For Yaniv Cohen, his passion for teaching people about spices all started when his daughter was born nine years ago,. and he found himself wanting to give her a feeling for the tastes and aromas of his childhood in Israel. The Miami-based chef and caterer is spreading his knowledge online, where he blogs as "The Spice Detective," through classes on cooking with spices, and through his culinary outlet, Jaffa, in Miami's design district. His Hannukah latkes were influenced by his Iraqi grandmother -- and Yaniv tells us how to get that flavor.  

His cookbook My Spiced Kitchen: A Middle Eastern Cookbook came out a few months ago. 

 You'll find Yaniv's recipe for his grandmother's Iraqi latkes and a recipe for baharat spice mix on our website, thezestpodcast.com.