Sometimes you make a recipe perfectly and yet it doesn’t taste right. The reason could be that your spices are not fresh enough. Although they are dried, that doesn’t mean that they don’t degrade and lose flavor over time. A good pantry or spice-shelf check every 3-5 months is a good idea if you want even a basic spiced grilled cheese to taste its best.
Pereg Natural Foods has a line of spices that is quite fresh and can add that critical touch to a meal. TasteTV had a moment to talk with them about their lineup, and how they source their herbs. Pereg also shares its recipe for tasty Spaghetti Puttanesca.
INTERVIEW
TasteTV: Pereg Natural Foods is known for its Gluten Free products. How did you get in the market for spices?
PNF: Pereg started with spices back in 1906. We began as a small spice cart with pure spices and crafting robust spice blends. Over the years building up our product assortment and expanding our retail items. Many of our products conveniently are gluten free.
TasteTV: The oregano has a very fresh scent even though it is dried. How do you achieve that?
PNF: We have been working closely with farmers & suppliers since we started, cultivating a great relationship to secure the best quality, freshest ingredients for our pure herbs, spices & spice blends.
TasteTV: Do you have the same region or farmers that you use to source spices, or does it vary?
PNF: Our ingredients are sourced from the finest regions for each, focusing on quality.
TasteTV: What are some of the more popular spices?
PNF: We offer over 75 herbs, spices, and spice blends. Some of our most popular spices include paprika (we offer 5 different varieties including a bright red Spanish style, and an extra sweet Mediterranean style,) zahtar (some people eat it straight out of the jar,) and a recent demand for our hawaj for coffee
TasteTV: Are people cooking differently with spices than in the past?
PNF: As with all things, there are cyclical trends – at the moment it seems people are interested in pure rich spices like turmeric (ours has very high curcuma levels) and paprika, but also interested in experimenting with exotic blends. We offer a range of everything including some newer blends like a dry sriracha mix that’s delicious in scrambled eggs.
TasteTV: Do you have any recommended recipes for core spices such as Bay Leaves, Cinnammon, Cumin, Oregano or Rosemary?
PNF: These herbs & spices are great in all baking & cooking applications. We have some recipes on our website: https://www.pereg-gourmet.com/blogs/recipes
Spaghetti Puttanesca
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- ½ cup yellow onion, small diced
- 3-4 canned anchovies, chopped
- 2 large cloves garlic, minced
- ½ teaspoon red chili pepper flakes
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 28-ounce can diced tomatoes
- ½ teaspoon red chili pepper flakes
- 2 teaspoons dried oregano
- 2 tablespoons capers
- ¾ cup pitted green olives, sliced
- 1 package Quinoa Spaghetti (8oz)
- Kosher Salt
- ½ cup grated Parmesan Cheese
- ¼ cup fresh basil, rough chopped
Preparation
STEP 1
Heat the extra virgin olive oil over medium-high heat in a large, deep sauté pan. When the oil is hot, add the onions and sauté until soft, about 5 minutes. Add the chopped anchovies in oil and cook another 2 minutes until anchovies are very soft. Then add the garlic and red chili pepper flakes and sauté for an additional minute.
STEP 2
Then add in diced tomatoes, oregano, capers and olives and simmer for 10 minutes. Add salt if needed.
STEP 3
While the sauce is simmering, make your pasta. Bring 4-6 quarts of water with ½ tablespoon salt to a boil in a large stockpot. Add pasta and return to a rapid boil. Cook uncovered stirring occasionally until pasta is al dente, about 6 minutes.
STEP 4
Drain the pasta well and toss with ¾ of the sauce. Serve with more sauce on top and Parmesan cheese and basil for garnish.
