295179 Wed Dec 03 15:41:15 -0800 2003 21 27 General Chowhounding Topics 0 1621153 I've finally decided to get rid of everything in my spice cabinet and get all new spices. (I think that some of the spices have been in there for like 10 years!) Anyway, I'm going to order from Penzey's. In addition to the basics, I'd like to order some of their "blends". Does anyone have any favorite blends? Also, I'm not sure what size packages I should buy. Many of them seem to come in a little over 1 oz. plastic containers, a little over 2 oz. glass jars, or 4 oz bags. I cook a moderate amount, but I have no concept of how much of these spices I will use over the next year. I don't want to overdo it (and have old spices around for the next 10 years!), but 1 oz. seems like so little. Any insight would be much appreciated! Thanks! Wed Dec 03 15:41:15 -0800 2003 0 valerie 1 1621154 I just got an order from Penzies this weeking using a gift certificate from last Christmas. Let me tell you, 4 ounces of tarragon is more than enough, and I got 8!!! My advice would be, think small. I also ordered some adobo that should be fun. I've never used it before. Wed Dec 03 15:45:23 -0800 2003 1621153 0 bigskulls 1 1621155 YES!! You must get their Herbes de Provence and the Northwoods seasoning is really good too, both of them smell especially divine on a roasting chicken. I would recommend getting small amounts until you get a grasp on how much you use, like start with the little plastic jars. You can always order more, and this way your spices will be fresh. Enjoy!! Wed Dec 03 15:57:50 -0800 2003 1621153 0 shrimpbird 2 1621178 Definitely start with the small jars. I like Penzeys Cajun Style Seasoning, and the Fox Point Seasoning is quite tasty as well. Wed Dec 03 17:45:56 -0800 2003 1621155 0 Alison B. 1 1621159 Sigh. Does Penzey's have fennel pollen yet? That stuff's IT...rubbed on chicken before you roast it? Hoo-boy. You must have some idea of which spices you use most frequently. Buy the heavy hitters in 4-oz. bags, get smaller amounts for stuff you use infrequently. If they have fennel pollen, buy a pound. B^} Wed Dec 03 16:11:10 -0800 2003 1621153 0 GG Mora 2 1621167 If not, you can order it from ChefShop.com Link: http://store.yahoo.com/chefshop/fennelpollen.html Wed Dec 03 16:48:57 -0800 2003 1621159 0 Bunny-Bunny 3 1621260 Alas, I just bought it at the Spice House and paid close to double! Any chance I can justify it as better quality? :) Thu Dec 04 11:24:55 -0800 2003 1621167 0 CAD 2 1621175 I, too, GG, am a Penzey's devotee. If they don't have it, however, I have an alternative source for you. I used to frequent this place (mostly from the mild contact high I got from the smell of the roasting and grinding of heady spices going on) when I lived in Evanston, Illinois (suburb of Chicago) in the mid-90s. This is a small family-run operation, and I have ordered many of the spices and blends, and can personally vouch for their quality being every bit as good as Penzey's. In most cases, also, their prices are comparable. They are very nice people who ship your order accurately, and they do care about their customers (I don't have any affiliation with them, it's just one of the few vendors from the Chicago area that I happen to still prefer though I am in one of the culinary capitals of the world here in San Francisco!). There are many fine restaurants, and many not-so-fancy but very good restaurants, that have standing weekly orders with these people, and gather there on certain days. They have an excellent reputation, and I've never been dissapointed with their service. I have two tiny criticisms: they don't provide as much information about irradiation as I would like; and I really disliked their cheese powders (which I wouldn't normally buy, but there was a certain old-fashioned dip my husband really wanted that called for it). Of course, powdered cheese from anywhere is NOT going to be good :) Ah, this reminds me of my hands down all-time favorite chocolatier IN THE WORLD, which also happens to be in Evanston Illinois. It may just be nostalgia from my grad-school days, but Piron Belgian Chocolatiers (847 864-5504, 509 Main St, Evanston, IL 60202 -- they don't have a website, but you can call or write for a catalog -- talk about fine and beautifully made chocolate at a really really bargain price!) is still my favorite (yes, including Recchiuti, Fauchon, Maison du Chocolat in Paris, and even my very beloved Neuhaus). Mmmmmmm, Evanston was and is, actually, a pretty chowhoundly town, if you know where to look! And, I so miss real thick Chicago pizza (from another Evanston and Chicago landmark, Carmen's Pizza), but I do definitely digress! If you do order from the Spice House, let me know how it went! Link: http://www.thespicehouse.com/product/product_130_description.php Wed Dec 03 17:22:32 -0800 2003 1621159 0 Mrs. Smith 3 1621180 I pretty sure this is true, but I can't seem to find a source to back me up right now. I believe The Spice House was started by Bill Penzey, Sr. and now his daughter and son-in-law run it (Tom and Patty Erd? - can't remember). Bill Jr. started Penzeys, as a mail order business I believe, but now it has a pretty healthy number of retail outlets too. I always wondered if there was a family feud there. Anyone know? Wed Dec 03 17:50:49 -0800 2003 1621175 0 Jujubee 4 1621238 Yup. You're right. Here's the blurb direct from their own pages (the Spice House), that is: "Owners of The Spice House, Tom and Patty Erd, are second generation spice merchants. Their business was founded by Patty's parents, Ruth and Bill Penzey, Sr. in Milwaukee, Wisconsin in 1957. Patty grew up working in the shop. (To Patty, as a child, it seemed a pretty torturous way to earn an allowance but Patty's perception has vastly changed about the business since she became an owner!) The Penzeys sold the business to their firstborn child and son-in-law in 1992 as they looked toward retirement. The credit for the creation of The Spice House, its principals, and its dedication to quality goes wholeheartedly to Bill and Ruth Penzey. As is normal in the next generation taking over, Patty and Tom wanted to take the company a bit further, honor the dedication to its principles, but put some of their mark on the company. Patty and Tom opened the second Spice House in Evanston, Illinois in 1997, close enough to home and parental business consulting to be comfortable, yet far enough to feel it was their own adventure...." So, there you have it. Oligopoly in the spice business! Gypsy Boy Thu Dec 04 08:03:52 -0800 2003 1621180 0 Gypsy Boy 1 1621160 I do a lot of baking so I buy the 4 oz bags of cinnamon and ginger. I also cook a lot of Mexican food so I also buy larger quantities of things like chili powder, cumin, and mexican oregano. Think about the amounts of certain spices used in most recipes. I don't think I've ever seen a recipe call for more than a quarter teaspoon of ground cloves, so I have a small 1 oz jar of that. Same with allspice and nutmeg. I make tomato sauce and seem to go through my California basil very quickly--so large bag. Penzey's can be very seductive and you might find yourself buying things you might not have very much use for. I think that's why I have a whole bag of cinnamon sticks sitting in a cabinet doing nothing. Wed Dec 03 16:16:52 -0800 2003 1621153 0 raj1 1 1621177 Oh, I do love Penzey's. As for blends, their Fox Point Seasoning is marvelous for salad dressings (just be sure to let the dressing sit for 20 minutes or so before you use it), as a rub on chicken or pork, or as an addition to a vegetable saute. I find their Chinese Five Spice wayyyyy too heavy on the cinnamon. Nice Greek seasoning blend. Just the right amount of oregano for me. Not so crazy about their Herbes de Provence. Happy ordering! ps For anyone not familiar with these guys, they're so friendly and helpful. I live in Seattle, where we have some great spice vendors, but I still order from Penzey's because 1) they sell very high quality products, 2) they're nice, nice, nice, and 3) if anything isn't right, they'll make it right. And they have a gonzo selection. Other places say, "What's epazote?" The folks at Penzey's just ask what size you want. Wed Dec 03 17:41:37 -0800 2003 1621153 0 melissa 1 1621181 If you are throwing our all your old spices then you want to at least start with the small plastic or the 1/2 c glass jar, otherwise all you have is the plastic bags which may not as convenient to store. Although they do have a zipper closure so the spices stay fresh. When you re-order, save the jars and go with the bag. As to the blends, the Old World and the Northwoods are great on roast chix or pork roast. Watch the Northwoods fire, it is very hot! The prime rib rub and the pork chop blend are somewhat smoky but not hot and the chili powder (med hot) is very good too. The Majahara Curry Powder is the best I have ever tried and the Saffron is nearly pure red threads, very little yellow mixed in. You can't go wrong with this company, every herb/spice in my house is from Penzeys, and I re-order several times a year. Start with your basics and try something new each time you re-order. Wed Dec 03 17:52:00 -0800 2003 1621153 0 Karen 2 1621223 Of course, if you're throwing out all your old spices, you may want to *save* the jars, to be able to refill them at cheaper bulk prices. Wed Dec 03 22:26:08 -0800 2003 1621181 0 galleygirl 1 1621203 I like their sweet curry powder for making curried chicken (or lately, turkey) salad, and their adobo mix is also great. As for size, unless you know you're going to use a lot of something, I would start small -- as others have pointed out, you can always buy more. I purchase the eight once bags of tellicherry pepper corns because I use a lot of pepper and it keeps pretty well. On the other hand, I go through roughly one whole nutmeg every six to nine months, so one once (five or six nutmegs) lasts a very long time. Finally, if you're serious about keeping your spices in the best possible condition, you might consider getting some ink tins to store things in. Spices degrade with exposure to air and light -- ink tins are airtight, and because they're metal, they keep out light, and so spices last longer. These tins are also pretty cheap, and you can write the spice name on a paper insert that comes on the top, so it's easy to find what your looking for in a drawer. I've linked to a source below (search for "seamless tin cans"). Link: http://www.mcmaster.com/ Wed Dec 03 19:49:55 -0800 2003 1621153 0 David Kahn 2 1621266 Thanks for the information on the cans. I've been eying the ones at MS for years but could not justify the cost. These are virtually the same and at a fraction of the cost. Thu Dec 04 11:40:58 -0800 2003 1621203 0 CAD 2 1621289 Thanks! Up until now, I had not been able to find a simple tin or aluminum can that wasn't ridiculously overpriced. I've had to resort to saving old Barilla glass jars to store my "reserve" spices (I bought them from San Francisco Herb Co., which sells mostly in bulk). I worry whenever there's a tremblor that my spices will be scattered everywhere--these "seamless tin cans" will protect all my valuable spices! Now, if there's a major earthquake, I can rest assured that I can still cook in the ruins of my home with my camp stove, herbes de provence, and saffron. Thank you!!! Thu Dec 04 13:23:03 -0800 2003 1621203 0 the(jealous)sound 1 1621222 If you're trying a new blend from Penzey's, I'd recommend getting the smallest possible size. If you like it, then it's money well spent, but if not, then you're not throwing out a ton of food. As others have mentioned, Fox Point Seasoning-- yum. Great on chicken or baked fish filets, as well as veggies. Do keep it in the fridge, as they recommend, since it does clump. Greek Salad Dressing-- not just for salads anymore. I use it all the time for chicken, pork, and lamb. Same with their French Country Vinaigrette seasoning. Pasta Sprinkle-- yeah, it's pure laziness to not grab the separate jars of parsely, basil, oregano, etc., but the blend is perfect and oh-so-easy when you want to jazz up some jarred sauce. Sunny Spain-- a no salt lemon pepper seasoning. I know that lemon pepper anything is _so_ 1993, but I love the lemon! This is great in everything-- I often add it to any recipe calling for preserved lemons. Good on zucchini with cream. Garam Masala- a nice, and I am told by Indian friends, authentic blend. Singapore seasoning-- a thai-ish curry seasoning with lemongrass and other nice things. Great in stir fries, awesome on tuna and salmon. I also really like their dried chopped citrus peels. It is easy to zest the real thing, but it's nice to have the finished product on hand to throw into soups, stews, and marinades to reconstitute and add flavor as it goes. And try as I might, even I run out of lemons every once in a while. I find that the dried shallots and chives aren't worth it, however. I do like their Five Spice Blend, but it _is_ cinamon-y as someone posted-- I just happen to really like that flavor. Actually, the Durkee blend with the blue label is very good. Wed Dec 03 22:13:29 -0800 2003 1621153 0 EMDB 1 1621244 Thank you to everyone for these great suggestions! I am definitely going to order most things in the small sizes to start with and go from there. I will report back soon...Thanks again! Thu Dec 04 09:36:31 -0800 2003 1621153 0 valerie 1 1621299 I like Penzey's Florida seasoned pepper (a lemon pepper) and their Balti mix. And unless you hate cinnamon, you must get some of the Vietnamese cinnamon. It is wonderful. Just sniffing it gives you a sweet taste in your mouth with nice vanilla overtones. Thu Dec 04 14:34:34 -0800 2003 1621153 0 PollyG 1 1621314 Yes, small is the way to go. The only things I finish up fairly quickly are cinnamon and black pepper. I second the recommendations for the lemon and orange peel. When you don't have these fruits on hand, or when you're too plain lazy to zest, they're a find substitute. The label on the jar has reconstituting instructions. If you ever get a chance to visit a Penzey's shop, do so. The people who run the one in Norwalk, Connecticut, are so darn nice! And you can sniff all the offerings, because they have jars of everything that you can open. Thu Dec 04 16:03:59 -0800 2003 1621153 0 Annabelle 1 1621776 I realize the last post on this subject was ten days ago, but I have been away from Chowhounds lately - joys of retail in December. Mainly, I want to tell my story for what it's worth. I was divorced in 1974. I watched too much "Cannon" on tv, and dreamed of being a single, gourmet cook. It was only a dream. I bought one of each Spice Islands seasoning that was available where I shopped. When I remarried a couple of years later, many of these (make that most of these) had barely, or never, been used. Today the family jokes are around my buying habits. Some of those spices are still on hand. I cook a lot more now, and enjoy it greatly, but only spices that are regularly used are replaced. Quantities are now based on recent use patterns. Perhaps my sense of taste is very poor, but those very old spices still get used occasionally - and they still seem to enhance the flavor of the food - but, not as much as fresher product would, I am sure. I am just too cheap to throw unused spices out. My advice, based on my experiences, would be to buy the smallest quantity available, unless you are certain that your cooking habits will consume a larger quantity within a few months. Sun Dec 14 22:29:20 -0800 2003 1621153 0 Milt