RAWSPICEBAR Subscription Box Review - May 2015

What it is:  A monthly subscription service that sends 3-4 freshly-ground, small batch custom spice blends from one geography or region each month.  

Cost:  $6/month with free shipping

Details:  Spice blend packets have enough in them to create 3 dishes serving 8-12 people.  RawSpiceBar also sends 3 kitchen-tested recipe cards, plus they offer additional recipes online.

In this Month's Box:  Peruvian Andes Cuisine  

As I've mentioned in previous blog posts, my cooking skill level is minimal.  My knowledge of foods from around the world is even less.  That's part of why I signed up for this box - to learn about other cuisines and to expand my pallet.  I'm excited to try these spices/recipes!

From RawSpiceBar:  "This month, we're taking a trip to the Peruvian Andes, where the main ingredients are potatoes, roasted chicken and the famous Peruvian aji amarillo.  Peru's culinary heritage is a fusion of many different cultures and migrations - from ancient Inca traditions, to the arrival of Spanish conquistadors, to Afro-Peruvian influences and an influx of immigrants from China and Japan.

We've included some of the most famous spices from Peru in each of our blends: smoked paprika, aji amarillo (chili pepper) and pink peppercorns- just to name a few. Have fun with this month's spice and recipes or get creative and show us your own dishes and cooking creations."

What's Included:

The spices arrived in a 5x7" yellow envelope.

The package included an informational card about this months' selections, 3 recipe cards, and the 3 spice packets.

The Spices:

1.  Peruvian Spice Rub - This ancho chili and smoky paprika rub is used to create a juicy, smoky Peruvian chicken, roasted in a perfectly blended marinade of olive oil, lime juice, garlic and our freshly ground spices.  This smoky, spicy blend pairs well with sausages, shrimp, chicken, tofu or hearty vegetables such as eggplant.

Here's a close-up of the packet:

The recipe RawSpiceBar sent to use the Peruvian Spice Rub with was for Peruvian Spiced Roasted Chicken:

The whole "remove the giblets" and "loosen skin from the flesh" thing listed for a fresh, whole chicken is not something I was ready to deal with.  

Instead, I bought a 5 1/2 pound package of chicken breasts from Kroger, which worked just fine as a substitute.

Here's what the marinade looked like once the Peruvian Spice packet was combined with the olive oil, lime juice, garlic cloves, salt, and sugar.  We wondered if it would be enough for all the chicken, but it turned out to be plenty.

Ideally, we would've let the chicken breasts marinate for several hours.  However, making this dish was a last-minute decision Monday night, so they only marinated for about an hour. 

It was a gorgeous night outside, so my husband decided to grill the chicken instead of making it in the oven.  (Everything seems to taste better when grilled in my opinion.  Plus, my husband is sooo good at grilling)!

Here's the Final Product:

VERDICT:  This is hands down the best chicken I've ever tasted!!  The spice gave the chicken such an amazing flavor!  It didn't taste too salty either, which I liked.  I have to give props to my husband too, who grilled the chicken to juicy perfection!  Currently, RawSpiceBar doesn't offer their spice blends for purchase.  (I was told they are planning on doing it in the future though).  Once this spice is available for purchase, I will buy it in bulk (no matter what the cost).  The flavor is that good!!

2.  Aji Amarillo Spices - The bright orange, full-bodied aji amarillo chile is the star of this spice blend.  This chile offers a lot of fruitiness given its heat level.  We've blended this freshly ground, dried chile with coriander, basil, mustard seed and other spices- which makes for a great coating for roasted sweet potato wedges.  This blend is also perfect for cooking rice.

Here's a close-up of the packet:

The recipe Raw Spice Bar sent to use the Aji Amarillo Spice was for Roasted Sweet Potato Wedges:

Potato Wedges - something I've never made before.  I'm not a fan of sweet potatoes, so I made this recipe with regular Russet potatoes instead.

It also called for 4 pounds of potatoes.  These 4 potatoes weighed 3 1/2 lbs.  Close enough considering it's just my husband and I.

This is what the mixture looked like when combined with the vegetable oil and salt.

And the sliced potato wedges (cut into 1 inch slivers).

Last step - put the wedges in a baking pan, drizzle the oil/spice blend over them and cook at 425 degrees for 40 minutes total (flipping half-way thru).

Here's the final product:

VERDICT:  These wedges were soooo good!  The seasoning added so much flavor without being too salty.  They were perfectly crispy too!  I would definitely buy this spice if I find it for sale! 

3.  Pink Peppercorn Blend - Originating in Peru, these pink peppercorns have a peppery bite with a sweet, fruity flavor and had a heavy influence on Peruvian cuisine.  We've included pink Himalayan sea salt to this blend, which pairs perfectly when sprinkled lightly on sweet dishes like ice cream, melons or chocolate or light, savory dishes such as scallops or salmon. 

The recipe Raw Spice Bar sent to use the Aji Amarillo Spice was for Pink Peppercorn & Sea Salt Voladores:

Making dough from scratch is something I've never done before.

It turned out fine though.  I was a little surprised this was all it yielded though after the dough sat and was rolled out.

I forgot to buy parchment paper and decided to cut the dough into squares instead.  (Here they are cooling).

The sauce was fun to make!

Once it melted and I added the Peppercorn Spice mixture, this is what it looked like:

The last step involved laying the cooked dough out and pouring the chocolate mixture over them.

This is where I should've planned better.  I enjoy a little salt, but not a lot.  I poured the rest of the salt over the cookies/chocolate.  In retrospect, I should've just sprinkled a tiny little bit of salt.

I placed the second layer of cookies on top of the initial layer and added the confectioners sugar and voila!

VERDICT:  I've never met a dessert I didn't like, but this one was just too salty for me.  As I noted above, I probably should've planned better and just sprinkled the salt over the cookies/chocolate instead of dumping the rest of the packet.  I will say the cookies ended up soft and chewy and the chocolate sauce was yummy!  (I still have over 8 oz of it left in a container in the fridge.  I heated it up and poured it over some vanilla ice cream last night and it was delicious)!

OVERALL VERDICT:  This is the perfect starter subscription box for anyone who likes to cook.  At $6/month, it's affordable and well-curated.  I think I joined RawSpiceBar at just the right month too!  Chicken, potatoes, and chili spices are all things I enjoy.  In the future, I think I'm going to halve the recipes since it's just my husband and I.  6 pounds of chicken and 3 1/2 pounds of potatoes were a lot!  The packages are resealable, so they can be stored for later use. 

Have you checked out Raw Spice Bar yet?  If so, what did you think?

XOXO,
Stephanie