Meet Herb the Spice Rack

Most of you won’t know this, but I am fortunate enough to be married to a woodworker. A few years ago, Phil built me a combination spice/liquor cabinet that was very nice, but had one problem; I couldn’t see anything. I have a plethora of herbs and spices and if I am needing culinary inspiration I like to look at my spice rack and meditate on them waiting for a culinary epiphany.

Last Sunday, my thoughtful and handy husband built me a veritable temple of flavor. My new spice rack has seven steps, holds more herbs and spices than I can imagine (I can imagine quite a bit),and is the most beautiful shade of scarlet red. As soon as Herb (get it, Herb the Spice Rack), was mounted on the wall I began to load and arrange my spices taking a step back now and again to be sure I had it just right. Thanks to Phil, after three years in hiding I can finally go back to meditating over my herbs and spices awaiting epicurean nirvana.

In honor of Herb, I have created a list of hints and random bits of spicy knowledge to share with you.

1). Store herbs and spices in an airtight, dark container.

2). In India you can purchase bandages with turmeric instead of antibiotic, because of it’s antiseptic properties. People can always tell when I’ve had a cut, because of a small patch of skin that has been dyed yellow from the turmeric.

3). USE THEM! Don’t be afraid of spices. Food and life should be full of flavor: don’t be satisfied with a bland existence.

4). Buy whole spices and grind as you go. You will get a fresher flavor for your meal and whole spices last longer than ground.

5). Eating toasted cumin after dinner is supposed to help cure insomnia.

6). Toss out ground herbs and spices after a year. They will lose flavor and in some cases become rancid.

7). Certain cultures chew or drink an infusion of fennel seeds after a meal to aid in digestion.

8). Skip those overpriced little jars of spice from the grocery store. Seek out South & East Asian and Middle Eastern markets. You will get a much fresher product and pay a much better price. This type of market is also a great source for exciting ingredients and new ideas.

* Note: I am merely sharing some random knowledge with you and am in no way shape or form recommending that you self medicate with spices.

Here are some spice combinations I use frequently:

Blend for My Quick and Spicy Daal

• 2 TBS ground cumin
• 1 tsp gharam masala (I really should have a recipe for this)
• 1 TBS fresh ground pepper
• 2 TBS chilie powder (be sure it’s ‘chilie’ and not ‘chili’ or you will get a blend of spices)
• 1 TBS mustard seed

This recipe is for 1 pound of dried lentils with one 14 ounce can of kidney beans. I like to add a heap of fresh ginger and garlic along with onion, stock and a can of tomato paste. It’s quick, easy and perfect when I need a good spice fix.

Blend for Grilled Duck

• 2 TBS dried tarragon
• 1 TBS mustard seed
• 2-3 tsp crushed red pepper

Simply crush with a mortar and pestle and rub on either a whole duck or several duck breasts and grill.

Chinese Five Spice

• Szechuan peppercorns
• Fennel seeds
• Whole cloves
• Star Anise
• Cinnamon sticks, broken

Follow your taste buds with this one. Sometimes I like to use equal amounts of each and other times I like to go heavy on the pepper or anise. Just toast the spices until fragrant and grind them using a mortar and pestle or a spice grinder.

Spiced Cider Blend

• 1/2 cup star anise
• 2 TBS cracked pepper
• 1/4 cup candied ginger
• 4 cinnamon sticks broken
• 2 TBS whole cloves
• 10 bay leaves ripped in half

Mix together and store in an airtight container. Steep a scoop of the blend in cider until desired strength. Use frequently.

Listed below are some of my favorite sources for spice:

Patel Brothers
42-92 Main Street
Flushing, NY 11355
http://www.patelbrothersusa.com/index_new.asp

Kalustyans
123 Lexington Avenue
NY, NY 10016
http://www.kalustyans.com/

The Souk
1916 Pike Place
Seattle, Wa 98101
206-441-1666

This is one of my favorite places of all time. Whenever I’m home I have to stop in and load up. The people that work there are really wonderful. Strike up a conversation, you will learn a lot.

World Spice Merchants
1509 Western Avenue
Seattle, Wa 98101
http://worldspice.com/home/home.shtml

Market Spice
85-A Pike Street
Seattle, Wa 98101
http://www.marketspice.com/

Their signature tea is not to be missed. I have my family send it to me in New York.