| TSTE of Alexandria | |
Joy Quinn & Taruna Reddy
These ladies share a birthday - January 13th - as well as a TSTE store. They met in 2004 and quickly discovered they had been living parallel lives-they had worked together at three different companies without knowing it before becoming fast friends. Taruna grew up in Hyderabad, India where spices and their benefits are very much a part of daily life. She came to the US 15 years ago to study in Washington, DC, while Joy came to the area from Johnstown, PA in 1995. She loves Oldtown for its small town feel in the middle of a big city. She describes herself as the "Operations" side of the business, and Taruna as the "Spice Queen." A visit to John's Pass last summer sparked their en-trepreneurial spirit and the chance to work together in a way that compliments each other's strengths. Making the change from business consultants to business owners has allowed them to use their creativity to put theory into practice, and work with customers in an exciting environment that brings something new to the market while sharing their knowledge. Joy recommends TSTE Thai Coconut Curry with chicken, coconut milk, asparagus & peas with a little TSTE Lemongrass as a quick-fix meal, while Taruna says she loves the exotics and making ties between cultures such as Tuscan & Morrocan in her cooking; "It's all about finding what the customer needs." Look for these Capricorns to do some exciting things in the months ahead! |
| Franchises Available |  |
Many of our customers tell us that shopping with us is addictive. You just might find yourself opening up one of our quaint spice franchises in YOUR hometown. Click HERE for more information.
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| Quick Links | |
Click on the gift card to purchase a great gift for that special someone!
Look for changes to our Facebook pages this month. Hit the Like button if you like what you see! |
| Chocolate Salt | 
A one-of-a-kind treat that blends savory and sweet. Smoked sea salt is blended with dark chocolate to create a rich and versatile seasoning. Gives a savory twist to any dessert, grilled meats, breads, or even rimming a glass for specialty drinks.
Sweet & Salty Granola Bars
3 c oatmeal
1 14 oz. can sweetened condensed milk
2 c trail mix or any mix of nuts, dried fruit & chocolate chips
2 T melted butter
Preheat oven to 350F. Spray 9x9 pan with cooking spray. Mix ingredients in a large bowl and spread into pan. Bake 20-25 minutes. Allow to cool, and cut into bars or break off chunks as desired. Enjoy! | |
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| Greetings!
This month we've put together menu items the whole family will enjoy! August is shaping up to be a busy month - take a look at what our stores are up to! |
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August Exchange
Looking for something a little out of the ordinary to grill? We've gathered some unique grilling ideas to tempt your palette with this month! Add these fabulous sides and desserts along with choice cuts of meat seasoned with your favorite TSTE blends to your menu and your friends and neighbors call you the Grilling Master!
Grilled Tomatoes
1 lb cherry tomatoes
1/2 cup olive oil
Mix all ingredients and allow to marinate overnight. When ready to grill, place tomatoes in a grilling basket and cook over medium heat. When tomatoes start to burst open they are ready! Serve these warm, juicy sweet-n-easy tomatoes on slices of fresh mozzarella with grilled steak rubbed with our TSTE Butcher's Rub, TSTE Chef's Choice Steak Rub, or TSTE Espresso Steak Rub and a salad!
Grilled Zucchini
4 medium zucchini, halved
1/2 stick of butter
1 T lemon juice
Chili Grilled Sweet Potatoes
3 sweet potatoes cut into 1/2 in slices
2 oz. olive oil
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This month has a food holiday we know you'll love as much as we do...
August 19 - National Hot & Spicy Food Day
Celebrate your love for spicy-hot cooking with our TSTE Togarashi Pepper!
Honey -Togarashi Pepper Wings
2 c buttermilk
1 c rice flour
1/4 cup + 2 T cornstarch
1/4 c + 2 T flour
3/4 cup honey
3/4 cup lime juice
1/4 c + 2 T fish sauce
1/4 c thinly sliced serrano chili
1/4 c chopped cilantro
1/4 c mint leaves, torn
Place chicken wings in buttermilk in a large bowl. Cover and refridgerate overnight. Preheat oven to 350F. Drain wings; line two baking sheets with parchment paper. In a large bowl, whisk rice flour with cornstarch, flour and salt, then toss wings in the mixture. Bake wings for 20-25 minutes. Whisk honey, lime juice, fish sauce, chili, TSTE Ghost Pepper Salt, TSTE Togarashi Pepper, and TSTE Minced Garlic together in a large bowl and set aside. Heat oil in fryer or large pot to 350F and fry wings in batches until golden and crisp, about 3 minutes each. Toss wings with honey-lime sauce, garnish with cilantro, mint and remaining sauce. Serve immediately.
Not sure you're ready for all that heat? Try TSTE Togarashi Pepper on oven fries or mango slices to test it out - YUM!
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Fantastic Grilled Dessert!
Grilled Banana Split
Rob & Ivy Lingier, TSTE of Portland, shared the idea for this fantastic sauce, excellent for this sweet dessert!
4 firm bananas
3 bars of chocolate
1/4 c crushed nuts
4 scoops of ice cream
1 c balsamic vinegar (we suggest chocolate or raspberry balsalmic vinegar)
Make the sauce ahead of time by mixing the balsalmic vinegar and TSTE Sugar in a small saucepan and slowly bringing it to a boil. Stir frequently and reduce heat to a simmer. Cook until the sauce is reduced by one quarter. Make a lengthwise split in each banana and insert chocolate. Place bananas over indirect medium heat for 10-15 minutes. The peels will darken and chocolate will melt. Remove from grill, and place banana in a bowl with ice cream. Drizzle with sauce and garnish with nuts.
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More About Our Stores... 
Thurs, Aug 5th Women in Medicine, a local group for women medical professionals, meets at TSTE of Winter Park to learn more about salts, seasonings, and tea. Contact WinterPark@spiceandtea.com for details.
Sun, Aug 8th TSTE of Green Bay celebrates their ONE YEAR ANNIVERSARY with in-store specials and a drawing for a gift basket worth $125! Stop by the store to win!
Tues, Aug 10th 6:30pm Chef Jeremy the 16 year old cooking star from
Sat, Aug 14th TSTE of Dallas, West Village GRAND OPENING! 3699 McKinney Ave, Ste. 104-B Dallas, TX 75204
Tues, Aug 17 - Fri, Aug 20 TSTE of Alexandria is offering a Kid's Cooking Camp open to students aged 5-9! Children will learn the basics of clean cooking practices, measuring, recipe reading, following directions, table setting, napkin folding and teamwork! Your junior chef will come home with the fruits of their labors, spice samples, recipes and a discount card for Mom & Dad! RSVP required for limited class size. Email Alexandria@spiceandtea.com for more details.
Sat, Aug 28th Stop by TSTE of Stuart to congratulate Ana Knapp for the store's TWO YEAR ANNIVERSARY!
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Lapsang Souchong Tea Barbeque
The tea leaves in our TSTE Lapsang Souchong are smoked over fir tree roots, giving this unique tea a dark and rich flavor perfect for adding the right amount of smokiness to this barbeque! We're thrilled to add this unusual tea recipe to your collection!
1 3lb boneless beef chuck roast
1 medium onion, chopped
1/2 cup celery, chopped
 1 1/2 cup ketchup1 cup light brown sugar, packed
1/4 cup vinegar
prepared coleslaw
Steep 10 t TSTE Lapsang Souchong Tea in 6-7 cups freshly boiled water for 4 min; remove tea leaves. Put beef roast, onion and celery in a large pot and cover with tea. Bring to a boil and reduce heat. Cover and simmer 2 1/2 to 3 hours or until meat is tender. Remove from liquid and strain. Save the vegetables, and allow the beef to cool before shredding. Steep remaining 4 t of tea in 2 cups boiling water for 4 min. Combine 1 cup tea with ketchup, brown sugar, vinegar, mashed and strained vegetables reserved from the beef, and the rest of the seasonings in a large saucepan. Cover and simmer 1 hr, stir occaisionally. If mixture becomes too thick, add remaining tea. Add shredded beef and stir until combined. Serve with or without buns, and for a touch of the South, top with coleslaw. Enjoy!!
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Sincerely,
TSTE Managing Partners and TSTE Store Owners The Spice & Tea Exchange |
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