mix, mix…stir, stir

The only thing we love more than hearing about the different ways that SpiceCare has helped people tame the spice chaos in their kitchens is when we get to see pictures! We thought we’d share a few of the ones we’ve received so far.

It seems only fair to start with our own spices. The drawer shown on the left was only one of several places spices were stored throughout the kitchen. At right, a much more organized and functional system!

Customers in Montana transformed their unruly spice drawer into a thing of beauty!

Up in Anacortes, Washington, a pile of baggies was replaced by an elegant selection of SpiceCare containers on a lazy Susan.

In Altanta, a rack of messy bottles and jars became much more usable once SpiceCare was employed!

This SpiceCare owner in California gained a considerable amount of shelf space.

If you’re getting ready to replace your current spice mess with a SpiceCare system, don’t forget to take a picture of it now so you can better appreciate the transformation once it’s all finished. Then send up copies of the pictures and we’ll include them in our next update.

I always have a stash of spice blends on hand and recently realized they are my culinary safety net; an emergency backup system for getting dinner on the table when I’m rushed or uninspired. I started thinking about how many times I’ve been saved by a spice blend when putting together our latest Spice Inspiration contribution from Chef Ana Sortun because one of the recipes she contributed is a fantastic Schwarma spice blend.

One of the most common mid-week meals I make is some sort of protein, usually chicken or fish, tossed on the grill and served with a green salad and some sort of starchy side like potatoes, rice, or cornbread. The preparation of the components is creative and involved on some days and quite frankly a complete afterthought on others. It’s these “other” days that make me love my spice blends. With nothing more than a little sprinkle of a lovely spice blend, a dash of olive oil and squeeze of lemon or splash of wine, I have an entrée item that is ready for the grill with essentially no effort. The end result doesn’t taste like an afterthought because a well crafted blend of spices is complex deep and interesting. I’ve also turned to my spice blends to rescue various dishes from bland soups to lack-luster sauces.

You can buy spice blends or make your own from the spices you have on hand. If you are purchasing a blend, buy one that doesn’t have salt in it, unless of course it’s a seasoning salt in which case salt is the point. Often salt is used as filler and pre-salted blends don’t allow you much flexibility in seasoning your food.

A few of my favorite blends to have on hand are chili powder, berbere, Herbs de Provence, garam marsala, and  curry powder. Did you know that curry powder is a very western concept? Curry powder isn’t used in India.  Indian cooks make their own spice blends for each dish and though I like doing this when I can take the time, I also appreciate being able to achieve a lovely blend of flavors with a single sprinkle.  If you would like to make a few blends to have on hand we have some great recipes for you: Berbere, Schwarma Spice, TableFare Spice Rub, TableFare Herb Mix. You can also read about different spice blends in our Spice Library.

There was the tease of a giveaway wasn’t there? Yes, there is a giveaway! When I was in New York for the demo at Zabar’s I picked up a lovely spice blend by Daniel Boulud called Thanksgiving Blend. It’s a spicy sweet combo of rosemary and warm spices like cinnamon, and nutmeg, with a pinch of heat from chile and ginger. It has a beautiful aroma. Along with this blend I wanted to include two of my favorites, Berbere and Herbs de Provence from World Spice, both packaged in a SpiceCare container. We will do a random drawing from our Facebook page this Friday Dec. 18^th.  Just stop by our Facebook page and share a comment on your favorite spice blend to enter. As much as we love our international fans, the cost of shipping limits us to U.S. addresses. I hope to chat with you on Facebook!

These spicy pumpkin seeds are my favorite snack to counter all the sugar of the day. They are salty, crispy and you can make them as spicy as you care to by boosting the cayenne pepper.

 My tip for good pumpkin seeds is to cook them long enough so they take on some color, which makes them really crispy with a nice toasty flavor.

Wondering where thoes pumpkin seeds came from? My TableFare themed pumpkin of course.

I’m celebrating my inner Julia Child this Halloween. I hope you are having a fun day!

Spicy Toasted Pumpkin Seeds

2 cups cleaned and dried pumpkin seeds
 Tbsp. olive oil, melted butter, or vegetable oil
1 tsp. sea salt
1 tsp. chili powder
½ tsp. cumin, ground
1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper
pinch of garlic powder
pinch of ground black pepper

Preheat oven to 300 degrees F.

After hollowing out a pumpkin, separate the seeds from the stringy membrane and rinse the seeds in a large bowl of water. Swish and rub them around to loosen any bits of pumpkin meat. Lift the seeds out of the water into a strainer and repeat the rinse as many times as is necessary until they are satisfactorily clean, usually 2 to 3 rinses. Drain the seeds and dry them on a clean dishtowel. They can be left to dry overnight, or baked right away.

In a small bowl combine the spices and mix well. Spread the pumpkin seeds out on a rimmed baking sheet, drizzle with oil or butter, and mix well to combine. Sprinkle on the spice mixture and continue to mix until the spices are evenly distributed over the pumpkin seeds.

Bake for 35-50 minutes. If the seeds dried overnight they will bake on the shorter end of the range. Stir the seeds every ten minutes and spread out evenly over the pan to continue baking until they are a deep golden brown. Many of the seeds will puff up and they will make a crackling noise. Let cool and store in an airtight container.

Chef Jerry Traunfeld kicks off coriander month here at TableFare by sharing his love for this popular spice in our Spice Inspiration feature. If you aren’t already a fan of cooking with coriander this feature is a great introduction to why it is a favorite with so many people. 

To get you hooked on cooking with coriander, Chef Traunfeld shares two great recipes with us. The first one is Coriander Potato Soup it’s creamy, but still light and refreshing. The citrus notes of the coriander are highlighted by the addition of orange zest and the coriander seeds are toasted bringing out a warm nutty flavor in the spice that comes through at the finish of each bite. This is a perfect summer soup because it can be served hot or cold.

The orange zest is toasted right along with the coriander seeds in a dry skillet over medium heat. Shake the pan frequently to keep the seeds from burning and toast them until they are about two shades darker than when you started.

You can make this soup in one pot, with the exception of a skillet to toast the spices. It’s quick enough to make for a weeknight meal, but elegant enough to impress dinner guests.

What’sbetter than a freshly baked goodie first thing in the morning? These Coriander-Orange Scones are a perfect choice because they are easy to make and deliver fantastic flavor and aroma. The orange-coriander combination is a perfect balance with the currants adding a nice touch of fruity sweetness in each bite. The’re great as is, but it wouldn’t hurt anything to spread on a touch of real butter while they are still warm from the oven.

Check out the full Spice Inspiration feature and to learn more about coriander visit our Spice Library.

Mrs. Cook’s is a Seattle gem. Comfortably nestled in the heart of University Village Shopping Center, Mrs. Cook’s has been fueling the inner chefs of Seattleites and visitors since 1976 when Carol Bromel first opened her shop.

As someone who loves to cook, just walking in a kitchen store makes my heart race. Filled with beautiful things that inspire my favorite hobby, how could it not be exciting? Mrs. Cook’s has all the elements that make a great kitchen shop with quality lines of pots and pans, cutlery, dishes, crystal, linens and gadgets. Shelves filled with products from industry leaders assures you will find what you need, but among all of these familiar brands and products are countless beautiful, unique, clever, and delightful finds that define the independent identity of Mrs. Cook’s, making it such a fun place to shop.

About a year and a half ago I had the opportunity to work at Mrs. Cook’s through the holiday season as an internship of sorts. Starting TableFare I felt it was really important to understand the retail kitchenware business, and how better to do that than work on the floor during the holiday season? It was an immensely valuable experience, and even during the height of holiday craziness, it was a lot of fun.

Look, that’s SpiceCare on the shelf!

Carol and her two long-time managers, Amy and Nancy, work as a dynamic team to ensure the store is always stocked with inspiring items to keep customers cooking, entertaining, and generally enjoying time spent in the kitchen. Though even with all the right merchandise a store is only as good as the overall shopping experience. It’s unusual in a retail setting, but the Mrs. Cook’s staff have been working together for years and have developed a deep knowledge of the products they sell, take time to get to know their customers, and make it a goal to provide great service which sometimes means advising a customer against buying an item that really isn’t what that person needs. It’s fun to shop in a store where the staff enjoys what they do, and they do it well; it makes for a great shopping experience.

Mrs. Cook’s is the first kitchen store to stock SpiceCare, so in my opinion this makes them the best kitchen store ever! True to their dedication to good service and product knowledge, I was given the opportunity to train their staff on SpiceCare this week.  They are now SpiceCare experts and ready to help you get your spice collection organized; truthfully I feel good knowing they will only sell you our product if it really is the best solution for you. Stop by and visit their store in University Village or online. You can also find them on Twitter and Facebook too.