Gipsy Eggs
3 Tbsp olive oil
1 tsp powdered saffron
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground cinnamon
2 slices bread
2 garlic cloves, peeled and chopped
1 Tbsp blanched almonds
4 large eggs
Heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in a frying
pan, add the saffron, cumin and cinnamon and
fry for 1 minute, then add the bread and fry on
both sides until crisp and golden. Remove the
fried bread and allow to cool slightly. Add the
remaining oil to the pan, add the garlic and
almonds and fry for 1-2 minutes without
allowing either to brown. Pound the contents
of the pan with the fried bread in a mortar and
pestle, or process in a food processor or electric
blender, to make a smooth paste. Lightly oil a
shallow ovenproof dish and spread the paste
over the bottom. Break the eggs on top and
bake in the oven for about 15 minutes until the
whites are set and the paste is crunchy and
golden but not browned. Remove and serve
immediately. (The Encyclopedia of Herbs

Spices and Flavorings)

Tajine with black-eyed beans/cowpeas (Bean
stew)
? lb black-eyed beans, cooked (save the liquid)
1 onion, chopped
1 red bell pepper, chopped
1 green bell pepper, chopped
4 tomatoes chopped
2 Tbsp tomato paste
1 tsp cinnamon
? tsp grated nutmeg
1 lb spinach, chopped
oil
salt and pepper
Fry the onion in the oil until it is
transparent. Then add the red and green bell
peppers and cook until they soften. Now put in
the tomatoes, tomato paste, cinnamon and
nutmeg and stir well. Add the beans and stir
them into the mixture. Then season with
pepper and salt before placing the spinach on
top. Add a little water or retained cooking
liquid and stew for 20 minutes (The Spices of
Life)

Caribbean Chicken
6-8 chicken pieces, skinned
2 Tbsp Jamaican jerk spice mixture
1 cup coconut milk
? cup rum
4 bananas, sliced
1 tsp poppy seeds
1 tsp cinnamon
1 green bell pepper, cut into long strips
1 red bell pepper, cut into long strips
2 scallions, sliced finely
1 cup mushrooms, sliced finely
1 Tbsp chives, chopped
1 mango, cut into thin slices
some melon, scooped into 8-10 balls
? lb grapes
1 Tbsp cashew nuts
1 Tbsp desiccated coconut or coconut flakes
1 Tbsp butter
oil
salt
To make the marinade, mix the jerk
spice with the coconut milk and half the rum.
Then add the chicken and rub the marinade in
so that it absorbs the flavors. Set aside for 2
hours. Heat oven to 375F. Place the sliced
bananas into a baking dish and sprinkle on the
poppy seeds and cinnamon. Dot the butter on
top and pour in the remaining rum. Bake in the
oven for 15-20 minutes. While that is cooking,
pour off the marinade from the chicken and
keep it for later use. Heat the oil in a wok or
skillet and gently fry the marinated chicken
pieces for 5-10 minutes, turning so that they are
beginning to turn golden on all sides. Then
remove and when cool enough, slice the meat
into long thin strips. Now, using a wok, heat
up some more oil and briskly stir-fry the green
and red bell pepper strips, the scallions,
mushrooms and chives. Cook for 3-4 minutes
and then add the chicken strips, stirring all the
time. Next put in the mango slices, melon balls
and the grapes. Mix these in before adding the
cashews and coconut flakes. Stir constantly.
Pour in the retained marinade and stir it in. At
this point, remove the bananas from the oven
and stir them and any juice from the baking
dish into the wok mixture. Cook for a further
1-2 minutes and then serve, accompanied by
rice or a mixture of rice and wild rice. (The
Spices of Life)

Shrimp and Mushrooms
? cup dry Spanish sherry
4 slices onion
2 small carrots, sliced
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1 bay leaf
? tsp ground cinnamon
? tsp saffron threads
? tsp dried tarragon
salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
1 lb jumbo shrimp, shelled and deveined
flour, for dusting
3 Tbsp olive oil
12 cherry tomatoes, halved
1 cup fish broth or clam juice
1 cup fish broth or clam juice
4 large white mushrooms, quartered
3 Tbsp ground blanched almonds
Combine the sherry, onion, carrots,
garlic, bay leaf, cinnamon, saffron, tarragon,
salt and pepper in a bowl. Add the shrimp and
stir to mix. Cover and refrigerate for 6-8 hours
or overnight, stirring occasionally if you're
awake. Strain, reserving both the liquid and the
contents of the strainer. Discard the bay leaf.
Pick out the shrimp, pat dry with paper towels
and dust with the flour. Heat the olive oil in a
skillet over medium heat and saut the shrimp
for 1 minute, turning once. Remove to a
medium bowl. Add the reserved onion, carrots,
and garlic to the skillet and saut for 2-3
minutes, or until the onion is wilted. Add the
tomatoes and cook for 1 minute more, then add
the reserved marinade and the fish broth.
Simmer, uncovered, for 10 minutes. Strain the
sauce and return it to the skillet. Stir in the
mushrooms, almonds, and shrimp. Cover and
cook for 3 minutes, or until the shrimp are firm
and opaque. Serve. (Adriana's Spice Caravan)

Chocolate Beef Stew
2 lbs beef, cubed
? cup walnuts, whole
? cup walnuts, chopped coarsely
1 onion, chopped finely
1 chili, de-seeded and chopped
3 cloves garlic, chopped
2 Tbsp raisins
1? Tbsp cocoa powder
1 can tomatoes
1 tsp ground cinnamon
4 cloves
1 carrot, sliced
1? cups stock or water
oil
salt
Heat oven to 400F. Blend the first
quantity of walnuts with the onions, chili,
garlic, raisins, cocoa powder and tomatoes in a
blender until smooth. In a large pan, heat the
oil, sprinkle in the cinnamon and cloves; stir for
a moment or two. Then add the sliced carrot
and cook for 1 minute. Next put in the blended
walnut mix plus the coarsely chopped walnuts
and let this bubble or 5 minutes, being careful
that it does not stick. Slowly pour in the stock
and mix. Heat some oil in a fresh pan and
when it is hot put in the beef, turning the cubes
round so that they seal and brown. Now add
this to the walnut mixture and combine well.
Turn into an oven-proof dish and cook for 1 1/2
hours or until the meat is meltingly tender.
Serve with rice or potatoes and green
vegetables or salad. (The Spices of Life)

Sweet Potato Pie
2 lb sweet potatoes
1 egg, beaten
1? oz margarine
? cup dark brown sugar
1 level tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon, ground
Preheat oven to 350F. Boil the peeled
sweet potatoes until cooked through, in lightly
salted water. Mash the cooked sweet potatoes.
Add the beaten egg and stir well while mixing
in all the other ingredients. Pour the mixture
into a greased shallow baking pan. Bake for an
hour. Cut into serving squares while still warm
(Creative Cooking with Spices)

Cinnamon Chocolate Pecan Pie
Filling:
1 cup light corn syrup
? cup sugar
? cup margarine or butter, melted
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp cinnamon
3 eggs
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1? cups pecan halves
Topping:
Whipped cream
? tsp cinnamon
1 tsp powdered sugar
Prepare pie crust according to package
directions, using a 9-inch pie pan. Heat oven to
325F. In a large bowl, combine corn syrup,
sugar, margarine, vanilla, cinnamon and eggs,
and beat well. Stir in chocolate chips and
pecans. Spread evenly in pie crust. Bake at
325F for 55-65 minutes, or until pie is a deep
golden brown and filling is set. Cover edge of
pie crust with strip of foil after 15-20 minutes
of baking to prevent excessive browning. Cool
completely. Garnish with whipped cream to
which you have added cinnamon and powdered
sugar. Refrigerate. (The California Wine
Country Herbs & Spices Cookbook)

Hot and Spicy Ice Cream
1 ? cups heavy cream
? cup milk
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp ground ginger
? tsp ground cardamom
? tsp freshly grated nutmeg
? tsp ground cayenne pepper
? cup sugar
6 egg yolks, beaten
Combine the cream, milk, spices, and
half of the sugar in a saucepan over medium
heat. Mix well, bring to a boil, and remove
from heat. Stir the remaining sugar into the
yolks. Add the cream mixture in a stream to
the egg yolk mixture, stirring constantly, and
pour the mixture back into the saucepan. Cook
over low heat, stirring constantly, until the
mixture coats the back of a spoon. Cool, pour
into an ice cream maker, and freeze according
to the manufacturer s directions. (Adriana s
Spice Caravan)

Pastitsio
2 cups macaroni
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 large onion, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1 lb ground steak
1? cups beef stock
2 tsp tomato paste
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp ground cumin
1 Tbsp chopped fresh mint
? cup butter
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
? cup milk
? cup plain yogurt
1? cups grated Kefalotiri or well flavored
Cheddar cheese
salt and ground black pepper
Bring a saucepan of lightly salted water
to the boil. Add the macaroni and cook for 8
minutes, or according to the instruction on the
packet, until al dente. Drain, rinse under cold
water and drain again. Set aside. Preheat the
oven to 375F. Heat the oil in a frying pan, add
the onion and garlic and cook for 8-10 minutes
until soft. Ad the ground steak and stir until
browned. Stir in the stock, tomato paste,
cinnamon, cumin and mint, with salt and
pepper to taste. Cook gently for 10-15 minutes
until the sauce is thick and flavorsome. Melt
the butter in a saucepan. Stir in the flour and
cook for 1 minute. Remove the pan from the
heat and gradually stir in the milk and yogurt.
Return the pan to the heat and cook gently for 5
minutes. Stir in half the cheese and season
with salt and pepper. Stir the macaroni into
cheese sauce. Spread half the macaroni
mixture over the base of a large gratin dish.
Cover with the meat sauce and top with the
remaining macaroni. Sprinkle the remaining
cheese over the top and bake for 45 minutes or
until golden brown on top. (The Encyclopedia
of Herbs and Spices)

Moroccan Harissa-spiced Roast Chicken
3-3 ? lb chicken
2-4 Tbsp garlic and spice aromatic oil
a few bay leaves
2 tsp clear honey
2 tsp tomato paste
4 Tbsp lemon juice
2/3 cups chicken stock
?-1 tsp harissa
Stuffing
2 Tbsp butter
1 onion, chopped
1 garlic clove, crushed
1 ? tsp ground cinnamon
? tsp ground cumin
1 ? cups dried fruit, soaked for several hours or
overnight in wqater to cover
? cup blanched almonds, finely chopped
salt and ground black pepper
Make the stuffing. Melt the butter in a
saucepan. Add the onion and garlic and cook
greatly for 5 minutes until soft. Add the
ground cinnamon and cumin and cook, stirring,
for 2 minutes. Drain the dried fruit, chop it
roughly and add ot the stuffing with the
almonds. Season with salt and pepper and cook
for 2 minutes more. Tip into a bowl and leave
to cool. Preheat the onion to 400F. Stuff the
neck of the chicken with the fruit mixture,
reserving any excess. Brush the garlic and
spice oil over the chicken. Place the chicken in
a roasting tin, tuck in the bay leaves and roast
for 1- 1 ? hours, basting occasionally with the
juices, until cooked. Transfer the chicken to a
carving board. Pour off any excess fat from the
roasting tin. Stir the honey, tomato paste,
lemon juice, stock and harissa into the juices in
the roasting tin. Add salt to taste. Bring to a
boil, lower the heat and simmer for 2 minutes,
stirring frequently. Meanwhile, reheat any
excess stuffing. Carve the chicken, pour the
sauce into a small bowl and serve with the
stuffing and chicken. (Encyclopedia of Herbs
and Spices)

Cinnamon Stick Liqueur
1? cups sugar
1 cup water
2 cinnamon sticks
3 whole cloves
? tsp ground mace
1 cup 100-proof vodka
? cup brandy
4 drops red food coloring
Combine sugar, water, cinnamon,
cloves and mace in saucepan and bring to a boil
over medium-high heat, stirring frequently to
prevent scorching. Boil for 5 minutes, remove
from the heat and let stand until just warm.
Pour syrup, vodka, and brandy into clean 1-
quart container with tight-fitting lid. Cover and
let stand for 1 month. Rack or filter into final
container, cover and age for 1 month before
serving. (Cordials from Your Kitchen)