"spice" news and stories

Confession: I never throw my spices out. I've been told again and again that spices have a shelf life and that I should dump them after a while, but I am willing to risk it.

If you like your spices fresh and you don't use them very often, you may consider buying single-serving organic spices from TSP Spices. They come in teaspoon sized packets that stay fresh until you open them.

Single serving spices would make a great gift for someone who doesn't cook very often, but wants to get started trying a few different flavors. I'd also love to see some of these make an appearance at restaurants and coffee shops. It would be great to be able to easily add some cinnamon and nutmeg to my hot beverage instead of just pink, blue, or white sweeteners.

Would single serving spices be useful to you? Which ones would you use the most?

Source

There are plenty of recipes floating around out there for Halloween-themed cocktails (like the Mad Eye Martini that Bob posted about), but I am betting that many of them are candy- or chocolate flavored, which means they will be full of cream and sugar.

I don't do that.

However, I am not entirely opposed to what I've been calling "caketails" for years. This weekend, I'll be keeping it pretty simple with the Modern Spirits vodka in Pumpkin Spice flavor to serve "pumpkin pie" in a glass. The flavor is already in the vodka, so it'll be just fine to chill and pour straight up. No mixing necessary. Of course, to make it even spicier, you could also add a splash of Modern Spirits' Candied Ginger flavor, too.

When you want to add some variety, some spice, to your regular diet, looking to other cultures and cuisines is a great idea. Adding some curry to your usual marinade or chipotle peppers in your bbq sauce effectively constitutes fusion cuisine and opens a world of possibilities for the home cook in the kitchen. Strangely, however, not that many cookbooks promote this type of fusion. They tend to strive for either authentic, exotic recipes or for familiar fare, with the tiniest pinch of spice that serves to differentiate it from the competition. The former strategy can be intimidating to some cooks, while the latter would hardly constitute a decent exposure to a new cuisine, let alone a good introduction. One Spice, Two Spice: American Food, Indian Flavors embraces the idea of really blending flavors from two cultures, resulting in a cookbook full of recipes that manage to be familiar and different at the same time, introducing a whole new range of possibilities in a very accessible way.

The recipes are relatively uncomplicated and primarily use ingredients that can be found at the regular grocery store, as opposed to at specialty markets. Roast Lamb with Mint–Black Pepper Sauce, Curry Leaf Lime Vinaigrette, Pan-fried Black Pepper Shrimp and Mahi mahi Stuffed With Coconut Coriander Chutney are just a few examples of recipes that incorporate Indian ingredients and condiments (which play a big role in Indian food) into more familiar dishes. Author Floyd Cardoz doesn't rely on the food to speak for itself, and takes the time to explain the inspirations for his flavor combinations and the history associated with ingredients at every possible opportunity.

Source

Over the next few days we'll be taking a look at a number of dishes that fall into the 'Cajun', 'Creole', and 'Southern' food categories. Though there are distinct differences between each style of cooking, for ease of posting I'm going to lump them into the single category of "Mardi Gras food".

I use a basic Creole spice in most of my dishes which I'll be referencing back to over the next couple of days. This is very similar to Emeril's "essence", though each recipe varies slightly. You can adjust the amounts to suit your own personal taste, though the mixture below will produce a nice blend of seasonings and spice that will accent and flavor your food without adding too much heat. If three-alarm is what you are looking for, by all means add more cayenne!

The recipe can be found after the jump.

Every year there are a handful of ingredients and flavors that find their way onto almost every single restaurant menu in the country. Last year, two of the most popular flavors were pomegranate and chipotle. This year, the menu trend-spotters have already made their top five predictions, some of which are bolder than before and others that are merely extensions of existing trends.

Functional flavors - Beyond green tea and pomegranate there is a whole world of functional food that will become more widely used. Açaí, acerola cherry, red wine and red tea will all step more into the limelight.

More Latin flavors - Chipotle is still popular, as is regional Mexican (from Oaxaca and Jalisco), but new flavors will step up, with more influences from Central and South America.

Sweet and savory- The pairing of salty and sweet (or savory and sweet) really hit a home run with packaged foods last year, but more mainstream restaurants will be offering salted caramels or herb-infused ice creams than in the past.

Expected flavors, unexpected fruits- Why stick with orange when you can use blood orange? The same goes for choosing Meyer lemons, Buddha's hand or other citrus over plan lemon. Twists on popular flavors will make the food seem more exotic, without taking a big risk by radically changing the flavor.

More Spice, Less Heat - Instead of the overt heat of chipotle, ancho, and jalapeño, there will be more Indian and Moroccan spices added to menus, including curry, cumin and cardamom.

Source