Alchemy and Spice: Lior Lev Sercarz
If we’re being honest with ourselves, most of us probably have middling, to little talent when it comes to cooking – a mixture of McCormick jars, pinch of salt, dash of pepper – is probably our go to for our seasoning needs. It’s a good thing then, that Lior Sercarz has distilled his passion for spices into a form that can be appreciated by us less versed, but equally inquisitive in the kitchen.
He’s been described as a spice wizard and creates intricate custom spice blends for some of the best restaurants and bars in the country, as well as home cooks like us. Before starting a recipe for one of his taste-bud-blowing spice blends, Lior tells us everything begins with a conversation. It could start from a town he’s visited, or something he’s read, but he crafts all of his custom blends just the same – to tell a story. Lior uses an intense process of researching, grinding, steaming, and combining ingredients, and much like alchemy, it’s part precision science, part artistry. We got the chance to visit his New York shop and talk a bit about his process below.
When you think of cooking and world famous chefs, someone’s first thought might be a signature dish or maybe a technique used to cook – what led you to the world of blending spices?
People were lacking knowledge, both professional and home cooks were intimidated by the world of spices and I saw an opportunity to engage them in my passion and to make spices and cooking more accessible and fun.
With a collection of over 40 different spice blends, where do you find inspiration to develop your blends?
My inspiration comes from places, people, and more frequently nowadays, collaborations with professionals, from chefs, to bartenders, to prepared food manufacturers, and more.
Once you find your inspiration, we know cooking has a lot to do with smell, taste, and even vision. What senses do you rely on the most, and what’s your process when developing your blends?
All of the above. Cooking is a multi-sensory process, and spice blending is no different. From the color of a blend, to the taste and texture in a dish, to even the feel in your hand when you use it. All of these elements are essential.
You also work with chefs around the world and develop custom blends for other high-profile customers, how do you make the spice blend unique for each customer?
It’s the result of a conversation, the bespoke blends we craft are based a lot on their personality and their vision.
For those interested in visiting or purchasing your blends, what would you say is the key to picking out their first few?
This is also a conversation. We are always happy to engage with people to explore their cooking style and make recommendations. This is why we encourage people to visit if they can so they can smell the blends and engage in dialogue with us. And if you can’t make it, we always are happy to answer any emails.
You have a seasonal collection of French-style biscuits, where you blend the experience of art and food together – can you tell us a bit more about that?
Simply, it is an opportunity for me to present two of my loves, biscuits, and art. The biscuits change like the seasons and are impermanent, and the tin and art remain as a happy reminder of a great experience.
How do you go about selecting the bold artwork to use for each collection?
It’s a combination of chance encounters, conversations, and the seasons. I know it when I see it and am also always open to hearing from artists.
What would you count as some of your biggest successes to date since opening La Boîte?
The conversation around spices has begun to alter, people are open, inspired, and experimenting. I think we are on a path where people who are not from cultures that use spices every day will find it much easier and fun to do so.
“The conversation around spices has begun to alter, people are open, inspired, and experimenting.”
During our shoot, we noticed you have a bit of a uniform with your blue lab coat and cargo pants. Is there a source of inspiration behind the two?
Yes! The lab coat was inspired by both my dear friend, baker Apollonia Poillane, and by the late Bill Cunningham. The whole outfit is also based on utility, as I always have a lot of tools to store and it’s great to have plenty of pockets.
Switching to your other projects, you currently have your book “The Art of Blending” and you have “The Spice Companion” coming out November 1st – can you tell us a bit about the two and how they differ?
The Art of Blending is more historical, detailing our 41 numbered blends, telling the stories behind each and sharing recipes and inspiration. The Spice Companion is a guidebook to 102 single spices, and the recipes are all for creating blends of your own instead of finished dishes. It’s a distillation of my 30 years of experience blending spices, and I hope will become a go-to book for anyone interested in making their own blends and using spices in their life every day.
Any other fun or exciting projects we should know about?
This year we have a collaboration beer with Brooklyn Brewery called Tripel Burner that is available now, an American gin from Cardinal Spirits, and a new take on the traditional spice rack, not to mention lots on the horizon for 2017!
Lior Lev Secarz talks about #TheAdventureLife:
One very memorable adventure I had last year was a visit to the Avery Island to see the Tabasco plantation and production. It was amazing to see the whole process that last more than 3 years and respects many of the original traditions.
To learn more about La Boîte and to purchase his signature blends, check out the website: www.LaBoiteNY.com
