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?