Bringing Spice to Your Life
As my plane lands in Denver I already hear Savory Spice Shop beckoning to me from it’s home on 1537 Platte Street. I never leave Denver without my carry-on luggage stuffed full of fresh spices and some of their Mayan Cocoa (Dutch cocoa, chili peppers, cinnamon and vanilla). This particular trip I was also planning a baby back rib night, so an amazing from scratch BBQ sauce was a must and what better place for supplies than my favorite spice shop.
My twin sister introduced me to Savory Spice Shop a few years ago and the moment I walked in I was in love. My nose entered the room only a nanosecond before the rest of me and immediately I was overwhelmed with countless aromas of spices and herbs which wafted through the air like a heavenly cloud. I had one particular spice blend on the brain and if they had it here then I was about to be a fan for life. I love to cook with Berbere, an Ethiopian blend of Hungarian sweet paprika, cayenne, roasted garlic, salt, allspice, ginger and cardamom. I use Berbere in marinades, dressings and sauces and sometimes I just use it as a rub on the outside of a beef brisket or pork shoulder. The more you use, the spicier the dish gets, so use wisely. This spice is not always easy to find, especially fresh and homemade. I walked right over to the first employee I saw and asked them. “Do you have Berbere? It’s a blend of–” The young lady had already replied, “Yes. Right this way.” I could feel the stirrings of devotion for this cool little spice shop already taking root. Seconds later, there it was. An hour later, I had discovered much more than just Berbere. Now every trip to Denver includes a visit to Savory Spice Shop.
My most recent visit inspired me to find out a little more about Savory Spice and what their plans are to keep spreading the word. The young man who was helping track down all the spices I needed pointed me towards Kate Wheeler, who was more than happy to answer a few quick questions:
WineofCourse: Firstly, why should people come here to buy spices instead of somewhere else?
Kate: Our spices are fresh. Not full of preservatives. No MSG. Fresh is really the key when it comes to spices. With old spices you are basically putting sawdust on your food, and what good is that?
WineofCourse: Well said! You also have a really exotic mix. It’s not just a normal spice shelf. Who drives that in terms of what spices you carry and the variety you offer?
Kate: Honestly, our customers. If they are asking for something, we try to find it, because even if someone just needs a half ounce of an ingredient for a recipe, they can avoid spending a lot at a specialty grocery store and just get what they need here.
WineofCourse: What about Berbere? I am a big fan of cooking with it.
Kate: Me too!
WineofCourse: Do you actually make that blend here?
Kate: Yup! All of our curry mixes are takes on classics, but some are totally made up by us, like our Vietnamese Sweet Lemon Curry and our Cambodian Lemongrass. Those are our own creations.
WineofCourse: I am also curious about Natural versus Organic here at Savory.
Kate: Our spices are all natural. We have some spices that are organic. A lot of the world does produce spices organically, but because it’s not USDA certified, you can’t call it organic. Our goal is to be 35% organic by the end of the year.
WineofCourse: And all of these spices are available online right?
Kate: Yes at www.SavorySpiceShop.com. There are also tons of recipes on our website which usually have to do with our mixes. We actually just got a show on The Food Network so there’s gonna be a ton of new recipes.
WineofCourse: You’re actually going to have a Savory Spice show?
Kate: Yes, it’s called Spice and Easy and it starts April 24th at 9:30am ET. [7:30 am for Denver folks!]
That about wrapped it up as I thanked Kate for her time and congratulated Savory Spice on their new show. All of my spices were waiting for me at the register, and I don’t know if it was just me, but I swear they were talking to me, whispering ideas for sauces and marinades and dishes I had yet to create. There will be more on that later when I share with you dishes I created for my family and, of course, the wines we paired them with! In the meantime, check out www.SavorySpiceShop.com and have some fresh spices shipped directly to you. And don’t forget to check out their new cooking show for fabulous new recipes and ideas for incorporating more spice into your life! Cheers!
Spice and Easy Premiers April 24 at 7:30am MT on the Food Network
