Spices: General Interest |

Pieces of Eight, Pirates and Spicy Treasure

If the title sounds like something out of Pirates of the Caribbean, there is good reason. September 19 (today) is National Talk Like A Pirate Day. The action is worldwide, I had to get Spice Sherpa in on the fun. Here… Continue Reading →

2010/09/18

Vanilla Villains: Your Guide to The Bad Guys

In my last post, I shared how to make authentic, homemade vanilla extract. What ensued was a lively discussion over the confusion about the color of vanilla (check out the comments and chime in). People were surprised that vanilla was steeped in vodka… Continue Reading →

2010/09/11

Question Answered: Are Dried Rose Petals from the Garden OK As Spice?

“As rich and purposeless as is the rose: Thy simple doom is to be beautiful.” –Stephen Phillips, Marpessa With a scent that defines love, petals whose softness rivals that of infant skin, and a persnickety nature that requires constant… Continue Reading →

2010/07/14

5 Cool Spices for a Hot Day & A 30-Second Taste Test

It’s hot outside. And humid. It’s the kind of weather that defines summer. The single most important quest for everyone is how to stay cool. Fans, swimming pools, shade—anything that can take a few degrees off your body feels like bliss…. Continue Reading →

2010/07/07

20 Flavors for Cardamom

Popular in Indian and Middle Eastern cuisine cardamom has an intensely fragrant aroma. Considered a warming spice it’s perceived to help generate internal body heat and is valued in cooler climates. In the West, cardamom is most often associated with… Continue Reading →

2010/06/14

Apple Pie Spice Blend: Make Your Own

C’mon…you know the jingle; baseball, hot dogs, apple pie and Chevrolet… Between steroids, processed food, and and car companies this all-American tune may have a new connotation but the apple pie stands its ground. Apple pie is so quintessentially American… Continue Reading →

2010/05/13

3 Rare, Strange, & Unusual Spices

Earth Day. Earth Hour. Is that enough attention to the topics that have relevance to us every day? Biodiversity for example. That’s the focus of this post, or rather, spices and biodiversity. Biodiversity is on the decline. Not good. From a purely… Continue Reading →

2010/04/26

Herbs vs. Spices

Coriander is a spice, cilantro an herb, yet both come from the same plant. Lavendar, basil, rosemary, thyme, sage: herbs. Cinnamon, nutmeg, pepper, and cardamom are spices. Increasingly, I see the two terms used interchangeably. So what gives? I did… Continue Reading →

2010/03/11

The Spicy Aphrodite

Love, beauty, and raw sexuality. (Aren’t you glad you’re reading this post?) These are the qualities of the Greek goddess Aphrodite, whom the Romans called Venus. The Egyptians had Hathor, the Etruscans had Turan, Astarte for the Phoenicians,… Continue Reading →

2010/02/14

5 Top Spice Trends for 2010

Happy New Year! Those three little words bring us the ubiquitous lists of predictions, projections, expectations, and all other forms of forecasting. As the Spice Sherpa spice sleuth I reviewed the top 2010 lists for ingredients, flavors, chef and food trends for 2010… Continue Reading →

2010/01/11

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