FUN FIND: a spice rack for the scientific sort

I accidentally stumbled onto this lovely periodic table of herbs and spices magnetic spice rack while looking for a new spice rack for myself (any suggestions, anyone?).  Thought it was clever and loved the way it looked.  It was created by a guy going under the name "SinginLow" on instructibles.com and he's selling a PDF so you can print your own!

Check it out here!

It's not quite my style, but I thought it was really cool and worth sharing.  Let me know if you decide to print up one of your own!

SAGE ADVICE #4: Picking a Spice Shop

If you live in a relatively big city, chances are you've got a lot of options when it comes to spice shopping.  In the center city area of Philadelphia there are 4 spice shops that I know of, not counting grocery stores and kitchen shops with a tiny spice section.  There are probably many more in Chinatown and elsewhere that I simply haven't heard of.  So how do you discern the good from the bad?

First things first.  You're there to buy a product.  That product needs to be in good shape.  Smelling a giant jar full of cinnamon isn't going to tell you anything because it's always going to smell amazingly delicious, even if it's poor quality.  If you don't mind coming off as rude, ask how often they empty their jars, how often they rotate the product, how often the jars are cleaned, etc.  Also, be on the lookout for how well sealed the jars are.  Exposure to air is what makes spices go bad quickly.

While less than adequate staff can be overlooked if the price/quality ratio is good, it does factor into the overall experience.  Watch how the staff reacts when you start looking around confusedly.  Do they ask if you need anything right away?  Do they provide helpful advice?  Do they like talking about the product or are they content to sit and look at Facebook?  Can you trust them for advice?  Believe me, even if you're just there to buy some black pepper, a good clerk will notice when something catches your eye and help you decide if it's something you'd like to take home.

Finally, compare the prices.  Are the charging the same price or higher than the other shop that has better onion powder?  Get a sense of bang for your buck.  You can do this pretty easily with the spices you use most.  I go through so much cumin that I can rank each shop's offering.  While I've never felt ripped off, I've often wondered where that extra 50 cents goes.

Shopping for spices should be fun and exciting.  You've gotta find a shop that gives you that sense and makes you want to come back for more.  Check yelp for reviews all you like, but remember that your mileage may vary.  Some people are more attuned to certain things and shopping experiences are no different.  You've gotta find the store that's right for you.

Not Actually All the Spices.

Very few names are as misleading as allspice.  Pimenta dioica is in fact a dried berry that grows in the Caribbean area.  Legend has it that the Spanish thought it was Indian pepper (hence why they still call it pimenta) and that they'd successfully gone all the way to India.  Allspice got its name from the British who thought it tasted like like cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves and pepper (it does) and that these were all the spices in the world (their culinary traditions are given side eye for a reason).  It is sweet, warm, earthy, and delicious.

As it comes from the new world, allspice is used mainly in Mexican moles and in Jamaican wood smoked jerk pastes and I'm going to leave that one alone.  Jamaica's is said to be the best with Mexican allspice being poo-pooed by spice snobs (of which I am proud to say I am not one).  It doesn't like to grow outside of its native lands so you won't see it used much in, say, Swedish cooking.  Other uses are in pastries, pickling spice and Jamaican curries.

Allspice is also a key component in Cincinnati style chili.  While I live in Philadelphia now, I was actually born in Cincinnati although my family moved here when I was only 6 months old.  At the time, my mother was eating in Skyline Chili when she went into labor.  Yes, apparently allspice is so good I jumped out to say "damn, gimme some more!"

And so began my spice obsession.

Speaking of Skyline, why not try a veggie recipe based on their chili?

If nothing else, the take home message should be that allspice is not a blend of all spices.  It is not a blend at all.  It is a spice.  It is a crop that Jamaica is so proud of they have strict regulations on how it is grown and harvested to ensure quality.  Just try to keep a straight face when they tell you it's used in jerking.

STORE REVIEW: Melange Tea & Spice

It takes a LOT to steal me away from my first love.  A LOT.

Having been open for less than a year, Melange is the newest arrival on Philadelphia's spice market scene.  However, I can see this store outlasting them all.  The first impression you get when you walk in is that things are very different.  The romance of exotic spices calling to you from jars is simply not there.  It looks very clean and modern.  I was a skeptic at first, but owners Boris and Yumiko Ginsburgs have won me over.

First things first.  The jars being out in the open is entirely for show.  It doesn't make any sense to put them there.  People are constantly opening jars, sticking their noses in and spreading their germs around.  I'm no hypochondriac, but there's something gross about that.  Plus, open air makes spices weaker.  Instead, everything is pre-bagged.

"But what if I want to smell the spices?"

Well, all you have to do is approach the counter and talk to Yumiko or Boris.  In fact, they will greet you as soon as you come in and will happily talk about their products.  They have a genuine passion for what they're selling (that extends to the tea, but I'm a spice guy so...) and a very thorough knowledge of it to boot.  I've only been twice, but both times I left feeling really good about the place and knowing a little more about spices.  This is ultimately what tipped the scales for me.  That sort of in depth knowledge leaves you more confident as a customer.

The POS system upfront is a sleek tablet based one.  The high tech register shows how new the place is.  However, this also means they embraced newer technology early on.  They're on twitter and facebook and they have a very well done website where you can order spices online.  I've linked to their online store before, but here's their main page.

Melange Tea & Spice

It's a tiny store and they are still working to gain a reputation, but they've got what it takes.  Their prices are really good, with most things being $2 for 2 ounces.  Their selection is really good (do check out their hot peppers!), the owners really have the know-how and I just can't say enough good things about this place so I'll shut up now before this run on sentence gets too crazy.  5/5 anise stars.

SAGE ADVICE #3: Storing Spices

I was talking to a friend lately about my spice shopping experiences when he said "Bags?  What bags?"  It dawned on me that not everyone lives near a spice shop.  Oh God!  I was blind to my own spice privilege!

So, you see, spice shops, which make me prance around gleefully like a child in a toy store, buy their spices in bulk.  They sit around in big containers until they are put into little baggies for the customer to buy.  A successful spice shop run will make your roommate wonder what you're really up to.  Sometimes these are sealed with simple twist ties.  Others are more high tech and have ziplock style resealable bags.  Others are heat-sealed.  It is up to the customer to put their spices into a jar and you should do that ASAP because plastic baggies really aren't air tight.  This is why they smell awesome when you bring them home.

While some of us have jars already, not everyone does.  A real spice maniac will constantly have to buy more as they go, and they'll probably have a collection of mismatched jars and tins with crazy hand written labels, re-purposed plastic bottles of cheap sawdust and baggies that simply had nowhere to go.

It might be tempting to spend $50 on a rack with nice little cork top jars already filled with about an ounce and a half of all the essentials.  Avoid this blasphemy.  Cork breathes and air exposure weakens spices.  Most bags of spice are 2, 4 or 8 ounces, so make sure your jars can hold enough or you'll be forced to leave bags of powder lying around.  Awkward when the landlord drops in.  Finally, spice racks look cool, but ideally you want your spices out of the sun, as sunlight can make them weaker too.  Cabinets and drawers are ideal but if your rack is out of direct light it should be fine.

Keeping Vampires at Bay

Oh garlic...  Ohhhhhhhhhhh garlic...  I could probably end this entry right now.  Garlic is the most widely used spice on the planet.  Every culture that has come into contact with it has adopted it and with good reason.  Garlic (allium sativum) is amazingly delicious.  It is spicy, sweet, deeply umami-ey and very, VERY intense.  I could write a whole article on garlic alone, but I'm going to focus on garlic powder.

To get the nerdy part out of the way, garlic powder can be a variety of things.  Actual garlic powder is extremely fine.  Coarse powders are properly called granulated garlic.  But who cares?  Just find yourself some garlic and go hog wild!  Too much is never enough!

the appropriate amount of garlic powder

Garlic's potency is so great that people genuinely fear it.  Any dating advice will usually involve staying away from spinach and other leafy greens, overly spiced foods and garlic, out of a fear that you'll get "garlic breath".  While it's true that garlic gets into your system and comes out in your sweat and breath, you can neutralize this with milk.  Yes, just drink a little milk with your garlic.  But honestly, people who don't appreciate garlic annoy me.  As far as I'm concerned, if you don't like the smell, you can go ahead and hold your breath.  Indefinitely.

When dried into powder (ground, granulated or powdered), garlic gets more mellowed out, making it ideal for people who find the fresh cloves too intense.  The general approximation is 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon of garlic powder to substitute one clove.  Obviously that 1/4 tsp recommendation is way too low, but go with what your tongue tells you is right.

Your garlic powder should have a nice, sandy yellow tint to it and smell strongly.  It can lose its potency quickly so check periodically to ensure your goods are still good (we good on that?).  In fact, garlic powder's lack of punch is probably why most recipe books call for fresh garlic instead.  Well, that and foodie prejudice, but foodies are demonstrably terrible people so don't rule it out.  It shines in high heat situations where fresh garlic would burn and can add sweet and subtle depth.  It's a good addition to spice blends and also works well when sprinkled on comfort food.  Speaking of comfort food, how about a recipe for some garlic bread?

Who doesn't love garlic bread?

While many chefs think of garlic powder as a poor substitute for "the real thing" it has its own merits that should not be overlooked.  Ignore the haters and pile on that granulated goodness.  Just try to avoid saying the letter H too much afterwards.

OFF TOPIC: MLK Day

Let's all take a little time today to reflect on how Mr. King has made all of our lives better no matter your background. If he were still around I'd want to cook him an amazing meal. In my little world, cooking is love and love conquers hate.

STORE REVIEW: The Spice Corner

It was my first love and will thus always be in my heart.  The Spice Corner is the place to go in the Italian Market of Philadelphia.  Two thirds of this little hole in the wall are devoted to herbs, spices and blends.  The rest of the store has coffee, tea and a few dried goods.

Walking in, the place feels at once exotic and familiar.  Jars are lined up on shelves giving it the look of every spice shop you've ever seen in a movie or TV show.  Jars of things you might not have tried before like sumac or tandoor masala beckon in a whisper while the more familiar items greet you up front like an old friend.

The staff is very personable and helpful.  They always seem to hard at work when I arrive, bagging spices, maintaining the store and tagging little baggies.  However, that never stops them from making me feel welcome and well liked.  I've never met the store's owner but I've heard she's quite a character herself.

If there's anything negative to be said about this store, it would be the hours.  For some reason they close at 5:30 on weekdays.  Baffling though that is, I still find the effort to get there in time well worth it.  They only accept cash but this to me just adds to romanticism of a spice shop being an exotic, rustic thing.

Disappointingly, they have almost no internet presence.  The best they have is a page on the Italian Market website which looks like it hasn't been updated since the mid 90s.  I'll link to it here anyway.  I guess it's all part and parcel of the rustic aesthetic.

From little ol' me, The Spice Corner gets 4.5/5 anise stars and a recommendation.

SAGE ADVICE #2: Saving Green While Buying Greens

If you're ever in a grocery store and find yourself paying $5 for what looks like an ounce and a half of marginally good powdered thyme and think "there's got to be a better way", you're right.  There is.  McCormick's classy looking bottles might call out to you, but don't be deceived.  You don't have to pay more to get good spices if you go to a spice shop.

The big advantage to spice shops is that they buy in bulk, not in individually sealed bottles.  This cuts out quite a few middle men which keeps the cost down.  The quality is usually better as well since less time passes when spices don't have to change hands as often.  You could find yourself paying half as much money for twice the spice.  Sound nice?

If you must buy store brands, please consider going for cheap stuff only as a last resort.  I'm sure I come off as bougie sometimes when talking about going for better quality herbs and spices, but the difference is very noticeable.  I'm not trying to suggest everyone should go bankrupt, though.  One of my favorite spice shops sells their wares online for very good prices.

Check them out here!

While saffron will always be worth its weight in diamonds, there's no need to go broke buying spices.  This isn't the middle ages.

My Herbal Epiphany

Never have I been so horribly wrong.  My first impression of oregano, AKA origanum vulgare was that it is bitter, tea like, bitter, peppery, bitter, bitter, bitter and bitter.  When I recently had the chance to try oregano dried from someone's garden, my impression was that it was woodsy, peppery, minty and sweet, with notes of catnip and perhaps a tiny bit of bitterness for depth.  Wow.  Lesson learned, never ever buy herbs from Cento.

Oregano is wildly popular in the Mediterranean region and is often grown in people's window boxes alongside thyme and basil.  While fresh oregano is certainly a desirable thing, it's one of the few herbs that actually benefits from the drying process as it's so strong when fresh that it can make your tongue start tingling and going numb.  Little of the flavor is lost if it is dried well and not from Cento.

Using oregano in the United States is essentially a culinary shorthand for Italian food.  Stick a spring or two in and nonna will be jumping around saying "bello bello!"  That or she'll take her cooking spoon to the back of your head for stereotyping Italians.  At any rate, it's most popular use here is for tomato based sauces from marinara to pizza sauce.  Here in Philadelphia we like to say "gravy".  I don't know why, but if you say "tomato sauce" you get yelled at.

So here, have a gravy recipe.

The importance of herbs being of good quality cannot be understated.  Cheap oregano is actually gross.  Good oregano is really good.  It gives your pizza that distinct tang, your Greek salad its robust dimensions and spikes your marinara with harmonic notes.  I'm sorry that it took me so long to see the light, but yea, unto your leafy salvation I have been delivered!

SAGE ADVICE #1 No Sifter Tops Ever!

I don't have much to say today so I figured I'd just throw a small tip out for you.  I think I'll start doing these to fill in the spaces between real updates.  It's not every day that I can devote thought to a whole article about a spice.  Enough preamble.  Let's talk about the sifter tops you probably have on your spice jars.

You may as well throw these stupid things out because they're really not doing you any good.  In general, a sifter top is used when you want to sprinkle a seasoning.  If you do this, you can't measure how much you're adding.  This means you can't figure out how much you used, which means you don't know how much to use next time.  You also can't make a recipe that way.  The sifter top is as useful as teats on a bull.

But guess what?  It gets worse.  You see, sprinkling your herbs and spices into a cooking pot can actually get the aroma of your food into the spice if it's particularly strong.  Your delicate coriander could be tainted by hefty amounts of garlic.  Your sweet cardamom could be imbued with oregano's bitterness.  Even hardy spices like turmeric could be ruined by a splash of boiling curry.  So ignore what André 3000 said and do not shake it like a Polaroid picture.

Get out those measuring spoons, pour things into your palm and dust off that mortar and pestle.  Look at how much you're adding to your dish.  Toss those sifter tops.  Do right by your spice and your spice will do right by you.

WTF is a Rhizome?

Sometimes called Indian saffron (while tasting absolutely nothing like saffron (and saffron is grown in India too...)), curcuma longa, better known by its stage name, turmeric, is both a spice and a dye.  It was originally cultivated in India but quickly became known throughout the rest of the world.  Its famously bright yellow-orange color is what gained it notoriety more than its flavor, which is kind of metallic and incense-y.  The more bitter and coppery it tastes, the worse your turmeric is, so throw that nonsense out.  It should taste warm, earthy and more complex and have notes of mustard and wood.

Turmeric is a rhizome, which is I word I had to look up for writing this because nobody would ever need to use that word in conversation.  A rhizome is a plant stalk that grows underground and the roots grow off of it.  Ginger is a more famous example.  They kind of look like Cheetos, but they're not.  They will stain your hands a similar color, though.  These are dried out and ground into a powder.  Apparently the rhizomes get to be as hard as concrete and will destroy your spice grinder.  Turmeric doesn't mess around.

totes an actual picture of how turmeric is ground

Turmeric is thought to have medicinal properties.  Well, all spices are thought to have medicinal properties but you'll actually hear people talking about turmeric's.  Mostly you'll hear about how it reduces inflammation but there isn't any science to back this.  It supposedly has some legit anti-bacterial properties, though, so there's that.

Turmeric will stain things a bright orangey color.  It is used to dye many things, from cheeses to orange juice to fabric.  Spice store clerks know all too well just how badly it can stain things.  It has claimed many a foolish n00b's white shirt.

it's like a carrot inside of ginger that will wreck your laundry

Turmeric's main culinary use is in food from India and the surrounding countries.  While the name itself is of unknown ye olde Englishe origins, it's not popular in English speaking countries.  Well, unless you count England's Desi chefs.  But yeah, you'll find many Indian recipes calling for it.  One such is a yummy lentil recipe called tarka dal.

Give it a try sometime.

While not a spice that gets center stage too often, turmeric adds a lot of depth and character to a dish.  Make sure the color is a bright, dramatic, orangish yellow and the taste is full of subtle complexity.  An absolute must for anyone interested in curries and central Asian food.

Smoked Spanish Paprika

In my last update, I talked about how important spice is for a vegetarian cook.  One such spice gives food such a bacony flavor that no vegetarian should ever overlook it.  I am referring to smoked paprika.

Paprika itself is an interesting beast.  It comes from the air-drying of chili peppers which are then ground into a powder.  Hungarians go absolutely nuts over their paprika (I mean...  I get it.  I would too!) and have different varieties according to soil type, sweetness, parts of the pepper used...  I'm sure wine connoisseurs are nodding right now.  But that's not what I'm here to talk about right now.  I'm here to talk about Spain's take on paprika.

Pimentón de la Vera, usually called Spanish paprika in English, is not air dried.  Instead, the fruits of the peppers are smoked.  Different varieties are made by removing the seeds or even adding other types of spicy pepper.  The smokey taste is known for being almost meaty and it's used primarily in Spanish stews.  Apparently festivals are thrown where patron saints are thanked.  Considering what Spain's other festivals are like, I can only imagine...

(like this, only paprika)

Now, the paprika we're used to in the US has almost no flavor.  People insist that its main use is for coloring.  Don't talk to those people.  You don't need that kind of negativity in your life.  While nobody would mistake the taste of pimentón for bacon, it has that same smokey flavor that can also be found in really well cooked bacon.  This can be further amplified with cheese.  As such, I have a recipe that involves both pimentón and cheese.

No thanks needed, really.

Always be careful when buying your spices.  I haven't really gone into spice shopping tips too much yet, but suffice to say quality makes a huge difference.  This is one of the few times when I'll reccomend buying a tin over buying bagged.  Paprika is especially good at turning into red sawdust, and most spice shops aren't very good at keeping their supply fresh.  If you trust the owner to only sell fresh, quality spices, though, go for it.

What you're looking for here is called a number of names, but smoked paprika, Spanish paprika and pimentón de la Vera are all names to watch for.  The three main types are dulce (sweet), agridulce (bittersweet) and picante (hot).  I don't prefer picante but only because recipes that call for pimentón are made with dulce in mind.  However, it's all about preference, and as the internet has taught me, everyone's opinion is REALLY IMPORTANT AND YOU NEED TO HEAR IT RIGHT NOW valid when it comes to food.