The Spice Shop

Cardamom Pods, Green, ground, 25g
Unit price: £2.65 (approx. €2.97)
Shipping Weight: 25g

Good for baking but otherwise buy it in pods or in seed form as it stays fresher for much longer that way.

Chilli con Carne mix

Brown onions and minced beef in oil, add water, soaked beans, and spice (1 teaspoon per person - make sure some bay leaves make it into the pot), chopped tomatoes, and cook until done. Make a huge pot to last you a week, as it gets better with time. I normally add some chillies as well.

Hungarian Goulasch mix

Brown onions and diced beef in lard, add water and spice (1 teaspoon per person) and cook until meat is done. I normally cook a pot to last me a week, and for each meal I transfer a bit to a smaller pot and add potatoes (which is good but not Hungarian-orthodox). Serve topped with sour cream. Gets better each day.

Mexican Quesadilla seasoning

Season your meat or re-fried beans with this spice mix. Pile on to tortilla breads, add grated cheese, top with a second bread and fry in oil. Delicious!!

Green Peppercorns

For a steak sauce: after frying your steak, add a good lump of butter to the pan. When melted, add a couple of teaspoons of green peppercorns and a chopped clove of garlic. Fry gently, then add 1 tbsp of good brandy, 2 tsp wholegrain mustard and 100 ml single cream. Let the sauce bubble up, then pour it over the steak.