spicing it up
by Diana Cercone
Good food starts with good ingredients. But even the freshest, local ingredients, like a pastured-raised egg, grass-fed beef or freshly picked asparagus, can have its flavor profile raised with a shake of salt, a few grinds of black pepper or a hit of heat from ground habanero chilies. With a pinch here, a dash or sprinkle there, these little taste treasures transform the simplest dish into one bursting with flavor.
They add the zing—or spice—to a dish. But which spice to use and when? For the answer I headed to Peddlers Village to speak with Judith Domanico, manager of the Savory Spice Shop. Judith, who with her husband lives in Chalfont, is considered a good cook by her family and friends. But, she admits, since working at the shop, her world of spices and their culinary possibilities continues to expand.
And I can see why. The bright and airy shop offers 400 spices, each invitingly arranged by culinary use, country or as staples for cooking and baking. (I counted at least 12 different salts and five different kinds of cocoa powders.) Then there are the spice blends, dips and dressing blends original to Savory Spice Shop—about 140 of them. But I’m getting ahead of myself. For even before you make a beeline for one of them, the first thing that you really notice is the shop’s aroma. It’s an inviting mix of the familiar and the exotic that rides in the air like a magic carpet to some seductive spice market.
But then, that’s exactly what the Savory Spice Shop is. And if the spices’ aromas don’t seduce you, tasting them can seal the deal. Both senses are essential when cooking, says Judith. Which is why next to each spice, you’ll find a tester bottle. “Sprinkle some of the spice in your hand,” she says. “Sniff and taste.” That’s the best way to tell if a new spice is right for you, she says. Especially when it comes to hot spices. Testing them helps you find your comfortable heat level. There is an exception, however. There is no testing jar for the Ghost Curry Pepper. Just a warning sign that reads: “For your safety and those around you, please do not open.” (One of the world’s hottest pepper, the Ghost Pepper ranges from 855,000 Scoville Heat Units to over a million on the Scoville scale. In comparison, a jalapeño registers at 3,500 to 5,000 on the Scoville scale. You can understand the wisdom of the store’s warning.)
The test bottles are also a great way to taste the difference in spices of the same family, such as in the subtle differences between Greek and Mexican oregano. Greek oregano imparts a more minty flavor, Judith says, where the Mexican is spicier—although not a hot spicy one. Notice also the difference in color; the Greek is grassy green and the Mexican has a sun-drenched yellow tinge to it.
To me, the invitation to sniff and taste is akin to telling a kid in a candy shop to sample the chocolates. Where to begin? Thinking to reign myself in a bit, I ask Judith what her favorites are. I get no definitive answer. However, she says, right now she’s experimenting with the spices in the section marked World Flavor Wall. Opening up a tester of Cambodian Lemongrass Curry, she holds it under my nose and tells me to sniff and then to taste the smidge she has poured into my hand. A heady whiff wafts up. The taste is even more so: exotic and sweet at first, then delivering a surprise punch of heat as it finishes on the back of my throat. Wasn’t expecting that. I like it and before leaving the shop, I made sure to add an ounce-bag of it to my cache of spices to be purchased.
One of the great things about buying spices from Savory Spice Shop is not only are the spices always fresh, but they also list all ingredients on the spice’s label. This is especially helpful when buying a blend. No chance for a hidden allergy-triggering spice. For example, their Cambodian Lemongrass Curry contains mild green chiles, lemongrass, shallots, salt, garlic, onion, Lampong peppercorns, galangal, ginger, makrut lime leaves, red Thai chillies and citric acid.
In addition to listing the ingredients, each comes with culinary suggestions. So for my Cambodian curry blend, the label says it should be used in sauces for beef, chicken, pork, seafood, tofu and veggies. On the label also is a recipe for the sauce. How terrific is that? But, says, Judith, “I always tell customers to think out of the blends. Experiment with them.”
Though Savory Spice Shop started in Denver, CO, and is mainly an online store (savoryspiceshop.com), it has franchises across the country as well as stores of its own, such as the one in Peddler’s Village and its sister store in Westfield, NJ.
Both shops show their local pride. Exclusive to Peddler’s is the Bucks Beer Can Chicken Blend. An irresistible blend of Spanish paprika, honey-powder, granulated onion, cumin, minced orange peel, salt, coriander seeds (cracked fresh), black pepper, cayenne, thyme and oregano. And not just for chicken, says Judith. “It’s very good on fries.” (Remember: “Think out of the blend,” she says.)
Another blend special to Bucks is Bux-Mont County Seasoning Salt, which contains celery seeds, sea salt, granulated onion, Ceylon cinnamon and honey powder. Knowing that Bucks residents love the shore, you’ll also find their Barnegat Bay blend. Among the gift-box sets, you’ll find Peddler’s Pride, which contains eight different spices and herbs including (PA) Dutch Cocoa.
The shop is popular with cooks and bakers alike. And it’s not uncommon to find a local chef picking up his favorites or trying something special for a new recipe. On this day Greg Vassos, executive chef and co-owner of the Brick Farm Tavern, an award-winning farm-to-table restaurant in Hopewell, NJ., was interested in Savory Spice Shop’s Cook County Charcoal.
The charcoal, says Judith, is made with food-grade activated charcoal produced from burnt coconut shells. “It makes a spectacular presentation.”
Greg lives in Doylestown and on his way to the restaurant, he says, he often stops to pick up ingredients. And not just for the restaurant, he says, but for home cooking as well. Along with the charcoal, Greg picks up a packet of Savory Spice Shop’s Spice-n-Easy Tikka Masala spice blend. Explaining, his wife Tanya had bought some earlier in the week and had made chicken tikka masala tacos with it, serving them with tzatziki, basmati rice and charred tortillas. “It was a huge success,” he says. “We love Mexican food at our house, and this gave us a chance to have a new take on tacos.”
At the restaurant, he says, they use the Cook County Charcoal two ways. In the first dish they use the charcoal on their salt meringue roasted beet steak. “The charcoal for this dish,” Greg says, “gives it depth by adding a level of smokiness making the beets very meat-like.” In the second, he says, “We use it in our cherry barbecue sauce for the Berkshire pork belly. The barbecue sauce turns black, again giving it the same depth of flavor. It goes on as a glaze on our pork belly then finished with bee pollen, cocoa nibs and sea salt.”
With the coming of spring, thoughts of outdoor grilling abound. And if you’re looking for spices for your outdoor cooking, the Savory Spice Shop has you covered. To make it easy for you, they’ve arranged their grilling and barbecuing spices and herbs into categories, such as Burgers & Steaks, Seafood, Poultry and Sausage & Charcuterie. They’re, then, also divided by type of barbecuing or grilling, such as Low Country and the South, The Northeast and The West Coast.
When you go, be sure to ask about Savory Spice Shop’s Customer Rewards Program, Sample Saturdays and for recipes (They have tons). Tip: To ensure the freshness of your spices and herbs, Judith says, store in a cool, dark cabinet away from heat.
The Savory Spice Shop is located in Store #32 in Peddler’s Village, Lahaska, PA; 215-794-7700; peddlersvillage@savoryspiceshop.com.
Diana Cercone is an area freelance writer who specializes in food, art and travel.