This press release just in from the man himself, Chef Sameh Wadi, who co-owns Saffron Restaurant & Lounge with his brother, Saed. Sameh has been nominated for the James Beard Award-Rising Star Chef a coupla time now. The Twin Cities is lucky to have him, and now lucky that they can have a bit of the restaurant in their own homes. —The Hack
Spice Trail leading to the Heart of Minneapolis; Chef Sameh Wadi Launches “Spice Trail,” a Gourmet Spice Collection
(Minneapolis, Minn.)—After two and a half years of business and numerous accolades and awards, Chef Sameh Wadi is exited to unveil his first line of gourmet spices, “It’s always been on my mind to share the culture and culinary history of my ancestors. The basis of Middle Eastern and North African cuisine is in the spice blends, I’m pretty sure we have the biggest spice collection of any restaurant in the cities.” When guests approach him about how their home cooking can taste similar to the things they order at his restaurant, Wadi tells them it’s all about the spices. And now, he’s going to make it easy on those guests by offering spice blends for sale at the restaurant, the restaurant website, online and hopefully in some specialty stores soon.
“When you buy ground spices and spice blends off the shelf at supermarkets, they could have been sitting there for over a year, shipped from god knows where, they have anti-caking agents and additives to extend shelf life, they lose most of their aroma and that just doesn’t compare to the real thing.”
The Spice Trail blends are authentic recipes, hand crafted in small batches from carefully chosen ingredients, salt free, MSG free, most of which are organic and all natural. “We seek out the highest quality spices such as the Iranian saffron that we have imported directly to us, hand grind and blend with about 25 other exotic and hard to find spices to produce Ras El Hanout.” He’ll also offer Garam Masala; a special spice blend used in Indian cooking, The Exotic Spice Blend; a blend adapted from his mothers recipe and a Tagine Blend; which packs robust flavors from North Africa.
The blends are packed in an airtight tin, which measures 2-1/2 inches in diameter and 1-3/4 inches in height and will range in price from $8-$12 for two ounces.
The Spice Trail will be available by October 31, 2009 for shipment or pick up from Saffron Restaurant & Lounge, in the Warehouse District of Minneapolis at 123 North 3rd Street.
For more information, please contact Sameh Wadi at 612.746.5533 or via e-mail at sameh@saffronmpls.com