Holiday Gift Guide 2021

Here at New York Shuk, we strive to make Middle Eastern pantry staples that are as beautiful tasting—(arguably even more so!) on the inside as their appearance on the outside. Our products represent our mission to keep our culinary heritage alive, while also giving home cooks the tools and inspiration to cook more deliciously for their family and friends. This holiday season we implore you to continue this tradition, by offering a unique array of vibrant, artisanal condiments and spices that come bundled in several gift-worthy collections, at a broad spectrum of price points. You can put together your personal gift selection in our shop, but to save you time we listed some great options below, including a very special NEW Gift Set! We can think of no better gift than upgrading everyday meals for you and your loved ones.

**psst. individual jars make for great stocking stuffers…

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LIMITED EDITION ‘BEST OF’ GIFT SET

You have asked for a curated New York Shuk gift set and we happily obliged!

This sleek gift box holds New York Shuk’s all-star best sellers—Signature Harissa, Preserved Lemon Paste, Shawarma spice, Za’atar spice and the new Signature Matbucha, accompanied by a handmade ceramic bowl and spoon by Japan-born, Brooklyn-based artist, Shino Takeda.

Click here to learn more about the ‘Best of’ Gift Set.

$225.00

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THE NEW YORK SHUK PANTRY

This comprehensive collection of Middle Eastern pantry staples includes Signature Harissa, Harissa with Preserved Lemon, Preserved Lemon Paste, Signature Matbucha and Matbucha with Olives & Mint condiments; three types of dried harissa (Fiery Harissa, Rosey Harissa, and Herby Harissa); Shawarma spice, Baharat, Ras el Hanout, Sumac, Hawaij, Kafe Hawaij and Za’atar; along with stone-milled White Sonora wheat crackers in two flavors: Harissa and Za’atar. Essentially, this collection is the gift that keeps on giving—exciting your meals for a long time coming.

$169.00

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THE MIDDLE EASTERN SPICE COLLECTION

This magical set includes a wide array of New York Shuk’s most versatile spices and spice blends. Home cooks at any level can easily incorporate: herbaceous za’atar, bright sumac, warming Ras el Hanout, comforting Hawaij and Kafe Hawaij, and the superhero spices Baharat and Shawarma into everyday fuss-free dishes (think egg dishes, vegetables, burgers, chicken, fish and more) transforming them to classic Middle Eastern fare.

$58.00

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THE HARISSA COLLECTION

This set of five Harissas include two condiments: Signature Harissa and Harissa with Preserved Lemon, and three dried harissa spices: Fiery Harissa, Rosey Harissa, and Herby Harissa. All five pantry staples can be used to up your meal games with just one spoonful (or more, depending on your heat preference).

$53.00

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MOROCCAN TEA SET

There’s something magical for us about the symbol of drinking tea in the Moroccan culture that sets as a daily reminder to enjoy the presence of the people around you, relax and take it all in. The Moroccan Tea Set is an exquisite gift for any occasion, by giving it to a loved one you are not only providing a beautiful home staple but you are starting a tradition that promotes togetherness, lasting a lifetime. This set includes: a Moroccan tea-tray, Golden Moroccan teapot, Royal Moroccan glass cups {set of 6}, New York Shuk tea spice blend+ our own recipe for spiced Moroccan mint tea, 350g Pistachio halva, 150g Pistachio Turkish delight.

$345.00

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I love fall.

I love fall.

I love fall in New York.
It always exceeds expectations in its beauty-
and that right there is magic for me.

We decided to hit the pause button on our daily routine and head out.
We drove up to the Catskills to enjoy the colors in their full glory.
We had such a great time that I wanted to share with you all the
places we've been to.
Also, a simple vegetable soup recipe that we cooked in our cabin with the freshest farmers market haul we could get our hands on.
This recipe will help you embrace those cold nights
coming our way with a smile on your face.

Scroll all the way down to get the complete low-down of where to stay, eat & what to buy....

Leetal

 

xx 

Indian yellow birch.

 

Burnet orange maple.

 

Ruby red sassafras.

 

Purplish maroon oak

QUICK TRAVEL TIP:

1. Travel with your jar of Harissa and L'ekama for guaranteed easy dinners.

2. Marinade the following:

6-8 pieces of boneless chicken (feel free to replace with tofu /fish and etc) 
3 tbs. of Lekama,
2 tbs. Harissa
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tbs. oil
1-2 tsp. salt

Mix, grill and serve with a nice big salad or anything else that strikes your fancy.

The where & what

 I came across most of the info through a perfectly illustrated guide to Ulster county from Design Sponge- so make sure to check it out to get more info and recommendations.

SLEEP

This airbnb was exactly what the doctor prescribed. A well-kept charming wooden cabin, surrounded by the tranquility sounds of a back yard stream.

EAT

If you know us by now, you would know that we rather enjoy a meal at home over eating out. When we travel it is no different. We stopped at few of the farmers market on the way and got some groceries to enjoy at our cabin. Breakfast consisted of fresh bread from Bread Alone, local cheeses we got at Sunfrost Farms, fresh vegetables from Woodstock farmers market and the best smoked trout I ever had from the Migliorelli stand. For dinner one night we put together this one pot vegetable soup and the other night we marinated a few pieces of chicken and threw them on the outdoor grill.(scroll to the top to get the recipe for that)

We did want to try Phoenicia Diner which was just few minutes away from our cabin, next time around perhaps. 
 

BUY

I'm sucker for all things vintage/reclaimed. Zaborski Emporium made me feel like a kid in a candy store. Wish we had more time to explore all floors.

The thrift store at The Tibetan Center is another gem of a store we stop at whenever we are up state.

 At Westwind Orchard, we bumped into Fabio, one of the owners of a beautiful historic orchard. We missed the apple picking days but Fabio was kind enough to let us walk around the orchard and open their small beautiful shop for us. Apple cider vinegar, chili chocolate and maple syrup were only some of the gems we got to take home with us.

 

FOR YOUR SOUL

By far one of those places you feel that feeds your soul while you walking around in between giant outdoor sculptures.  Do yourself a favor and add Storm King Art Center to your ‘must visit’ list.

Dinner at our place?

We spilled the beans about our favorite eats in New York, essential pantry items, guilty pleasures and more. Oh, and our recipe for stuffed onions! so make sure to head over to Pantry Confidential for a read, or just to get a peek of our kitchen.

It even gets more exciting then that, we are offering a special giveaway; dinner for 2 at our home(!!!). This wont be just any meal- you are guaranteed a feast for the senses.

For your chance to win, please follow both @nyshuk and @pantryconf on Instagram and show us your favorite spice and/or how you use it. Tag us in your photo(s) and don't forget to include the hashtag: #dinnerwithnyshuk. We will choose our favorite picture. Deadline is Monday, Nov. 23. Good luck!

 

P.S. We now have a manifesto! I'm sure its gonna evolve along the way, but we got to start somewhere. Don't know about you, but that makes me happy.

*All Photos in this post are  by Christine Han Photography for Pantry Confidential. 

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Hanukkah Party 2014

We love Hanukkah.
Any holiday that suggest you eat doughnuts, is a holiday we like. For us Hanukkah is an informal holiday, one where no sit down dinners are necessary just an excuse to gather family and friends while eating latkes, doughnuts and lighting the menorah. This year we were lucky enough to host our closest friends and family in our new home in Bed-Stuy, Brooklyn.

We were completely honored to have our party featured in Food and Wine magazine website accompanied by some of our favorite Hanukkah recipes that we shared with the readers; Chicken 'Levivot' with Harissa Sauce, Giant Jerusalem Artichoke Latkes, Sfenj (Moroccan Doughnuts), Ekmek Kadayif (Cream-Filled Doughnuts with Pistachios)

All the beautiful pictures taken in this post are by photographer Christine Han.

 

XO

Ron and Leetal

PS. As a token of our appreciation we would like to offer you FREE SHIPPING on our holiday special;
our collaborations with ceramic artist Shino Takeda. Valid until the end of the day (Tuesday, 11:59 EST )

 

Harissa is the new sriracha

We have been lucky to be chosen by Food & Wine magazine as part of their Best American Artisans series. That is a big big..HUGE honor for us!
Liza of food. curated spent the day with us to get a glimpse as to how and why we make our Harissa. Click on the picture below and it will take you straight to our Harissa page where you can watch what she captured so beautifuly.

(if you are not familiar with her work yet, make sure you check her out- her videos are addictive) 

    screenshot from Food &Wine website

All things couscous...

Make sure you keep on eye out for our new couscous page coming up next week, we are so excited to share it with you. Finally, all your questions about couscous will be answered. Until then, here are 3 things you don't know about couscous from yours truly as written in Food & Wine expert guide.

Upcoming classes alert!

We have few classes scheduled at Havens Kitchen and at Whole Foods Bowery culinary center.
We will be teaching The Art of Couscous Making and a special class 'All About Harissa'.
This class, a first of its kind, is dedicated solely in showing you the best and varied ways to use Harissa.
Once you learn how to use this magical ingredient to get that special oomph in your cooking
it will really be your secret weapon :)

We want to share with you a fun recipe!

The morrocan name for it is ‘kwari bilbeid’ but we just call it by the simple name of ‘Surprise Meatballs’. Truth be told, when hearing about this dish for the first time I wasn’t really sure about the addition of an egg in my meatballs. But when something works, you just don’t ask any questions!
a perfect comfort dish for winter days. Enjoy!

’Surprise' Meatballs

For 15 meatballs balls:

15 quail eggs
500g ground beef
1 slice of white bread
1 egg
1 tsp. cumin
½ tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. salt
½ tsp. black pepper
2 tsp. NYSHUK Harissa

For Tomato sauce:

4 garlic cloves, minced
6 tbsp. oil
3 tbsp NYSHUK Harissa
8 large tomatoes, grated
Salt(tt)

1. Tomato sauce- sauté garlic with oil in a frying pan for 2-3 minutes, making sure you closely watch the garlic so it doesn’t burn. Add the Harissa while continuing to cook and mix  for another minute. Add the tomatoes and season with salt. Bring to a boil and let simmer for 10 minutes.

2. Boil a pot of water and cook the quail eggs for 4 minutes. Peel them and set aside.

3. Meatballs- soak the white bread in water, squeeze the liquid out and grate. In a bowl knead well the meat, bread, egg, spices and Harissa. Gently roll meat mixture into 16 equal-sized balls. Place 1 quail egg in the center of each meat portion and gently shape into balls. Place in the tomato sauce and cook for 15 minutes until meatballs are fully cooked.

4. If you feel like going the extra mile, I like to serve it with thinly sliced fried garlic, a nice crunchy element. (it's just as tasty without). Serve over rice, couscous or just with a nice piece of fresh bread.

Happy Friday!

XO

Ron & Leetal