Semiserious Chefs

This fűszer, or ‘spice,’ plays off some of the common flavors found in Hungarian cuisine, as well as many of the surrounding countries of Central and Eastern Europe. One of the only countries to really grasp onto chilies within Europe, the Hungarian herdsman rather preferred a milder strain for their meat stew, or goulash. But […]

Pulling together this blend was a bit of a kick in the pants. Saying you have the recipe for berbere (pronounced bur-bur-EE) is about the same as saying you have the recipe for barbecue sauce, or the ras el hanout blend. Every family, mother, grandmother, cousin, region, restaurant, and spice shop has their own concoction. […]

Shichimi Togarashi – 七味唐辛子 – means ‘seven spice blend,’ but it’s funny that if you break down those syllables a little you end up with Shi chi mi togarashi -しちみ とがらし – ‘scrubbing.’ Perhaps this tingly, spicy blend helps to scrub your innards? I don’t think so. I just found it an interesting aspect of […]

It took a little while to come up with a good Greek seasoning blend, but I am very happy with this one! The sumac was the secret to getting a little bit of tartness, but not an overwhelming amount of lemon. When mixed with sour cream, yogurt, and a little feta cheese it makes a […]

There are a few of us out there that absolutely crave the savory flavor combination you get on a good Everything Bagel. But why does it only come on a bagel? What if I want an Everything Pork Chop? What about a loaf of Everything Bread? (Mix this seasoning (unsalted) right in with your dough […]

This colorful blend offers many of the favorite seasoning flavors we all crave. Just the right amount of garlic, a splash of chive to go with onion flakes, plenty of green herbs, and one very special ingredient; dried tomato! Dried tomato flakes can be found at a lot of herb and spice shops, and on-line. […]

It’s the rosemary that really makes this blend stand out, but don’t go thinking it will make everything taste like stuffing! Using Hungarian paprika, a mild and sweeter paprika, combined with hot cayenne, the blend of rosemary and oregano round everything out with a perfect harmony between green and red. As for the garlic, I […]