Hungryphil here….. reporting on the first installment of our new Raw Spice Bar subscription!

This spice of the month club packages small batches of spices for an exotic meal to share. The associated website offers alternative (gluten free, vegetarian etc.) recipes and most importantly enticing  images of the dishes.  A monthly gastronomic tour without collecting a drawer full of half used spice packets! I’ve been waiting for this. So how did it go….you might ask.

The May and June packages arrived in these brown craft paper envelopes. I loved the bright yellow celebratory feel of the May package. The stamps reminded me of collecting stamps as a kid and the promise of far away places. In contrast, the June brown craft paper envelope promises a fun craft project. Inside, like seeds in a pod the spice packets spilled out along with instruction cards.

The May Peruvian Menu included:

Smoked Paprika & Ancho Peruvian Rotisserie Chicken

Aji Amarillo Sweet Potato Wedges

Pink Peppercorn Voladores

I made one conscious substitution, 4 chicken thighs and legs quarters instead of the whole chicken for the roast.

and

one unintended recovery substitution. I suspect that I didn’t make the cookies thin enough or maybe didn’t bake them long enough. The wafers tasted bland and doughy. A substitution had to be made. The chocolate sauce was superb with the peppercorn salt. The Pink Peppercorn Voladores became Peruvian inspired Chocolate Pink Peppercorn cupcakes. No complaints. Delicious.

The roasted chicken was flavorful and moist while the sweet potatoes were soft and caramelized. The spices created a deep robust flavor and crust on both the chicken and potatoes. A surprisingly easy meal to prepare (just baked in the oven) for such smoky, developed and exotic flavors. The peppers ….Ancho, aji and peppercorns gave the meal its distinct Peruvian flair. It really did feel like a fun trip and a new cultural discovery. I’ve never had Peruvian food before so I didn’t have a reference to gauge the meal against. It didn’t matter. The meal was delicious. So good….that we were done with the meal before I realized I forgot to take pictures. Sorry dear readers. Make the meal….you’ll see why and certainly forgive me. I’m looking forward to our culinary trip to Jamaica soon!

https://rawspicebar.com/

p.s. I also made a green sauce to accompany the chicken. Fantastic! Here is a version of the recipe I used:

http://www.food.com/recipe/aji-verde-peruvian-green-chili-sauce-363714

Thank you Rawspicebar. Thank you Jim for the gift. Thank you Jennifer and Dave for being our willing gastronomic travelers. Thank you postal service. Thank you Peru for your delicious cuisine and peppers. Thank you Americas for the gift of potatoes.