Penzey's

Penzey's. A great resource for spices.



I used to buy my spices from the grocery store. But over time I've read several articles about how grocery store spices aren't fresh, they sit on the shelf, aren't real quality to begin with, etc. The horror stories of how ground nutmeg is not only nutmeg but a wood chip as well? Scary.


Somewhere along my travels I read about Penzey's and decided to check it out. I sent off for my first order and was pretty excited when it came in. I like that the individual spices can be ordered in a small or big amount.



Q&A

Why buy from a spice company and not my grocery store?
***Freshness! We just don't know how long those spices have been sitting there. Penzey's spices are very fresh and you'll know it when you open any of their containers.

Do I have to buy in bulk?
***No. With Penzey's you can purchase small jars for sampling or even just a spice you don't use very often. I like to buy my cream of tartar in small amounts because I don't use it that often. This way it is nice and fresh.

Okay, so you can buy salt, pepper, and paprika through Penzey's, but why the trouble of making an order?
***Variety is the spice of life! They don't just sell salts and peppers. They sell about 9 different curries, 14 different chili peppers, 8 different salts, etc. They are very knowledgeable about their spices, the when, why and even how to use their spices is great information.

Are they expensive?
***The prices Penzey's asks is very fair, especially when you see their quality. Often better than grocery stores in my area. They even have slower rates on shipping to save.

Feel free to make your own spices like the mix I posted recently. Of course for ease of use, Penzey's has several of their own blends, dressing mixes, etc.

Check them out for yourself at http://www.penzeys.com/

I do not work for Penzey's, I don't know anyone who works for Penzey's, I have no affliation with them other than I like their products. Just wanted to spread a good word.

Montreal Steak Seasoning - Take 1

When seasoning something for the grill, sometimes I like to grab a pre-mixed seasoning. I had purchased some Montreal Steak Seasoning and wow, was it salty. I changed brands at least twice and just found there was a heck of alot of salt in these mixes. (Why am I hearing the health people in my head saying..Did you read the Nutrional Information?)

I was given as a gift, 2 GIANT sized containers of Montreal Steak Seasonings. I decided to start breaking down what I thought were the ingredients in the list. I sat with a paper plate, picked through the flecks, tasted and noted. Then started judging the amounts. And now, this is well, Melissa's Montreal Steak Seasoning I guess!

3 tablespoons dried onion flakes

3 tablespoons dried minced garlic

1 tablespoon dill seed

1 tablespoon crushed red pepper

2 tablespoons coarse black pepper

1 tablespoon rosemary

1 tablespoon coriander

Toss into the food processor or spice grinder. Give it a whirl or three to get it broken up, melded well, but not pulverized.

Dill seed? Yes, it has been an ingredient in 2 of the brands I bought. Sounds like it would make your meats...well...dilly. No, it really just highlights the other flavors.

Note: So that I didn't waste the gift I had, I would take half of the mixture out of the container, add my own mix and shake. Then after using, I would make it again and use more of the purchased mix. After all this is gone, I'll add some kosher salt, but it won't be very much.

Braised Beef - Use It Up!

Summer is pretty much here in the Northern Hemisphere. Well in Michigan, not really, but I'm not listening to the Summer Solstice anymore. If I'm sweating, using air-conditioning, wearing a tank top and promising to cook my egg on the patio, it's summer. But before we get too much into summer, let's be sure to clean out the winter meals in the freezer. Got beef? Got a Chuck Roast? You know you won't use them before it turns fall again...so use it up on a nice, fresh, rainy spring evening.

I have several braised beef recipes, but this combination of like 15 recipes turned out well. The juices were so meaty and rich that I POOLED it over the mashed potatoes. Why not, it was good and there was lots of it.

This is braised with red wine, 2 cups actually. So, if you're a teetotaler use a beef broth. If you're not a teetotaler, join me in a very warming, cozy, meal that will make your recipients say, "Yeaaaah, second bowl please!"


3 pounds boneless beef chuck roast
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
4 ounces shallots, thinly sliced - about 1 cup
2 tablespoons brandy or Cognac
2 tablespoons tomato paste
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons each thyme, marjoram, parsley
2 cups hearty red wine, I used Cabernet Sauvignon - but a Cotes de Provence was recommended in one recipe
14 ounces canned, whole, peeled tomatoes
1 pound carrots, peeled and chunked into 1-inch pieces
1/4 cup chopped, fresh flat-leaf parsley

Pull the roast apart on its natural seams and trim any fat. Cut the roast into big 2-inch cubes and let them dry on a tray lined with paper towels.

Preheat your oven to 325F.

Heat the oil over medium-heat. Season the beef with salt and pepper and arrange just enough cubes to fill the bottom of a large dutch oven pan. Brown the beef, watching carefully so that it does not burn. Cook all sides until a nice brown color has appeared. Transfer to a plate and repeat with the remaining beef.

When all the beef is done, reserve only about 1T of oil/drippings in the pan and add the shallots. Add a touch of salt/pepper and soften for about 1 minute. Add the brandy and let it simmer. Add the tomato paste, garlic and wine. Add the herbs. While adding, scrape the bottom of the pan to dislodge any yummy remains. Add the tomatoes, crushing by hand as you add. Add the juice as well. Return the beef to the pan and finally add the carrots. Bring to a simmer, cover and put it into the preheated oven.

Braise for about 2 to 3 hours. Be sure to stir about every 45 minutes. When the meat is fork tender, taste it. It should be wonderfully tender. Skim any surface fat and add the parsley before serving.

I served this over mashed potatoes that I made with buttermilk and chives. Oh why stop the goodness here? Warm those deep bowls, add a mound of potatoes and that beef and those carrots. Don't forget to cover with that rich sauce. More for me please!

Italian Torta

Mints? Gum? LISTERINE anyone? I loved this spread, but it was "throat-garlicky". Is that a term? Heee.


At first I thought this would be alot of pretty work, but in the end it did turn out very easy. I received alot of yummy compliments on this dish and it was quite spreadable on a warm, toasted baquette. I did buy the Alouette brand of cheese and it was very garlicy, but still good.




Instant Pesto Torta with Bread and Vegetables

Vegetable spray
4 pieces sun-dried tomatoes
4 leaves fresh basil
3 tubs, 6 ounces each, soft garlic and herb cheese (recommended: Alouette brand)
1/4 cup sun-dried tomato tapenade
1/4 cup prepared basil pesto
1 baguette or whole grain baguette, pre-sliced at the bread counter
Handful baby carrots
Handful grape tomatoes


Line a small shallow dish or bowl with plastic wrap or waxed paper. Coat wrap with vegetable spray. Arrange a pattern in bottom of the dish using the sun-dried tomatoes and basil. Add 1 1/2 tubs of garlic and herb cheese (about half a pound) to the dish and smooth over, then layer in the sun-dried tomato spread and the pesto. Spread the remaining cheese on top of the pesto. Place a serving plate over the bowl and invert the bowl. Hold on to the edges of the waxed paper or wrap to release the cheese. Remove the waxed paper or plastic wrap. Arrange the sliced baguette along 1 side of the torta.

Source: Rachel Ray, Food Network

Notes: I did not use the carrots or grape tomatoes. I only served this with toasted baguette bread. I let the torta come to temperature somewhat, about an hour before serving.

Yellow Eggs

That's right, yellow ones. Not green and not runny. Perfectly Hard-Boiled Eggs. What are they good for? Lots of things! Potato salad, egg salad, deviled eggs, cobb salad, and even decorations for that hideous spinach & bacon salad. The point is that these eggs are cooked right. The yolk has a velvety-suede look, it's not speckled with dark spots of uncooked yolk. It does not have a green tinge around the outside. And it is an incredibly easy recipe to boot.

Number of eggs desired
Water
Sided Pan

Put the cold eggs in the saucepan and cover with water. Basically, enough water to allow for the eggs to move around when boiled.

Note: When you put the eggs in, fresh eggs sink, older eggs float. That's how the highly-technical-food-designed-engineering-validation-freshness test works. I personally just use the date on the carton, because my brain would never remember if the eggs were from July 2004 or last week. This is just a trick for those of you who love your egg-holder thingy which came with your fridge but might have a memory like mine.

Crank the heat to high and bring the eggs to a boil. Once at a boil, cover, turn OFF the heat entirely, leave the pan sit there and time for 16 minutes. 16. That's not a typo. It's not 14 or 19. It's 16 minutes.

Once the timer has gone off (or you hear your husband screaming that there is a beeping noise) go and remove the eggs from the stove, dump into a colander and leave the cold water running over them. I begin to crack and peel immediately.

Only then will you have perfectly cooked eggs.

You will now never be afraid to make nice slices of yellow eggs for the top of that potato salad you make every summer.

Oven Roasting Tomatoes

Tomatoes are such a versatile food. You can use them in almost anything and they are great in a large variety of dishes from different cultures. In this recipe I'm using Romas. This is great for the cooler months when tomatoes aren't at the peak flavor.

For 2 good servings, I used a 13x9 inch glass baking dish and cut about 3 pounds of Roma tomatoes into chunks. Rough chop an onion, and add several cloves of garlic. I sliced the garlic in half. Drizzled olive oil, salt, freshly ground black pepper and dried thyme. Toss.

Bake at 300 degrees for about 2 hours. I toss about half-way through, checking to make sure they are getting soft and cooking evenly. 2 hours might seem long, but because it comes together fast and needs almost no babysitting, it is really easy.

When done, I do a rough mash with the potato masher and use in my recipe or top directly on pasta.

Chop
Toss
Drizzle
Bake

It's fun, simple and the results are ooo so yummy....and it makes the house smell good!


Source: Me