Penzeys. Any suggestions?
I just got my first catalog from Penzeys. Any must-haves? What are your favorites?
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16 Comments:
I like the cake spice for baking - good for coffee cake. And I also just got their Hungarian Sweet Paprika which is great, but have no idea it's it better than anything else as it's my first time using Hungarian Sweet.
ceforrester at 12:23PM on 05/09/07
I like their bay leaf seasoning. It's great rubbed on a chicken before you roast it. Their pizza spice mix is useful for any kind of italian cooking.
DaveFaris at 12:47PM on 05/09/07
Their double strength vanilla, their Saigon cinnamon, their Turkish bay leaves, their extra-large Malabar peppercorns, their freeze-dried shallots and chives. Just for emergencies.
dksbook at 1:44PM on 05/09/07
I've used the shallot salt on everything from egg salad to grilled shrimp. Like ceforrester above, I've also tried the sweet paprika as well as the hot paprika. The hot paprika works really well if you want heat, but you don't want to use the seeds of red peppers. Their Vietnamese cassia cinnamon also is worth a try. Get the wee jar, it will last a long time. Finally, I also like their herbes de Provence for fish.
hereandthe at 1:45PM on 05/09/07
A friends of mine gave me the "Taste Of Mexico" Sampler:
* Epazote
* Ground Ancho Chili Pepper
* Ground Cumin
* Mexican Oregano
* Broken Leaf Cilantro
* Chipotle Pepper Powder
* Adobo Seasoning
* Powdered Ceylon Cinnamon
You might consider this or a similar sampler pack:
http://www.penzeys.com/cgi-bin/penzeys/c-Gift_Boxes.html
They come in a variety of themes & sizes....
Its a good way to stock the pantry with the basics for a type of cooking...
I can say...the chipotle pepper and ancho chili powders are excellent!
2qrs at 3:49PM on 05/09/07
Definitely stock up on black peppercorns, I've tried their regular Tellicherry and their India Extra bold black peppers. Both are very good. Ceylon cinnamon, whole nutmeg, cocoa powder, whole dried chilies. They have a few different kinds of crushed red peppers that are also good.
Actually, you should take an inventory of what spices you use most, what you currently have, and what you can throw out, and then go from there.
Marvin at 4:32PM on 05/09/07
Don't fall into the trap I did. If 3 oz. is good, 8 oz. is better. 5 years later, you'll find yourself with 6 ounces of whole rosemary that has no flavor any more. Go with the smaller quantities, and just reorder in 6 months. (They have a feature on their website that lets you save shopping carts for easy reorder.)
Also, my wife loves their hot cocoa mix. I use it to make mochas for her on the weekend. 12 ounces of milk, 1 tablespoon of their cocoa mix, 4 ounces of coffee extract using the Toddy, plus a liberal amount of marshmallows. Scald the milk in a saucepan, with the chocolate powder and the marshmallows, then add the coffee extract in the cup.
I suggest you stay away from their magazine, though. I got a subscription, but didn't really like it that much ... maybe it was the amateurish production values, don't know ... but I let it lapse.
DaveFaris at 7:05PM on 05/09/07
Dutch process cocoa. Awesome
Chicago Steak Seasoning. Great general purpose rub and great in your burger mix.
jperlow at 9:50PM on 05/09/07
One slight caveat though. We used their Premium Pickling Spice mixture last year when we did our summer run of kosher-style garlic dills.
http://offthebroiler.wordpress.com/2006/08/18/makin-pickles/
I have no doubt the spices used in it are top quality, but something about the proportions used are somewhat wrong. After aging the pickles for several weeks, It tastes too clovey and too indian-ey. It may be the cardamom in it. This year I am up for a new pickling spice mixture. Anyone got any suggestions?
jperlow at 9:55PM on 05/09/07
I agree on the pikling spice jperlow. I mix up my own.
Must haves
Shallot salt
Shallot pepper
grey sea salt
ceylon cinnamon
mexican vanilla (for my cheaper vanilla needs)
ground ancho chili powder
groud chipolte chili powder
cake spice (great for quick flavor on toast or pancakes)
mustard powder
horseradish powder
If you can get to the store do it!
I can not say enough about Penzeys and have been buying from them since 1994 when I found out that foodtv stocked their kitchen with Penzeys.
JerzeeTomato at 1:57AM on 05/10/07
I live near their headquarters in Brookfield, WI and my spice cabinet shows it. My absolute favorites are:
Spice blends I like include:
Chesapake Bay Seasoning - Awesome on grilled or sauteed salmon and shrimp, can also be used for a shrimp/crab/crawfish boil spice.
Cajun
Chicago Steak Seasoning - I use just a faint sprinkle of this along with kosher salt and pepper for steaks and it adds a nice, slightly smoky taste to steaks grilled on a gas grill.
Fox Point Seasoning - Awesome on eggs
Northwoods/Northwoods Fire - A nice bold blend that is great on duck, chicken, salmon, and veggies
Italian Dressing or Country French Dressing mix - mix with some good basalmic and olive oil and you have a great, simple dressing.
EatWisconsin at 9:53AM on 05/10/07
Penzeys spices that I purchase regularly:
Telicherry peppercorns - my mom and I are both obsessed, can never have enough of these in the house.
Vietnamese cinnamon - this is an incredibly potent form of cinnamon. I usually cut the amounts of cinnamon in half when baking using this cinnamon, and it lends a warm, spicy flavor to anything I bake. If I had to pick only one thing, this would be it. If you do not feel comfortable using smaller amounts of cinnamon, their china cassia is a good basic cinnamon.
Sandwich sprinkle - sounds ridiculous, but it really actually does change everything and makes my boring turkey sandwiches tasty.
I know that my mom uses the Northwoods religiously. I also think that their ground ginger is superb to anything you can buy in the supermarket.
selizara at 10:24AM on 05/10/07
I love their Fox Point blend on veggies.
Their Chinese Five Spice is too cinnamon/clove-y. Adding their (excellent) ground ginger seemed to be the ticket.
Smoked Hungarian Paprika is amazing, amazing. In fact, it was only after trying their regular sweet paprika that I discovered I actually LIKE paprika. It always seemed like nothing but color for devilled eggs.
Beef fajita seasoning - I follow their recipe but also add minced garlic when I make the marinade. I usually buy the largest quantity of this since I make fajitas often enough.
One note about their sizes - you do not get penalized for buying smaller quantities so you should absolutely take advantage of it.
JoAnn at 11:00AM on 05/10/07
Their Country French Vinagrette is excellent - but use less than their recipe suggests and you still get a very tasty dressing.
Stephanie at 11:40AM on 05/10/07
OMG, Fox Point Seasoning is awesome on just about anything. We LOVE it on grilled burgers.
We are going to have to try that Sandwich Seasoning. I pack a lunch for my son every day and am always looking for something different.
Calichef at 4:48AM on 05/11/07
Thanks guys!
This is what I ordered:
Bay Leaf Whole
Shallot Salt
Shallot pepper
Sandwich Sprinkle
Extra Fancy Vietnamese Cassia Cinnamon Ground
Smoked Spanish Paprika
Whole Tellicherry Indian Black Peppercorns
Fox Point Seasoning
Nutmeg Whole
ThatGirl153 at 11:31AM on 05/11/07