Seasonings | theclothesmakethegirl

Current category: 'Seasonings.'

Apr 7, 2013 Posted by Mel

Spice World

Not this one: This one: If you’ve cooked recipes from my blog or my cookbook Well Fed, you know I’m quite smitten with spices. Where would we be without Ras el Hanout, Turkish Baharat, Kebab Spice Mix, and Rogan Josh?! I’ve written extensively about my spice collection, weighed in on herbs vs. spices, shared my pilgrimages to Penzeys and the Savory Spice Shop, and declare proudly... read more

Dec 31, 2012 Posted by Mel

Savory Paleo Granola

You know what says “New Year’s Eve”? Chex Mix! You know what I’m not eating on New Year’s Eve? Chex Mix! Need something spicy, crispy, crunchy, flavorful, and totally snackable for a special occasion or, ya know, a random Wednesday? Let me introduce you to Serundeng Katjang, or what I like to call Savory Granola. Traditionally, serundeng katjang is an Indonesian condiment made... read more

Oct 12, 2012 Posted by Mel

Herbs vs. Spices

How much do I love spices? I own a board game called Spices of the World, have a well-thumbed copy of The Complete Book of Spices on my cookbook shelf, and it’s widely known that cumin is my all-time favorite spice. But this month, I’m abstaining from my lovely, aromatic friends while I give the autoimmune protocol (AIP) a shot. I don’t think I have an underlying sensitivity to spices... read more

Sep 28, 2011 Posted by Mel

Garlic Peeling Genius

A brilliant idea from Saveur… How to Peel a Head of Garlic in Less Than 10 Seconds from SAVEUR.com on Vimeo. UPDATE 09/29/11: I tried this trick last night, and I’m sad to say that it didn’t work. But that’s very likely a fault of equipment. First, I couldn’t smash the head of garlic hard enough with my hand, so I put it between to bamboo cutting boards and gave it a good... read more

Jun 21, 2011 Posted by Mel

When Life Hands You Lemons

When I shared my recipe for Moroccan Orange Salad, I told you how much I dislike the white, bitter pith. Despise. Abhor. Disdain. The pith. What I didn’t mention is that I’m also not very skilled at sectioning an orange. There is much cursing and sighing when I try to segment an orange. Grapefruit? No problemo. I’m a pro. But the damn oranges. Grrrr. That’s why I was pretty happy to... read more

May 24, 2011 Posted by Mel

Homemade Rogan Josh Seasoning

Ever since I discovered rogan josh a few years ago – and stopped confusing the spice blend with actor Seth Rogan and singer Josh Groban – I’ve been held hostage by my need for rogan josh. Originally devoted to Penzeys, I had a recent flirtation with the Savory Spice Shop… and both blends are definitely worth the 2-hour simmer time. But last week, when I pulled 3 lbs. of lamb cubes out of... read more

May 9, 2011 Posted by Mel

What’s In My Spice Cabinet

Spice management has become something of an issue in my house. I’ve been belly aching for weeks that I need to consolidate and re-organize my 60+ spices. Now that our TV is turned off for the month, extra time has materialized, and this weekend, I dug into my spice cabinets to take inventory and clean up. Not only was it productive, it inspired me to think about some new recipes to share with you and... read more

May 8, 2011 Posted by Mel

Killer Kebab Spice Mix

The kebabs I cooked for my birthday dinner included an ingredient I’d never heard of: Aleppo pepper. I almost didn’t make the recipe because I was reluctant to buy another specialty spice (when you see the photos of my spice cabinet in a post tomorrow, you’ll understand why). I’m SO glad I tried Aleppo pepper, the kebab spice mix below, and the resulting lamb recipe. Trust me; this... read more

Mar 31, 2011 Posted by Mel

Field Trip: Savory Spice Shop

Obstinate. Loyal. Determined. These are words often used to describe me, along with relentless, stubborn, and mouthy. So when I make a plan or find something I like, I generally stick to it. But these days, I’m trying to take a more experimental, experiential approach to life, so when I ran out of Penzeys Rogan Josh seasoning, I decided to visit a new local source for spices: Savory Spice Shop. The... read more

Jun 29, 2010 Posted by Mel

… And Spice and Everything Nice: Turkish Baharat

What are little strong girls made of? Sugar and Protein and spice and everything nice badass… that’s what little strong girls are made of. (And strong boys, too… but they also contain snips and snails and puppy dog tails.) Remember when I told y’all about the spice blend Ras el Hanout? That was a goodie, for sure. But now I have one that I might like even more. I know! Think... read more

Jun 2, 2010 Posted by Mel

Salt That’s Totally Worth Its Salt

I like salt. It makes food zing. And I like things that zing. (I also like salty language, but that’s another blog post all-together.) Salt and fat are the two key ingredients that determine the taste of our food (see ‘zing!’ above), but salt has been taking an (unfair) beating lately. In April, the Institute of Medicine published a study that said salt is so dangerous, the FDA should... read more

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