelf by selecting 3 new kinds of pepper (cubeb, long and urfa) but they are certainly quite distinct. I’ve already found a fun use for the long peppers (the subject of a future post) and the urfa is reminiscent of the aleppo that I love so much (note to self: must make more aleppo chicken ASAP!) I haven’t used the cubeb yet, but it has a subtly astringent scent that I find invigorating, so I’m sure it won’t be long for that either.
Lastly, I bought some curry leaves. Mostly because I recalled a recipe I’d earmarked recently that called for them, but also partly because I’ve always loved the romance of the title of that book Mangoes And Curry Leaves. Silly, I know. I never said I was 100% rational all the time.
Anyhow, after my little spice jaunt I’m feeling in fairly good stead to start kicking around the kitchen once again (it’s been almost 4 weeks since I’ve done any real cooking).
Now I just have to find some inspiration to cook and share with all of you!
Until next time…
Tags: Books, Carlo Catallo, Jeffery Alford, Leslieville Cheese Market, Mangoes And Curry Leaves, Naomi Duguid, New Projects, Purveyors, Restaurants, Splendido, Terroni, The Olive Pit, The Spice Trader, Victor Barry
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