Thursday, March 29, 2012

Savory Spice - Brisket now, more to come!

When I got an email from Mike at Savory Spice Shop saying that he was interested in working with Virtual Potluck, I was waaaaaaaay excited.

First - SPICES!!!! I can get lost for hours in a spice shop. Sniff, sniff ... testing all the different spices and blends and imagining what I can do with them.

I know that some people would be astonished at the number of spices I have. And then they'd get woozy at the idea that I might want more.

But think about it. 

Way back when ships were wooden and navigation was by the stars, there were people who got on those ships and sailed to strange lands just for spices.

They weren't looking for building materials or the cure for diseases or technology. They were looking for spices. THAT's how important spices were.

Now, you don't have to go as far. Maybe, if you're like me, you can drive to Savory Spice Shop and pick up what you need. Or, you can travel even less, and order from your computer.

The second reason I was excited about working with Savory, I already hinted at. It's a local business. Right here in Colorado, with a store in Boulder. I aways like working with local companies.

On April 16, all 12 of the Virtual Potluck bloggers will be using Savory spices in at least one recipe. But we're not all using the same spices. We each chose spices from different sections of the store. It's really unlikely you'll see many similar recipes. How great is that?

Oh, but we're not going to forget you. Each blogger will have a gift box of spices to give away. And, yes, they're all going to be different. Woah. You're going to LOVE US in April. Amazing spices, amazing recipes, and an amazing giveaway!

Want a little teeny little peek at what we're up to?

  • Heather from Farmgirl Gourmet will no doubt have something spicy, since she's working with Chilis. I saw photos of her chili choices - looks like a lot of fun!
  • Jay from Bite and Booze will be working with blends from the Chicken and Seafood section. I'm betting seafood. Or maybe chicken. I guess we'll have to wait and see.
  • Marnely from Cooking with Books will be getting seedy with things from the Seed section. You know, like sesame, caraway, annato ... I'm sure she'll surprise us.
  • Matt from Thyme in Our Kitchen will be getting crazy with spices from the Exotics section. You might find a few things here that you've never heard of.
  • Milisa from Miss in the Kitchen will be getting salty and saucy, since she's working with Sauces and Salts. If you don't think salts are interesting, you should see what Savory has.
  • Rachel from Rachel Cooks (and yes, she does) will be working with herbs. I don't know which ones she chose, but I'm sure she'll be cooking up a storm. Or maybe dinner.
  • Shelby from Diabetic Foodie will be working with blends from the Curry section. Another spicy gal with a spicy selection. I can't wait to see what she makes.
  • Susan from 30AEATS will be having some fun in the barbecue section  It's pretty amazing how many different types of barbecue there are, and I have no idea how she's going to narrow it down.
  • Tara from Foodie will be getting spiced up with Chili Blends. What will she make? Chili? I'm sure that whatever it is, you'll be drooling.
  • Theresa from Food Hunter's Guide to Cuisine will be working with extracts. You know, like almond, vanilla, lemon ... so many flavors to choose from. Which will be her favorite?
  • Vanessa from GrooVy Foody will be working in the Baking section. Rumor has it that chocolate will be involved. She'll rock this one out.
  • And me, Donna, here from Cookistry - I'm the dippy one this time. I'll be working with dips and also with peppers. Sure, I might make some chip dip for munchies, but my recipe might surprise you.

So ... would you like a little look at what's possible with spices from Savory Spice Shop?

Besides the recipes we'll be working with for our recipes, we each received some extras. Bonus! I got the four spices you see above, which was in a gift box labeled "Seafood Lovers."

So what did I make? Not seafood. The first thing I made was a dip for some asparagus using California Citrus Rub.

And then the Pearl Street Plank Rub starting calling to me with its pretty red color.

I decided to use it on some brisket. Oh, but it wasn't just any brisket. It was smoked brisked. I rubbed the brisket, put it in the smoker, and let it cook for half the day, until it was tender smoky and delicious. The rub added some heat and extra flavor. Highly recommended.

Have I whetted your appetite? I hope so. I'm getting hungry thinking about all the great recipes you'll see from this group!

So, just curious - what's your favorite herb/spice? And do you prefer the single-ingredient herbs and spices, or do you like blends, like an Italian mix, or a curry blend, or something similar? Or both?
Yum