Savory Spice Shop

It started innocently enough. One empty spice jar, then another....

 And the next thing I knew I was out of cinnamon the week before Thanksgiving. In my mind, the two go together hand in hand. Why do you think there are so many homey candles that smell like cinnamon? This was a full-blown culinary emergency.

Some readers may balk at making a special trip for cinnamon or any spice for that matter. True, you could buy cinnamon at supermarkets, big-box stores, discount stores, or even at some gas stations. I would argue if you’re going through the work (and expense) of cooking from scratch, why settle for old, stale spices? Using fresh ingredients is key to any recipe, whether that be fresh tomatoes or fresh spices.

Living in the Denver area, we’re very luck to have Savory Spice Shop. With several locations in and out of Colorado (and on-line sales), it is THE place for fresh spices. Many top restaurants buy in bulk from Savory. Walking in, the shop seems quaint with exposed brick and shelves of gallon-sized glass jars. 

Once you start looking at the rows of spices and herbs, the selection becomes a little overwhelming. There are more than ten types of peppercorns. Six types of paprika. Crystallized ginger, lemongrass, harissa, more curry blends then I would know what to do with. Their inventory goes beyond spices with dried mushrooms, vanilla beans, honey powder - even citric acid. If you're looking for a way to shake up a cookie recipe, Savory has extracts from anise to spearmint.

Savory sells their spices and herbs in small jars, or in plastic bags allowing you to buy only as much as you need. Instead of being stuck with a full jar of mace or a large container of cocoa that you’ll never use up, you can buy as a little as half an ounce. This allows much more flexibility and a chance for experimentation.

While loose leaf tea would be make cozy shelve-mates, you won't find them here. (Though they do have Chai spice mixes to add to your black tea.) Savory Spice Shop has found its calling and has remained true to it. No tea or coffee.

While my shopping list only had five items somehow things kept jumping into my basket. Next thing I know, I came home with this:

One of my favorite finds at Savory Spice Shop are the freeze-dried shallots, an unusual pantry staple. Adding a pinch of these shallots makes quick work for vinaigrette.  Eye-ball some balsamic in a jar, add a hefty pinch of shallots, salt and pepper (maybe a little Dijon mustard), eye-ball more olive oil, shake, done. Easy salad dressing to make at the last minute for a bunch of lettuce or leftover roasted beets.

Savory has fantastic mixtures as well, great for foolproof seasoning. Some of our favorites include Romano Steak Seasoning and Limnos Lamb Rub.  I’m excited to try these two new coffee based mixtures:

Baker’s Brew Coffee Spice has coffee, cocoa, cinnamon and other spices. I can already envisioning it for some mocha pressed cookies. The Black Dust Coffee & Spice Rub has coffee, black pepper, cumin, smoked salt, chipotle and other savory spices – this is crying out to be used in a chili recipe.

As for the cinnamon, I settled on Vietnamese Saigon Cassia Cinnamon - one of five to choose from. It’s applicable for both sweet and savory recipes and smells downright divine. With it's strong aroma you can use a little less than required. Those two ounces will go a long way. I'm now ready to make my great-grandmother's apple cake for Thanksgiving.

What spice or herb is on your "must have" list for Thanksgiving?

A Trip to the Ocean

I am a big fan of East Asian cuisine. Asia has a large population, and people had to get fed with what few resources they had. How did they manage? Simply put, they ate healthy. You may get a large scoop of rice, a good portion of stir-fry veggies or soup, and a few slices of chicken.  The protein is minimal, as tending animals takes labor and resources not to mention the animals can give in other ways including pulling carts, and giving milk or eggs. When protein was up for grabs, by the same principle, they used every bit of the animal they could get their hands on.  Vegetables on the other hand, take less work to grow and you can afford more per person. This system is much healthier and refreshing compared to the American culture where people order 16oz steaks wrapped in bacon along a small side of potatoes and call it a hearty meal.

Live lobsters, crabs, oysters, and clams
next to fresh shrimp. 

What can be found in Pacific Ocean Marketplace embodies everything I like about Asian cuisine. The store is approximately the size of a regular supermarket; with separate produce, meat and cookware sections. Their produce selection has greater variety than can be found in your average supermarket such as lemon grass, bok choy, and kohlrabi. The seafood section alone is worth the stop. They have live lobsters, crabs, fish, and clams, alongside other fresh fillets and seafood. The meat case is also large with an extensive selection, albeit mostly frozen. If you're looking for things like chicken feet, ox tail, pig trotters, tripe, duck feet, pork blood and other less common cuts, Pacific Ocean Marketplace is for you.

Warmed meat case. On the right,
whole ducks, next to what I believe
is pork belly

At Pacific Ocean Marketplace, there are things that wouldn't ever cross the lips of people working in a classic supermarket, which is oddly enough, is located right across the street. Fresh duck eggs, quail eggs, and banana flours, right on through a good selection of frozen specialty items, even some exotic fruits. Most recently, I've seen fresh lychees, dragon fruit, and durian, which is very pungent fruit that is well worth a try (It will get it's own post for me to tell you all about it). They have a warm deli case of precooked beauties. You can special order whole roasted pigs of different sizes. I was a fan of the whole roasted duck that you can get broken down for $20. It can easily feed a family of 4 and is actually really good after getting it crispy in the oven.

Roasted duck with homemade
fried rice and lychee drink. 

To accompany your meal, I beg you to pick up a drink or two from their drink cases that you haven't tried before. They have a lot of exotic fruit juice based drinks, including lychee, sugar cane, and aloe vera, the latter of which is actually really good for you if you can get past the soft fruit flesh in the juice. You may not like all of them, but you will like some of them, and falling in love with something new is a fantastic experience.

Their dry goods section is impressive, everything from soba noodles to dried jellyfish. On the far left of the store is a section devoted to Japan, the Philippines, and a few items fro India.  There is also an aisle of just dishes and kitchen utensils, including a section of a Chinese chef's knives. I am still testing mine, but it seems sturdy. Just be careful not to cut yourself, as there are many are stored without a case as testers.

In the end, if you're looking for an authentic source for Asian cuisine, Pacific Ocean Marketplace can really help you do it right.

Rheinländer Bakery

Sometimes our culture is obsessed with dates. Retailers report lower sales on Friday the 13^th. Various groups claim to know the signs of the end days. Who can forget the Y2K run on generators? It should be as no surprise that we are now fascinated with this Friday’s date – 11/11/11.

November 11^th is also St. Martin’s Day, or Martinstag in Germany. This day is celebrated with various traditions in Germany, as well in several other European countries. Martinstag has a carnival-like feel, as it originally marked the days prior to the Advent fast. Roasted goose is typically served; children make homemade paper lanterns and go house to house, reciting poems or songs in exchange for holiday treats. This holiday marks the beginning of winter and the holiday season, much like Thanksgiving (or now Halloween) does in the United States.

Our review this week is for  Rheinländer Bakery, in Old Town Arvada. While this is not a true grocery as like our other reviews, it is a worthy spot for hard to find foods. If anyone in your family is diabetic or has a gluten-intolerance, this bakery is your salvation. During our visit, there were two full cases of gluten-free products – with cookies, cakes and various pastries. In years past, we’ve ordered a sugar-free birthday cake for my Mom, which never disappoints.

If your body can handle gluten and sugar, there is plenty to keep your taste buds happy as well. Bavarian bread, German coffeecake, flaky strudels are all staples here. For utter decadence, try the homemade “Nuttella,” a chocolate hazelnut spread that elevates ordinary bananas or toast to a real treat.

Besides the baked goods,  Rheinländer Bakery has a fair selection of pastas, German coffee, flavored syrups and a few German staples such as German sauerkraut and pickles.  They also have gluten-free all purpose flour if you want to make a gluten-free version of your grandmother’s favorite recipe.

So how does  Rheinländer Bakery celebrate Martinstag? With a “Sweet Tooth Activation Event.” This Friday, 11/11/11, Rheinländer Bakery is selling their beloved Coffeecakes and Strudels for $11 each. Sugar cookies and biscotti are also on sale for $11 a dozen. While you are there you can also pick up German gingerbread cookies and stolen for Christmas – that is if you can keep them in your house for that long without being devoured.

Christine

  Rheinländer Bakery

5721 Olde Wadsworth Blvd.

Arvada, CO 80002

Welcome to Arash

On a day out on the town, Christine somehow convinced me to drive half an hour to some little Middle Eastern market she had heard of. Upon arrival, I head a pair of women rattling off in a language I didn’t recognize, which is always a good sign; if true foreigners are shopping here, it most likely means you’re in for a treat. Upon entering, we found ourselves in the middle of a small market with simple décor; very reminiscent of a small market of the region. The walls are fairly bare and plain in color, giving off a professional yet humble atmosphere. I don’t need any distractions when I’m shopping. I’m here for the food.

We found a nice sized produce section filled with some of your normal veg but it was the produce that wasn’t, “everyday” that excited us. The items that stood out to us included fresh almonds, Iranian

Cucumbers, sour grapes, and sour oranges; naturally, we bought some of each. We then moved through the aisles, noticing a good selection of coffees, teas, sweets and surprisingly, scented waters. By this I mean, rose water, orange blossom water, tarragon water and other flavors that I didn’t even know were being made into such products.

The small case of frozen meats had me drooling, because I never thought I would see a whole lamb’s head in a market in the US. Normally roasted whole and shared by many, I was bummed when no one would share one with me in Istanbul. This tiny case also had beef tongue, tripe and assorted other frozen meats. Despite all of this amazing food, there was still one thing that topped the rest; imported orange Fanta.

Oh yes my friends, this is my holy grail. You see, companies change recipes for different regions depending on their tastes. For example, Lipton tea is kind of a joke in the US. If you go to Germany or Egypt, the same Lipton is much better. They keep the better quality tea leaves for countries that really drink tea, and give scrap to the US. The same principle is employed by Fanta. The stuff sold in the US has way too much sugar, and you can see and feel the excess syrup. Yuck! Arash has orange Fanta imported from Russia and the flavor is much more in balance.  

Zach