i had only heard of this once or twice before and spotted a recipe from lars that i wanted to try. couldn't find any of it here so i wrote and asked if it was important to the recipe? he assured me it wouldn't be right without it and both he and ellen sent me some--wasn't that sweet? lots of time around here if you ask, you will receive... anyway, his original method is good but i've also simplified his recipe and marinate chicken pieces and then grill them. either way will work just fine! but do try it--always nice to have another chicken recipe. Algerian Roasted Chicken  -- Lars--based on recipe by Chef Farid Zadi 1 whole chicken 4 cloves of garlic 1-1/2 tbsp Kosher salt 1 teaspoon of sumac 1/2 teaspoon of sesame seeds 1/2 tsp coriander seeds 1/2 tsp fenugreek 3/4 tsp cumin 3 tablespoons of butter, room temperature 1 tbsp minced Thai basil (or 1/2 tsp fennel) 2 lemons 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil Freshly ground black pepper extra herbs, 1 tsp each minced fresh oregano and basil, optional 4-5 sprigs of thyme Start charcoal for outdoor barbeque, using large chunks of mesquite wood and charcoal Place the chicken in a roasting pan with a rack. Slide your fingers under the breasts to separate the skin from the meat, turn the chicken over and do the same with the thighs. Mash the garlic with 1-1/2 tablespoons of salt in a mortar and pestle or finely chop the garlic and incorporate the salt into it with the side of your knife or back of a spoon. Add the sumac, sesame seeds, coriander seeds, fenugreek seeds, and cumin and mix to pulverize the seeds. Add butter and basil and combine to mix. Tuck pieces of the butter into the "pockets" under the skin. Squeeze the juice of one lemon all over the chicken, drizzle with extra virgin olive oil, sprinkle freshly ground black pepper. Season the cavity with pepper, tuck in the lemon halves and more herbs into the cavity if desired. Place the chicken on the barbeque and cover, leaving vents fully open to maintain heat. Baste the chicken every 15 minutes alternating water and pan drippings. Midway through cooking turn the chicken 90 degrees. Continue frequent basting. The cooking time for a 3-1/2 pound bird is about 1-1/2 hours, depending on how hot your fire is. Cook to an internal temperature of 160°, measured in the thigh. Let rest covered about 30 minutes before carving. Squeeze fresh lemon juice into the roasting juices, and pour into a gravy boat. Add salt, if needed. Serve with roasted potatoes, green salad, and French or Italian bread. Lars

Well, I don't know why someone would compare chervil and parsley, unless it's a situation like explaining to someone who's never had one what a kiwi tastes like. How do you describe a flavor? Chervil is lighter in flavor than parsley, in terms of tasting less green, if that makes any sense, and it has a somewhat, but not really, licorice flavor. Anyway, it is a delicate flavor, so use it where a delicate flavor can come through. Something where you want to highlight the flavor of the "star" ingredient without overwhelming it. I've used chervil to flavor butter for very delicately flavored fish like sand dabs or other fish of the sole family. I like it in the butter I melt for popcorn. It's an excellent flavoring for a very simple, lightly cooked omelet. It's also quite nice tossed into freshly cooked rice, to give the rice flavor without making it compete with other dishes. All of these suggestions are made regarding fresh chervil, I have never used dried chervil and have no idea if it is comparable to fresh or not.

One of my foodie friends gave me a gift of a box of spices from Penzey's, and one of the jars was cardamom pods. Recipes call for so little, I doubt I'll ever use it up -- an irony, because I know the reason she gave me that gift is that she is appalled at how long I keep my spices and herbs! Anyway, last night I made a lamb tagine (well, I made it in a slow cooker) because it called for both cardomom and charnushka, which was also in the box (I'd never heard of it). Yum, it was great! I had Googled "lamb" and "charnushka," and found this recipe from Laura Frankel, Jewish Slow Cooker Recipes (as reprinted in The Chicago Tribune). I omitted the fennel, because it was the only ingredient I didn't have in the house on a cold and snowy day, and I'm not crazy about it anyway. I also left out the red pepper flakes because DD and her delicate palate are home! Lamb Tagine Prep: 20 minutes Cook: 4 ¼ hours Makes: 10 servings Adapted from "Jewish Slow Cooker Recipes." 3 pounds lamb shoulder, cut into 2-inch cubes ½ teaspoon coarse salt Freshly ground pepper 2 tablespoons olive oil 2 Spanish onions, diced 6 carrots, peeled, diced 2 fennel bulbs, trimmed, cored, diced, fronds reserved for garnish 8 cloves garlic, chopped ½ cup each: halved pitted dates, halved dried figs, halved dried apricots 3 tablespoons Moroccan spice mix, see recipe 2 tablespoons tomato paste 2 tablespoons charnushka, optional 3 to 4 cups chicken or vegetable broth Strips of lemon zest, chopped cilantro (FEH!) or harissa Heat a 6-1/2 quart slow cooker to low. Pat the lamb dry with paper towels; season with salt and pepper. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat; add olive oil. Brown the lamb on all sides, in batches, 5 to 7 minutes. Transfer the lamb to the slow cooker insert. Add onions to skillet; cook until lightly browned, scraping up any browned bits left behind by the lamb. Transfer the onions to the insert. Cook the carrots and fennel, stirring often, until slightly browned, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic; cook 1 minute. Transfer the vegetables to the insert. Add the dates, figs, apricots, spice mix, tomato paste and charnushka to the insert. Add broth to cover. Cover; cook on low until the lamb is tender. Serve with choice of lemon zest, cilantro or harissa. The tagine can be made and stored, covered, in the refrigerator for up to two days, or frozen for up to 1 month. To reheat gently, place the tagine in a covered casserole and heat in a 300-degree oven for 15 to 20 minutes. Serve with steamed couscous. Nutrition information Per serving: 467 calories, 47% of calories from fat, 24 g fat, 10 g saturated fat, 108 mg cholesterol, 29 g carbohydrates, 34 g protein, 498 mg sodium, 6 g fiber Moroccan spice mix Grind two 2-inch cinnamon sticks (broken into pieces) with 1 tablespoon coriander seeds; 1 teaspoon each cumin seeds and chili flakes; ½ teaspoon each fenugreek seeds and anise seeds and seeds from 1 cardamom pod. Transfer spice mix to a bowl. Stir in 1 teaspoon dark brown sugar if you wish. Store away from light in a tightly covered container for up to 3 months. If you dont have whole spices, consider this quick alternative: Mix 3 teaspoons ground cinnamon, 1 teaspoon each ground cumin and coriander, pinch ground cloves and salt and pepper to taste.

Terri, Lars' Algerian chicken is very, very good. It can be served hot or at room temperature, I served it at room temp for the Michigan Run and there was none left. I bought sumac especially for that recipe and it was well worth it. I did mine in the oven, the instructions for that are at the end of the recipe. Algerian Chicken 1 whole chicken 4 cloves of garlic 1-1/2 tbsp Kosher salt 1 teaspoon of sumac 1/2 teaspoon of sesame seeds 1/2 tsp coriander seeds 1/2 tsp fenugreek 3/4 tsp cumin 3 tablespoons of butter, room temperature 1 tbsp minced Thai basil (or 1/2 tsp fennel) 2 lemons 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil Freshly ground black pepper extra herbs, 1 tsp each minced fresh oregano and basil, optional 4-5 sprigs of thyme Place the chicken in a roasting pan with a rack. Line bottom of pan with aluminum foil for easier clean up. Slide your fingers under the breasts to separate the skin from the meat, turn the chicken over and do the same with the thighs. Mash the garlic with 1-1/2 tablespoons of salt in a mortar and pestle or finely chop the garlic and incorporate the salt into it with the side of your knife or back of a spoon. Add the sumac, sesame seeds, coriander seeds, fenugreek seeds, and cumin and mix to pulverize the seeds. Add butter and basil and combine to mix. Tuck pieces of the butter into the "pockets" under the skin. Squeeze the juice of one lemon allover the chicken, drizzle with extra virgin olive oil, sprinkle freshly ground black pepper. Season the cavity with pepper and tuck in the lemon halves and more herbs into the cavity if desired. Place the chicken on the barbeque and cover, leaving vents fully open to maintain heat. Baste the chicken every 15 minutes alternating water (spritz) and pan drippings. Midway through cooking turn the chicken 90° or 180°, depending on how uneven the heat is. Continue frequent basting. The cooking time for a 3-1/2 pound bird is about 1-1/2 hours, depending on how hot your fire is. Cook to an internal temperature of 160°, measured in the thigh. Let rest covered about 30 minutes before carving. Squeeze fresh lemon juice into the roasting juices, and pour into a gravy boat. Add salt, if needed. Serve with roasted potatoes, green salad, and French or Italian bread. *If roasting in oven, start oven at 450° for at least 20 minutes, and you can reduce it to 350° for the remainder of the roasting time. (based on recipe from Chef Farid Zadi) Annie