WASHINGTON ā When Brandon Shapiro returned from a trip to Israel three years ago, the Bethesda-based chef developed an interest in spices ā especially those he tasted on his travels.
The more he researched the topic, the more he saw the name Lior Lev Sercarz.
āThey call him the āspice wizard,āā said Shapiro, who is the chef de cuisine at by Robert Wiedmaier.
Shapiro brushed aside his suspicion that it was āall hype,ā and decided to give the wizard a chance. He placed an order for Lev Sercarzās spice blends. What he tasted was āmind blowing.ā
āEven the simple [spices], like basic coriander seeds ā itās the best coriander. Once you try that, you donāt want to use anything else. Thereās no way I could go back to ordering regular spices anymore,ā he said.
Now, Shapiro is part of a growing group of renowned chefs from all over the world who go to Lev Sercarz for their spice needs.
The basement of a small store in Manhattanās Hellās Kitchen neighborhood is Lev Sercarzās laboratory. Thatās where the Israeli-born chef and business owner mixes spices for his growing collection of blends, which he sells upstairs alongside homemade French biscuits at .
Lev Sercarzās path to La BoĆ®te was not direct. After serving in the Israeli military for three years, he decided to get a job in the food industry, since part of his duties as sergeant included overseeing the kitchen staff.
A few years later, he continued on to culinary school at the Institut Paul Bocuse in Lyon, France to acquire some āproper trainingā before working alongside acclaimed chefs such as Olivier Roellinger and Daniel Boulud.
āI got to a point in my career where I realized I had no ambition to open a restaurant, yet what do you do with 20 or so years of experience?ā Lev Sercarz said. āThe transition into the world of baking cookies and making spices, which doesnāt make a whole lot of sense, to me made sense.ā
When Lev Sercarz launched La BoƮte in 2006, most of his customers were chefs. Now, he sells his creations to everyone from restaurateurs in Singapore, to home cooks, distillers and chocolate makers. He even collaborates with Brooklyn Brewery on a few of its beers.
There are two things Lev Sercarz tells all of his customers, no matter their status: Do not confuse āspiceā with āspicy,ā and use spices often and in everything.
āUse them on a daily basis; theyāre not reserved to a specific ethnic group or just the holiday season. Itās year-round ā breakfast, lunch and dinner,ā he said.
āIf you like food and beverage than you should use spices; thereās no other way. It doesnāt have to be 20 ā it could be two or three ā but you have to use spices.ā
In the last 10 years, Lev Sercarz has traveled the globe to source the best ingredients for his spice collection, which includes more than 130 blends. Ā
Wildwood Kitchenās Shapiro uses Lev Sercarzās Kibbe blend (parsley, garlic and cumin) in the restaurantās squash soup and on its spiced carrots, and incorporates the Shabazi spice (green chilies, parsley and coriander) into its avocado tahini.
āIt really elevates [the dish] ā¦ it brings more of a powerful flavor to it,ā Shapiro said about Lev Sercarzās blends. āIt almost makes your job easier.ā
In his latest book, āThe Spice Companion,ā Lev Sercarz details tips and recipes for creating spices at home. His first piece of advice: Take inventory of what you have and think about how long youāve had it. Unlike a fine wine, spices do not get better with time.
āThereās good news and thereās bad news: You canāt get sick from old spices,ā Lev Sercarz said.
Next, think about what you cook often and the seasonings you use for that recipe. If you put the same four herbs on your famous roast chicken, consider combining them in a balanced way into one jar to save space and time.
āOnce you have that blend that you made for your signature chicken or salmon, you start using it on other things because itās ready to be used,ā he said.
āIt could and should be used in anything you can think of, whether itās fish, meats, vegetables, desserts, cocktails. You should make it in a way that allows you to use it in as many possible preparations.ā
The easiest way to think of spices, Lev Sercarz says, is less as an ingredient and more like a tool in the kitchen that doesnāt come with instructions.
