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Passion for Spices - Cooking School, Team Building & Organic Spices

31 Woodland Avenue
Summit, NJ, 07901
908-380-0644
Passion for Spices

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Passion for Spices - Cooking School, Team Building & Organic Spices

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Passion for Spices™ 15th Anniversary Celebration

July 3, 2025 Nicholas McTernan

Last Friday, Passion for Spices celebrated a very special milestone: its fifteenth anniversary. The party kicked off with shots of gazpacho, a recipe brought to us by Chef Maria Marone and her 98-year-old grandmother all the way from Gailitiea, Spain.

 
 

The night opened with Christina Amundson introducing May Fridel, owner and founder of Passion for Spices. Christina explained the vision and dream for Passion for Spices. She discussed how her son, Thomas Amundson, one of the chefs at Passion for Spices, designed the logo. He was inspired by the organization’s vision for sustainability and the use of natural ingredients.

 
 

There was also a plethora of local businesses in attendance, including D’Artagnan meats, who provided a bountiful charcuterie spread, which incorporated Valley Shepherd Cheese and Harvest Drop vegetables and squash blossoms. Also present was Ivan Ruiz, owner of the Wine List in Summit, who showcased some sustainable wine selections to the guests. There was also the newly opened Indian Kitchen and Grill, which curated a delicious sampling of the Indian street food offered at their restaurant in Madison.

The Passion for Spices Kitchen and its chefs were hard at work to create an ample assortment of mouthwatering dishes. The menu included a crudité of seasonal vegetables and fried squash blossoms. There were also spiced turkey meatballs with mint chutney served on naan and Korean gochujang chicken lollipops. In the kitchen, there was a dumpling-making workshop, where guests were able to fold gyoza along with a vegetarian version for the non-meat eaters. With a menu this tempting, it's a miracle anyone had room for dessert. However, there was still a line for the vanilla ice cream and blueberry sauce. Another sweet treat included gulab jamun, which was provided by the wonderful Indian Kitchen and Grill.

And with that, another Passion for Spices event came to a close. Friends, family, and business community came together for a wonderful celebration, and it was the perfect embodiment of what Passion for Spices is always working towards: quality food and people to break bread with. A special thank you to the Suburban Chamber of Commerce members who took time out of their busy schedules to celebrate with us. Below are some pictures and highlights from the event. 

Although this was a celebration of how far we’ve come, we have no intentions of slowing down anytime soon. Be on the lookout for new releases for our spice line, a scenic trip to the Finger Lakes, and new membership opportunities. For young chefs wanting to hone their skills, the Passion for Spices cooking camp is fast approaching– sign up before spots run out! In addition to our annual camp, we have some exciting cook classes coming up. We invite everyone to join us for specialized classes from around the world, featuring vibrant recipes and masterful chefs. Please visit the website for the upcoming schedule and feel free to follow us on Instagram to stay updated!

SOME OF THE indian FOOD THAT WAS brought by indian kitchen and grill!

guests enjoying the Feast!

Some photos of our dumpling demonstration along with the final product!

 
 

Everyone enjoyed the wonderful wine brought to us by The Wine List! Cheers!

In Hearty Tags passion for spices, anniversary, party, dinner, gyoza, chicken, charcuterie, wine, guests, indian cooking, food, gazpacho, vegetables, D'Artagnan, Valley Shepherd, The Wine List, Indian Kitchen and Grill, Harvest Drop, logo, colorful, natural, sustainable, ingredients, Suburban Chamber of Commerce
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Passion For Spices™ Celebrated the Cuisine of Syrian Christians

September 12, 2024 Nicholas McTernan

Last weekend, we had a special event at Passion for Spices™ when Lathika George, the author of The Kerala Kitchen, came visiting. It was a celebration of a very special cookbook which features the cuisine of my own community, the Syrian Christians of Kerala. The revised version comes 15 years after it was first published by Hippocrene Books, New York and has a new Foreword by Dr. Abraham Verghese, author of The Covenant of Water.
The evening started with a video message from Dr. Verghese who spoke of his deep connection with the cuisine of his community, food from his grandmother's kitchen, the same recipes that feature in his book.
The menu for the multi course sit-down dinner was curated by Lathika George and brilliantly executed by Chef Hemant Mathur and his team worked around the clock to produce a sparkling ginger-lemon crush, appetizers, and one delicious dish after the other - all recipes are from The Kerala Kitchen.

 
 
Full Menu

Here are some highlights of the event. We had many friends and family travel from all over to attend this special event. They enjoyed the special Kerala feast, executed by Michelan Star Chef Hemant Mathur and team.

The event started off with a short video from Dr Abraham Verghese, author of the Covenant of Water and subject of Oprah Daily. This was a special surprise for his fans.

Dr Abraham Verghese, author of Covenant of Water, addressing the guests.

An Event highlight reel

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The guests enjoying the Kerala Feast

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We also had a book launch in New York at Chef Hemant Marthur’s restaurant, SAAR, A Tody Shop Event, courtesy of Christine Keeley.

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Thank you Lathika George for showcasing the special cuisine through the stories and recipes from The Kerala Kitchen book.

Tags Oprah's Book Club, Syrian Christian, Hippocrene Books, Keralan Cooking, indian cooking
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This Holiday Season, Give the Gift of Cooking

December 1, 2019 May Fridel
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This holiday season, give the gift of cooking that brings friends and family together for a memorable experience. Our cooking classes are perfect for private groups, corporate holiday parties, and for family and friends.

Passion for Spices Cooking School offers perfect gift ideas for you and yours. Our gift card can be used for our authentic cooking classes, organic spices perfect for everyday cooking, or May Fridel’s Cookbook. See below the choices of classes we offer.

Holiday Classes for Your Holiday Season

Calendar of Events
Homestyle Thanksgiving with Kathleen Sanderson
Nov 1
Nov 1, 2025
Homestyle Thanksgiving with Kathleen Sanderson
Nov 1, 2025
Nov 1, 2025

Adult Cooking Classes

Kids and Teens After School Cooking Program

Winter Season Kids and Teens After School Cooking Program Virtual Winter Season Kids and Teens After School Cooking Program Virtual
Winter Season Kids and Teens After School Cooking Program Virtual

Organic Spices

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Keralan Curry

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Kashmiri Garam Masala

Indian Cuisine Diabetes Cookbook

Click to see more.

Click to see more.

Tags cooking classes, cooking school, private cooking classes, private cooking events, indian cooking, holiday season, foodie gifts, holiday gift
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A Surprise Birthday Party: Indian Style Feast

November 7, 2019 May Fridel
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We recently had a fabulous private cooking event where we hosted a special birthday party. The theme was a Classic Indian Style Feast, and we curated a menu based on the birthday girl’s favorites.

The menu that we came up with, included Tandoori Shrimp, Roasted Corn Tikki with Mint Chutney, Spinach Tahiri, Lamb Rogan Josh, and Cucumber Raita.

Lemon Flavored Panna Cotta with Fresh Blackberries

Lemon Flavored Panna Cotta with Fresh Blackberries

Lamb Rogan Josh Prep Station

Lamb Rogan Josh Prep Station

Spinach Tahiri Topped with Lamb Rogan Josh

Spinach Tahiri Topped with Lamb Rogan Josh

Serving Roasted Corn Tikki with Mint Chutney

Serving Roasted Corn Tikki with Mint Chutney

The guests arrived early to give the birthday girl a pleasant surprise for her special day. She was so touched by her husband’s choice of celebrating her birthday by cooking with friends. The menu choice made it even better to her, since Indian cuisine is her favorite type of food.

The party started with Butternut Squash Soup Shots and a Tandoori Shrimp appetizer, which was paired with a German Riesling wine. Afterwards, the group was invited into the kitchen where the chef explained the menu and divided them into teams to make the full course of the Indian Feast together. May Fridel gave them a lesson on how to use spices, including how to roast cumin and how to mix up spices to make a masala. The Lemon Flavored Panna Cotta Topped with Blackberries was a perfect palate cleanser, and was a great dessert to finish the meal. All in all, it was a joyful evening, and it created a special memory for the birthday girl.

Soup Shots with Shrimp

Soup Shots with Shrimp

Making the Roasted Corn Tikki

Making the Roasted Corn Tikki

To join our cooking classes, book your own event, or sign up for one of our cooking classes here:

Book Your Own Event
Cooking Classes
Tags cooking classes, cooking school, private cooking classes, private cooking events, indian cooking
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