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!