Spice boxes for Good Cause(s)

I had the honor of leading a culinary adventure showcasing ‪#‎southindian‬ ‪#‎tamil‬ and ‪#‎northindian‬ ‪#‎cuisine‬ at the co.space today. We were fortunate to enjoy a good meal with friends but my heart was saddened by nature's fury at ‪#‎chennairains‬ and innocent lives lost at ‪#‎sanbernardino‬. I have donated some money right now from my Indian account to chennai but I am planning to raise additional funds for BOTH causes (social services in CA and Chennai) through spice box sales. I have lived in Calif and in Chennai and this affects me deeply at a personal level.

Please take a look at the pics to get a general idea. I'm prepping boxes this week and will set up a campaign to order them if you want to buy some for friends and family and help out a good cause.
www.spicetruck.net
 
Contact me directly by email at naridon@gmail.com or 814 753 4459

Here is a nifty gift for those of you interested in cooking with spices or just love Indian/Asian spices.

Other variations of this product (featured in pics) available starting at $15 (+ S&H costs). Contact me directly by email at spicetruck@live.com or 814 753 4459 if you want one of these items which use "eco-conscious spice organizers" aka reusing cookie tins. All the spices are packed in safe, new, food grade smaller tins.

Also, if you want the outer container in new stainless steel those sets are available for $24.95 + shipping (depending on location). I will also throw in additional spices in zip lock bags with these orders!

Most locations in the lower 48 states of US shipping is ~$ 4.50. Local delivery available at State College PA. Volume discounts (if over 3 pieces) available.

with labels

Centrally placed

Seven Major Indian Spices

http://magazine.fourseasons.com/travel-food-style/food-restaurants/gourmet-food-recipes/seven-seasonings-the-key-spices-of-indian-cuisine


One tip.. a splatter screen is a must if you are using mustard seeds regularly!!

Quick Falafels - the Mix List

I got introduced to Falafels many years ago when I was visiting Pomona CA for a job interview and the interviewers took me to a middle eastern restaurant. Since then I have tried it in Europe and then again in the East coast and now it is a staple in my monthly diet. I also find it similar to the South Indian vada or the north indian tikki, but made with higher protein content! It is one of the most widely recognized foods of the Middle East. Fried balls or patties of fava beans or/and chickpeas with spices make falafel a popular dish/snack!  Falafel is found all over the Middle East, however it is more common in countries like Israel, Egypt and Syria.

If you want to make it from scratch, you would have to get fava beans and then soak them, blend them etc. and follow a detailed recipe. You can even grow them! But if you are in a rush and need a falafel fast (or phataphat as they say in North india)... then you have to go for a mix!
My favorites among the many varieties are:

1. Manischewitz Falafel Mix: This is a standard one that I have seen at Wegmans grocery stores. I have tried it once and liked it and it is a quality product to try! More »
2. Ziyad Falafel Mix: This is one of my favorite Falafel mixes! it has both chickpeas and fava beans and has the usual onion, spices etc but their recipe ratio must be good as this one rocks More »
3. Near East Falfel Vegetable Mix:The good part with buying this online is that you can add it as one more item with other goods and no need to buy a set of many! I have tried this a couple of times and it seems really good sometimes but on one occasion my friend did not like the falafel from this mix. More »
4. Sahadi Falafel Mix (burger): So this one is something I tried a while ago so I don't remember it much now More »

There is also one more called Casbah Falafel mix. I have not tried this yet, but I am going to try it very soon, will update this page after that!
Enjoy!


Falafel image from Flickr user kudumomo under Creative commons 2.0 license.