Holiday Shopping in NYC: Ingredients

From Halloween through the New Year there are tons of recipes floating around for ways to get cooking in this cozy holiday season. All the November and December issues of our favorite food magazines beg you to cook the perfect bird, amazing sides, stunning desserts and decorative cookies and treats to gift. But sometimes it can be difficult to find what you need when making a recipe for the first time, especially when its for seasonal items. The cold weather lately had me in a restocking mode – with a full kitchen I can avoid being out in the cold after work shopping. I have a short list of places to shop in my left hand column (over there <) but I thought this would be a good time to tell you about some of my favorite places to find special ingredients in the city and most often at good prices, too.

International Grocery

Boy do I love this place! I just stopped in yesterday to refresh my grain supplies and a few spices, too. This is a little specialty food store with huge bags and full bins of grains, spices, beans, flours, nuts and more to purchase in bulk. Buying in bulk is my favorite way to stock things like arborio rice (for risottos), cornmeal (for endless dishes of polenta), dried black beans, unique flours, and nuts. Since I’m usually cooking only for myself I don’t like to buy huge supplies of things and I try to avoid packaging whenever possible. At International Grocery you’ll find things like high-gluten flour and 6 different kinds of couscous with the option to get only as much as your recipe requires. Go with a list, go with cash ($10 credit card minimum), and don’t be shy in loading up on supplies and taking notes for the future. The gentlemen working at the store will assist you in scooping and weighing everything, so a list helps expedite your visit. Also, since the shop is not too large, ask if you don’t see something you think they would have – they probably do but it might not be obvious (like octopus or yogurt stored in the cooler).

543 Ninth Ave 10018 | 212-279-1000

Kalustyan’s

International Grocery has a number of options for bulk spices, but at Kalustyan’s you’ll find a seemingly endless supply of ground, whole, mixed and unexpected spices, herbs and seasonings. The prices are excellent on most things – you can buy 3oz. packets of tons of spices at a price that is still less than buying them in a jar at the grocery store (most spice jars hold 2oz. give or take, $3-5 depending on the spice [in Manhattan at least!]). If you like to use your own spice jars or tins this is a great place for you, too, since the spices come in little plastic bags. They also have a TON of other specialty items. Come here first with your list, go to International Grocery to fill in the gaps. Also, for my Moroccan/New Years/Birthday party last year I bought nearly all of my supplies from Kalustyan's and International Grocery.

123 Lexington Ave 10016 | 212-685-3451

A Moroccan New Year's Eve

After a few months of many things pointing towards Morocco- posts from Big Girls Small Kitchen, re-watching that favorite scene from Sabrina when Julia Ormond and Harrison Ford go out for Moroccan and eat with their hands, and yes the Real Housewives of New York "Ya habibi" filled getaway-- I decided the best way to spend New Years Eve-into-my birthday would be with a Moroccan inspired celebration. With all the buzz around Paula Wolfert's The Food of Morocco I knew just where to look for menu planning inspiration and fool-proof recipes. 

For the party I wanted my guests to feel transported to a lush Moroccan getaway- walls draped with fabric, colorful pillows and mood lighting. With a limited budget I went with some small, multi-colored fabrics hung in one corner of my petit apartment and saved on pillows by sewing covers for my throw pillows from scrap fabric in great prints I found at Jo-ann's. I ordered Wolfert's book in November and immediately started figuring out my menu. There would be at least 8 guests and as I figured correctly, probably more once the day neared. The feast I came up with perfectly fed all 15 people who showed up with hardly any leftovers. Everything I made, following Paula's recipes, came out just right and with complete ease. I did very little prep during the week and had a day of cooking on the day of the party with very limited stress. 

The Menu

Rather than start with non-Moroccan appetizers, I selected recipes from The Food of Morocco that would be easy to eat without fork and knife, but tasty bites to get my guests warmed up for the main dishes. We were having a truly wonderful evening the whole night through, so there are unfortunately not photos for each dish. Feel free to use your  culinary imagination.

Kefta Meatballs

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From the kefta brochette recipe I made lamb meatballs. Instead of skewering and grilling the meat I made them appetizer friendly by rolling the meat mixture into average sized meatballs that I popped in the oven to cook as guests started to arrive. The recipe involves simply processing the ingredients together in a food processor then preparing them for the grill. I will definitely use this recipe again for parties-- but I will be sure to multiply it to allow 3-4 per guest- the ones I made vanished in a matter of moments! 

Photo courtesy of Khalilah Ramdene 

On the Eighth day of Christmas... Eight Ingredients

Now we've talked about things to read, things to make and places to make them, now its time to talk about some great ingredients. These are things I've come to love and use regularly in my own kitchen and a few that I'd like to try. As someone who cooks as often as possible in the week, I still hesitate to try new things from time to time. I don't usually want to spend the money to order something I can't find in stores or a spice that is a bit more expensive for something I have yet to try, that's why these items can make great gifts. They're special and but always welcome.

Madras Curry Powder. This is a simple one, but very versatile. I bought madras curry powder a sometime last summer and started mixing it with all sorts of things and love the complete flavor it gives. Great tossed with chicken, squash, potatoes and more. Try this version from Whole Spice. 

Mike's Hot Honey. I had the pleasure of receiving Mike's (amazing) Hot Honey sometime after watching food.curated's video about it. Pizza will never be the same without it. I love it (and am out and need to order more). It will make a delectable gift for anyone who loves their sweet spicy and their spicy sweet. Order enough as gifts and one for yourself. 

Avocado Oil. Since I read this feature on Avocado oil in Saveur I've been keeping an eye out for it in Fairway. The fact that the oil comes from the flesh from the avocado, not the pit seems so cool to me. This is one to order. 

Tazo Rest (rose) Tea. My floral love stems in part from my macaron love, but I found this Tazo rose tea and completely love it. A great find for the tea lover in your life. Look for it at the grocery store, friends have had luck finding it at Target as well. Give it with a lovely teacup.

Chipotle Olive Oil from the Filling Station. This olive oil is infused with chipotle and adds a warm spice to anything you use it with. I like to heat a little up in a pan and cook some chicken in it for spicy dishes like nachos and quesadillas. Delicious as is with bread for dipping. Be generous enough when ordering and get the 150ml so they can make sure they like it without running out within a week.

Nutella. Overrated? Underrated? Nutella is magical. I think every Nutella lover deserves an emergency jar as a Christmas present. If they go through it slow, but steady a regular sized jar is good. If they are fanataic consider the big to monster sized jars that they use at creperies. Fun. Simple. Versatile. Delicious. 

Chez Pim jams. Jeffrey Steingarten recently gave Pim a serious Vogue shoutout which has her working overtime jamming it up. I'd love to try some of the unique flavors she has and think a little combination back paired with some gourmet crackers would make an excellent gift. Check them out and order from her recently upgraded online shop (she used to sell them on etsy). 

Saffron. That beautiful threadlike stamen of the crocus flower is one of the most treasured of spices. This is one of those things that a cook might not buy for their own kitchen but which adds a lot of luxury and beauty to cooking. The bright red threads will turn any dish a golden yellow with a subtle floral hint that is difficult to describe. A good way to stretch you saffron is to make saffron water with it, see Paula Wolfert's recipe here and send/print the link to your saffron receiving friends. Pick up a some from the spice aisle of the super market or ramp it up with this Moroccan saffron from Mustapha's.