We just made up some sample packets of our dried chilies… and would like to offer them to any blogger who would like to test them out and share your experience and thoughts on your blog.  If you have already recieved one of these sample groups in the past, you can still participate…just pick a group you haven’t tried!

We’ve separated the samples into three groups: mild, medium, and hot (group contents listed below).  If you want us to send you some via UPS, pick one group and email justin (at) marxfoods dot com with your selection, your blog URL and your mailing address.

Mild Dried Chilies: Aji Pancas, Anchos, Pasilla Negros, Cascabels, Mulatos, and Guajillos.

Medium Dried Chilies: Puyas, New Mexicos, Smoked Serranos, Chipotles, De Arbols, and Japones.

Hot Dried Chilies: Organic Aji Limo Rojos, Thais, Habaneros, and Ghost Chili (world’s hottest!).

For more information on the heat levels and flavor profiles of these dried chilies, please visit our dried chile heat scale.  For cooking suggestions, please browse Dried Chile Recipes & Techniques.

We’re looking for three bloggers to try out our Organic Rolled Spelt Flakes and write honest, thorough reviews or recipes as guest blog posts on the Marx Foods blog.

Though relatively unknown today, Spelt has actually been cultivated and consumed for 8,000 years, and until the 1900s was the primary grain used in European bread.  Though spelt still contains gluten (and is thus not recommended for celiacs) it does appear to be more digestible for those allergic to modern wheat.  Spelt is also higher in nutrients than conventional wheat, and particularly high in zinc.

Though you can cook these spelt flakes on the stove for a hot breakfast similar to oatmeal, they can also be mixed into granola, cookies, or bread dough.

If this sounds like something you’d be interested in:
Please send an email to Justin (at) marxfoods (dot) com with your name, address, and the url of your blog.  We’ll select three bloggers to send 8oz samples to.

(includes cocktail mixer recipes)

Sichuan Buttons (aka Szechuan Buttons) are the cocktail mixer of the future, and a lot of cutting edge mixologists are experimenting with them as we speak.  Most often the tiny yellow/brown petals are used (pinched off or cut off, and then sprinkled or mixed into things).  Beyond alcoholic beverages, they’re also delicious with coconut water (either store bought or from fresh coconuts), sparkling water, and citrus drinks like lemonade.

But what if you’re not an expert mixologist and you’re trying to use them for the first time? Here are a few pointers we’ve come up with through experimentation.  The three methods below impart different levels of tingle to your drinks, so they’re all useful…it just depends on what effect you want.

Three Ways to Add Sichuan Buttons to Drinks:

1. (Weakest) Shake/Mix Them In

Using a cocktail shaker, muddler, or blender to integrate sichuan buttons into your drinks seems to impart the most mild and inconsistent tingle.  However, it’s a great choice for drinks where you want an almost ethereal buzz without overpowering your drink.  You can also simply sprinkle the petals on top.

2. (Strongest) Garnish With a Button, to be Consumed.

As it takes a few seconds for the tingle to develop anyway, having the drinker chew on some of the petals directly, then drink the cocktail/cooler means that the tingle will hit right as they’re drinking.  Chewing the button’s petals like this also imparts a much stronger buzz that lasts longer, so it should carry the drinker through most of the cocktail, unless they take a long time to nurse it.

We actually like to combine methods 1 & 2 by mixing the petals from half a button into each drink, and garnishing with the other half to be chewed. This gives the initial wow factor while also imparting more mild tingling to carry them through later sips.

3. (Most Evenly Distributed) Infuse Beverage Ingredients with Buttons

Steeping buttons in your cocktail ingredients seems to evenly distribute a slight buzz throughout the cocktail.  It requires a little forethought, but we think it works extremely well.  Here are two infusion recipes we’ve tried and loved:

Sichuan Button Infused Gin
8oz of gin
2 sichuan buttons

1. Pull the petals off of the buttons and mash them with a mortar and pestle or muddler.
2. Add to the gin and let macerate for at least four hours, though overnight or even longer would be better.  We tried it after two weeks and it was delicious!

Sichuan Button Infused Citrus Juice
Juice of 1 lemon
Juice of 1 lime
Petals from 2 sichuan buttons

1. Pull the petals off of the buttons and mash them with a mortar and pestle or muddler.  Juice the citrus fruits.
2. Stir the mashed petals into the citrus juices and let macerate for at least four hours, though overnight or even longer would be better.  After a few days, the electric sensation subsided, so be sure to use this immediately.

We hope this gives you a good starting point for experimenting with these exciting little flowers.  If/when you’ve tried them please feel free to leave a comment below with your tips, we’d love to hear them!

All Cocktail & Beverage Recipes
All Sichuan Button Recipes

Other Exciting Cocktail Ingredients:
Wild Huckleberries
Pepquinos
Shiso Leaves
Yuzu Juice
Fresh Herbs

This simple but tasty cocktail is herbal with lots of baking spice carried by the szechuan tingle.

Ingredients: (per drink)
1oz Chartreuse
1oz Sweet Vermouth
1oz Gin
Dash of Orange Bitters
1 Szechuan Button

Directions
1.  Pinch all the petals off of the szechuan button.
2.  Stir all liquid ingredients over ice, strain into a martini glass and top with szechuan button petals.

Related Posts:
Szechuan Button Recipes
Cocktail Recipes

Amie Valpone, HHP, AADP Culinary Nutritionist and author of The Healthy Apple, is back with some fabulous and healthy dishes using black garlic. 

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Black Garlic Braised Cod with Quinoa

Ingredients
• 1 large onion, halved and sliced
• 1 cup mushrooms, sliced
• 6 cloves black garlic, sliced
• 2 cups celery, cut into 1 inch pieces
• 1 cup diced tomatoes
• 1 Tbsp. vegetable broth
• 1 Tbsp. white balsamic vinegar
• 1 lb. cod, cut into 2 pieces
• Sprinkle of chili powder
• Sea salt and pepper
• 2 Tbsp. chopped fresh basil

• 1 cup quinoa, cooked

Directions

• Slice onion and garlic and set aside.
• Heat vegetable broth in a large skillet. Add in chopped onion in broth over medium heat for 4-5 minutes, stirring frequently, until translucent.
• Add garlic and celery and sauté for another minute. Add mushrooms and tomatoes. Stir, cover, and simmer on medium-low heat about 12 minutes until celery is tender.
• Place cod, white balsamic vinegar chili powder, sea salt and pepper on top of celery; simmer covered for another 5 minutes, or until fish is cooked.
• Sprinkle with basil and serve atop a bed of cooked quinoa.

Black Garlic Rice Pudding

Ingredients
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 1 (13.5 ounce) can lite coconut milk
• ¼ cup stevia
• 2 cups brown rice, cooked
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• Zest of 1 medium orange
• ½ tsp. cinnamon
• ¼ tsp. all-spice
• 1/3 cup dried cherries
• 1/3 cup golden raisins
• ¼ cup dried cranberries
• ¼ cup macadamia nuts, toasted and ground

Directions

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
• Spray a 9 inch baking dish with cooking spray; set aside.
• In a large mixing bowl, combine eggs, coconut milk, stevia, brown rice, vanilla, orange zest, cinnamon, all-spice, cherries, golden raisins and cranberries; mix well.
• Transfer mixture to prepared baking dish. Cover with foil.
• Bake for 25-30 minutes. Remove foil, stir and place back into the oven (uncovered) until liquid is absorbed and brown rice is tender, approximately 30-35 more minutes.
• Set macadamia nuts in the oven on a baking sheet to toast for 10 minutes; remove and transfer to a food processor to grind. Remove ground nuts from food processor.
• Sprinkle with ground and toasted macadamia nuts.
• Set aside to cool for a few minutes; Serve warm.

Roasted Butternut Squash with Black Garlic and Rosemary

Ingredients
• 1 large butternut squash
• 1 head black garlic
• 4 Tbsp. olive oil
• Sea salt and ground pepper
• 1 tsp. lemon juice
• 1 tsp. balsamic vinegar
• 1 medium onion
• 1 bulb fennel, sliced
• 3 Tbsp. chopped rosemary
• 4 Tbsp. dried cranberries
• ¼ cup hazelnuts, toasted

• Greek plain yogurt, for topping

Directions

• Preheat oven to 375°F.
• Peel squash and cut in half lengthwise. Scoop out seeds from the center and discard. Cut squash into large chunks. Coat with 2 tablespoons of the olive oil. Season with salt and pepper to taste and arrange on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Drizzle with lemon juice and balsamic vinegar.
• Bake for about 30 minutes, or until well caramelized.
• Peel onion and fennel bulb; cut into large chunks. Peel black garlic cloves. Coat onions, fennel and black garlic with remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil. Season to taste with salt and pepper and spread on a second lined baking sheet. Bake for 15-20 minutes, or until well caramelized. When squash, fennel and onions are done, toss with rosemary, cranberries and toasted hazelnuts.
• Serve warm with a dollop of Greek plain yogurt.

Christo is back with a guest post and is as creative and delicious as ever. I wish he lived in Seattle and not New York City, because I’d love to spend some time with him in our kitchen.  If we ever do an iron chef type contest, Christo will be the guy to beat.  Here he is:
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Let me start of by telling you that the minute I tasted this dish I got on the phone and had to call someone, when my friend answered I was so relieved because I thought I had died and gone to ravioli heaven. I am probably going to have to crack out the thesaurus because I dont know nearly enough words for “perfectly delicious.” This dish was so easy to put together, has only 7 ingredients and tastes like it came from some far away kingdom.

Without further ado here is the recipe for 4 appetizers or two pasta courses:

Peel and pulse 6 large Louisiana gulf shrimp with a generous slice off a fennel bulb some salt and pepper and a pinch of fennel pollen. (if you are counting we are at 5 ingredients already)

Make some pasta dough (these ingredients dont count)

Make raviolis and boil them until al dente.

For the sauce:

Finely chop some fennel and place into a saute pan with a dollop of butter and a little salt and heat until aromatic.  Once it graces your nose add cream to warm and its ready (the butter and cream brought us up to 7)

Pour some sauce on a plate and place the cooked ravioli on top of the sauce, put another small pinch of fennel pollen on top of everything and a few slivers of fennel for crunch – invite some kings and diplomats and enjoy.

If you think of better words for “perfectly delicious” now is the time to say them.

Adobo is a traditional Filipino dish involving meat dipped in a rich & creamy sauce with a sour-spicy finish.  Tender, moist rabbit meat is the perfect base for enjoying the full range of its flavor.

Drink Pairings:Mezcal or Flemish sour ale

Ingredients: (4 Servings)
4 Rabbit Rear Legs cut from Whole Rabbit Fryers (How to Fabricate a Rabbit)
1 cup of Soy Sauce
½ cup of Rice Wine Vinegar
1 tbsp Garlic, minced
1 tbsp Ginger, peeled and minced
1 cup of Water
1 ½ + ½ cups Coconut Milk
1 tsp Hungarian Paprika
1 small Jalapeno, small diced
1 tbsp Lime Juice, fresh squeezed
Lime Zest for garnish

Directions:

1. Combine the soy sauce, vinegar, garlic, ginger, ½ cup of the coconut milk, paprika, jalapeno and water in a deep pan or skillet.

2. Simmer the sauce on the stove for 5 minutes.

3. Carefully lay the rabbit legs in the sauce, and continue to simmer for 20 minutes (flipping the legs about halfway through) until the rabbit is almost completely cooked.

4. Preheat your grill.

5. Once the rabbit meat is firm and white, remove it from the pan, and add the other 1 ½ cups of coconut milk to the adobo sauce.

6. Simmer the adobo until it has reduced to a sauce consistency.  Strain.

7. Grill the rabbit legs for a couple of minutes (turning as necessary), just until black grill marks and a brown crust have developed.

8. Stir the lime juice into the adobo, garnish with the lime zest & serve on the side with the rabbit legs.

Cutting up (”fabricating”) a whole rabbit is  similar to cutting up poultry in terms of the basic technique, even though the anatomy is rather different. 

By following the below steps you’ll be able to easily separate a whole rabbit fryer into two front legs, two loins, and (if desired) two front legs.

1. Wash the fryer.

2. Take hold of a back leg, and cut where the leg meets the loin, peeling away the meat with your hand to expose the joint.  Cut all the way down to the back bone.  Pull the leg back towards the spine to crack open the joint, and cut through the resulting gap with your knife.  Make whatever other minor cuts that are necessary to completely separate the leg.

3. Repeat with the remaining back leg to remove it.

4. To remove the loins from the saddle, turn the rabbit so that its back is up, and feel the loin muscles that run along the spine on either side.  Cut along the spine, making a small incision with the point of your knife and running the tip along the resulting gap, going a little deeper each time.

5. Follow the bone structure, continuing to scrape with the point, peeling the loin muscle away from the spine with your other hand as you work your way down.

6. Make whatever small cuts (straight down) that are necessary at the shoulder and back end to finish separating the loin.

7. Repeat with the loin on the other side of the spine.

8. If desired remove the front legs using the same method as the back legs (you don’t need to crack the joint if you don’t want to, depending on the shape of the leg you want…we didn’t).

For ideas for what to do with the rabbit legs and loins once you’ve separated them, check out our rabbit recipes.  The spine and front legs can be used to make rabbit stock (using the method for white or brown veal stock).

(Generally makes 4 entrees or 6 appetizers)

Wine Pairing: Cabernet Franc from Chinon or an Argentinean Malbec

The chimichurri sauce makes this flank steak fresh & herby with a hint of heat, which is tempered by the sweet and buttery squash.

Marinated Flank Steak Ingredients
1 Grass Fed Beef Flank Steak (you could also use any specialty flank steaks)
½ of a yellow onion
2 cloves of garlic
¼ cup of brown veal stock (we recommend homemade veal stock)
Olive oil – enough to coat the steak
Salt & freshly ground tellicherry pepper to taste

Served With: Twice Baked Delicata Squash Recipe & Chimichurri Sauce Recipe

Flank Steak Recipe:

1. Trim any silverskin and excess fat from the flank steak

2. Finely slice the onion, slice or finely mince the garlic cloves.

3. Combine garlic, onion, flank steak and oil in a large bowl.

4. Cover the bowl & move the flank steak on the bottom shelf of your refrigerator to marinate for at least 6 hours, preferably overnight.

5. Remove the steak from the marinade and cut it in half.  Reserve the onion slices.

6. Get two oiled cast-iron skillets very hot (you could use stainless steel frying pans in a pinch).  Carefully lay each half of a flank steak into a skillet, with the top part landing away from you (to protect against being splashed by the hot oil).

7. Cook the steak to just below your desired level of doneness.  We recommend stopping just below medium rare (internal temperature of 130-135 degrees).  The steak will continue to carry-over cook the last few degrees as it rests.

8. Once they’re cooked, remove the steak halves from the heat, cover with foil, and let them rest for 10 minutes.

9. Put the onion slices from the marinade in one of the now empty pans (turn the heat off on the other) along with any garlic that is clinging to them.  Saute them and deglaze with the veal stock once they’ve started to develop some color. 

10.  Bring the veal stock to a simmer and cook until the onions are tender and the veal stock has reduced to a sauce consistency.  Taste and season with salt & pepper.

11. Slice the flank steak and plate with the twice-baked squash and onions.  Sauce with the chimichurri sauce and serve.

Variations: The flank steaks can also be left whole and grilled instead of pan-roasted.