NEWS FROM
SUMMER 2020
1001
FOOD STORIES Mill & Mortar’s new spices for Summer 2020 originate in the cuisine of the Middle East and North Africa, which is the big new culinary trend. They are cuisines packed with colours and flavour, a veritable joy for eyes and taste buds alike. The new spice blends are organic, clean label and blended in the spice workshop in Trørød, Denmark. So for all of you who enjoy cooking our own meals, we hope that you will welcome them and contribute to create more exciting stories about food.
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have a gigantic crush on the Middle Eastern and North African cuisines in all their many nuances. An infatuation that began when my mother took thirteenyear-old me to Copenhagen’s first shawarma bar on Strøget in 1980. It was a revelation! Juicy and aromatic meat, crunchy and refreshing greens, fragrant bread and a hint of chilli opened up a brandnew world to me. That’s why Mill & Mortar’s spice range tells the story of this fascination, and over time we have added a wide variety of spices that tap directly into this culinary culture. Chefs and restaurants are also popping up all over Copenhagen which celebrate and reimagine the Middle Eastern culinary traditions.
Iben Büchert - the owner and founder of Mill & Mortar, photographed on a working visit to Marrakech in February 2020, just before the world shut down. Iben herself is responsible for the product development of the new spices. Iben founded Mill & Mortar in 2008, and the company has more than 500 retailers in Denmark and today exports products to more than 20 countries.
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And in the cookbook realm, we’re aided by chefs from world-renowned Yotam Ottolenghi to our more local Ditte Ingemann and Camilla Plum, all of whom are wonderfully skilled at adapting the Middle Eastern cuisine to our northern palates. That’s why I feel it is time to present a package comprised of spice blends, basic spices, nuts and flowers that play an integral role in the Middle Eastern culinary trend. I’ve named the concept
‘1001 food stories’, and the idea is that, equipped with this array of spices, you can make healthy, budget-friendly, appealing and especially flavourful food - for everyday and for special occasions. Although the Middle East and North Africa cover more than 20 different countries with myriad local cuisines and food traditions, certain aspects link them together in my mind. The ‘1001 food stories’ concept offers magical and amazing culinary experiences, and just like in fairytales, the possibilities are infinite - exciting ingredient combinations, new flavours in familiar dishes and tempting new ways to serve food. It’s difficult for me to hide the fact that I’m crazy about the concept and there are many good reasons for that. Here are just a few of them: The cuisine features a cornucopia of green vegetables and root vegetables and the ingredients can easily be adapted to suit local availability. Many of the dishes contain meat and fish, but in the vast majority of them beans or more vegetables can be substituted to make the dishes vegetarian
It has been a blast to develop the new blends where several of our more recent raw material are included, such as our organic rose buds, marjoram and several kinds of chilli. Amazing raw material and beautiful colours makes the job so much more fun.
or vegan without having to resort to dull plant-based substitutes. Fruits, herbs and nuts play a big part, both fresh and dried, lending the dishes sweetness, colour and texture. Pomegranates, apricots, plenty of fresh mint, thyme, marjoram and oregano, and nuts of every kind - from almonds to pistachios. Middle Eastern cuisine is bursting with legumes, lentils, beans and peas, which in their dried and fresh forms provide plenty of protein and substance to every dish. This is gorgeous, colourful food that truly elevates the sensory experience of eating. Colours from flowers, fruits and pistachios. We simply cannot overstate how important it is for food to be visually appealing. And in 1001 cuisine, the possibilities are infinite.
And last but not least, the seasoning is mild but unmistakable. Seasoning is the story itself, and it lifts basic ingredients into the realm of the sublime. This is not food that packs a punch in terms of heat, as found in many parts of Asia; instead, the spices play their own unique role by bringing together the diverse flavours of the ingredients. That’s food that I can understand – and cook! And though I’m sure that I’ve already convinced many of you to join me, we want to inspire you to embrace this cuisine for yourselves. Only rarely do I make complicated food in daily life. Most days, it’s all about getting relatively healthy, fast and nourishing food onto the table. So I’m not shy about jazzing up store-bought hummus or salad, taking it from blah to bril-
liant with just a few sprinkles of this or that. At Mill & Mortar, we always do our best to inspire you. We invite you and everyone else who wants to delve into the vibrant cuisine of the Middle East to join us on this culinary journey. ‘Once upon a time’ is right now, and who knows - perhaps together we can create 1001 food stories that will enchant and spark joy, just like Scheherazade did when she told the king the tales of the One Thousand and One Nights. See all the news and the standout spices in this culinary tradition on the following pages. Bon appétit! Iben Büchert
NEWS SUMMER 2020 ROSE HARISSA originates from North African cuisine and is a chilli rub with a touch of warm spices and roses. It is used as a base for soups and stews, or mixed with olive oil as a sauce for meats, fish, or slathered on fried or baked vegetables. ZA’ATAR A classic Middle Eastern spice blend that is fast gaining popularity around the world as a zesty sprinkle atop salads, breads, cheese or fried chicken. Za’atar adds flair to even the simplest of meals. Try it on sliced tomatoes, eggs or hummus. Thyme, orega-
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no and marjoram lend a herbaceous touch, with an acidic tinge from sumac and the nutty flavour from roasted sesame seeds. ROSE SALT The beautifully coloured red wine salt is tinged by the herby taste of rosemary, sweetness of rose and lavender and a hint of warmth from sweet chilli. Makes a wonderful table salt and is ideal as a rub for leg of lamb, chicken or a roast. Or for adding a bit of decadence to something as simple as a piece of good bread with olive oil.
MARJORAM is a member of the oregano family and can be used in the same way. Marjoram is known for its mild flavour with notes of citrus and sweet pine, and it adds depth to any tomato-based dish. It is also ideal for use in pasta dishes, atop pizza, in veggie balls and meatballs and for seasoning vegetables, soups, fish or beans. Add dried marjoram towards the end of cooking to bring out the aromatic flavour..
SPICES
IN 1001 FOOD STORIES
DUKKAH – AS A SNACK OR SPICE BLEND – IS AN ABSOLUTE MUST IN MIDDLE EASTERN CUISINE As far as I can ascertain, DUKKAH can be traced to Egypt and was part of the provisions that the Bedouins had in their caravans as they made their way across the desert. Dukkah is traditionally eaten with bread and oil. In our slightly more tapas-style concept, sets of small bowls filled with Dukkah and Dukkah Oil are placed on the table so everyone can enjoy them. Personally I’m a big fan of putting together a large platter featuring different vegetables, cucumber, carrots, asparagus, small new potatoes, radishes and more. And for Easter, (quail) eggs, of course. The blend of almonds and spices creates crispness and a slight richness when sprinkled over everything from oven-baked fish to salads, or enjoyed simply as a snack. Red Dukkah is a blend of almonds, paprika, cumin and coriander while Green Dukkah features white almonds, pistachios and fennel. Our Dukkah Oil is a roasted sesame seed oil.
ASANI is rubbed directly onto meat, green vegetables and root vegetables along with oil and salt. Try an ultra-simple marinade for meat or vegetables using only Asani and freshly squeezed orange juice before preparing the food. Asani can also be used to flavour stews and tagines, soups and sauces, or sprinkled over root vegetables and green vegetables made in the oven. Another idea is to mix Asani with breadcrumbs, mustard and butter to create a crispy crust for roasted meats such as leg of lamb.
PUL BIBER chilli flakes (which is also a relatively new addition to our selection) is also known as Aleppo pepper. It boasts a vibrant red colour and has a mild, fruity taste with slight, cumin-like undertones. Often used as an everyday table spice in the Middle East. The red chilli pepper is dried, crushed and most of the seeds removed. Pul Biber belongs to the milder varieties of chilli pepper, measuring just 5-10,000 heat units on the Scoville scale. Sprinkle it directly onto food or add during cooking. Use it as you would use pepper. I’m particularly fond of using Pul Biber with fruit, either in salads or desserts.
SUMAC is the major new trend-setter in the spice world and is becoming ever more popular – after all, it is amazing. Sumac is integral to Middle Eastern cuisine and adds a fruity, slightly astringent and citrusy flavour. It is used the way other cuisines use vinegar, lemon or tamarind, and is added to marinades, rubs and dips. Sumac grows on shrubs in dense, conical clusters and the berries are ready to be harvested when they reach a deep, ripe red colour. The berries are dried and ground to a coarse powder that boasts a gorgeous deep burgundy tone. All organic, of course.
WE’RE MAD ABOUT
ROSES ... ROSE BUDS We can’t hide the fact that we are crazy about our gorgeous, wonderfully fragrant rose buds, which are organic and cultivated by a women’s cooperative in Morocco. They are also starting to be used as an ingredient in our various blends. They were originally intended as a garnish for cocktails and other beverages, but they are also used in teas, food preparation and as decoration for pastries and cakes. Use them whole or crush them with a mortar and pestle.
CUMIN is another must-have spice, and it is part of many of our blends from all four corners of the world. Once you’ve developed a taste for its powerful, warm flavour and mild bitterness, it’s hard to do without it. Cumin is used in countless North African and Middle Eastern dishes and as a seasoning in place of salt. To bring out more of the bitterness of cumin, the small seeds can be dry roasted in a frying pan and then ground in with a mortar and pestle before use.
RAS EL HANOUT means ‘top shelf’ in Arabic and every spice dealer with any self-respect has their own version of this storied blend. Our Ras el Hanout is a vibrant blend featuring notes of nutmeg, cinnamon and warm spices combined with sweetness derived from rose petals and lavender. Most often used in hearty stews, tagines and other braises where the flavours of the blend intertwine with the other ingredients. I use it a lot with lamb or chicken and in vegetable dishes like couscous and beans and chickpeas. It also makes a delicious topping for popcorn.
WITH THESE BEAUTIES IN YOUR SPICE CUPBOARD, THE FLAVOUR COMBINATIONS ARE ALMOST
INFINITE
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