Let's Talk: The Most Important Kitchen Tool You Own
As you probably know, about five years ago, we left Manhattan and moved to very rural New England. We left the tall buildings for clear air and gorgeous light. We also left this:
That's our Manhattan kitchen. Twelve books were written there. It was five feet wide including the appliances. You couldn't stand in front of the stove and open it at the same time. I always said, if Sylvia Plath had had our apartment, she'd be alive today.
And we ended up with this:
Naturally, Bruce has gotten many more toys for this country kitchen--some of which he's not allowed to use in recipe-testing. (We can talk more about that sometime, if you'd like.) I asked him the other day what was the most important kitchen tool he owned. I expected him to say "my Henckel knives" or "my food processor." Maybe even "my KitchenAid stove." Or something cheffy like "my immersion blender."
His answer caught me off-guard.
He said, "My spice drawer."
Yep, a spice drawer. And it's really a drawer. He doesn't line the bottles up on a shelf. They were always tumbling onto the counter, especially when he reached for one in the back. So we cleaned out a wide drawer and he filled it with dozens of bottles.
You know we have a lot of curries around here. That's clear enough from posts like this one and this one. (You can find more if you search for "curry" among the category tags or put "curry" into the search box farther down this page.) And I'm sure he might say "knives" or another gadget if he were given more time to think. But his gut answer were these spices.
Surprised? Me, too. Mostly, because I suspect those bottles come way down the list for most of the rest of us.
He's sort of a medieval throw-back, valuing those spices above all else. I catch him all the time, opening two bottles, maybe three, holding them together under his nose. He closes his eyes and breathes in. That's inspiration. It's also educating his palate, a constant refresher course for elemental flavors.
You should do the same, too. You should sample among your spices, smelling them, breathing them in. They are the basic flavor palate that turn rather straightforward meats and vegetables into something extraordinary.
I'm sure you know, but a little warning is still in order: they do go bad--in nine months for dried leafy green ones, in a year or so for the rest. Make sure you store them out of the heat and light. Old spices can take on a bland, tea-like tang, not much good for a satisfying dinner.
Do you have a favorite herb or spice? One that inspires you to cook better? We'd all love to hear about it.
dried herbs, dried spices, herbs, kitchen tools, spice drawer, spices
Reader Comments (19)
Not sure I could decide on a favourite spice, although allspice became a bit of a favourite to try out in all kinds of things last winter. What your post made me think of, though, is the fantastic shop where I go to buy spices. It's run by two sisters who've been there for years and years apparently. It's also the kind of shop that not more than two or three people can fit in at any one time, so unfortunately it's hard sometimes to be able to stay and just breathe in the wonderful smells. Highly recommend it (in case you ever happen to be shopping for spices in Dusseldorf that is).
http://www.gewuerzhaus-altstadt.de/
Love the allspice. Can't love it more. Bruce claims he introduced his grandmother to it--and it revolutionized her cooking. He apparently even had to tell her at one point to cool it a bit with the allspice. She was dousing it on everything.
M.
Just adore cardamom--and didn't even discover it until I'd been food writing for maybe 10 years. Try it in curry, if you haven't. I think his answer is an interesting one, but sort of a hedge, since a spice drawer holds a whole array of herbs and spices....
When I saw the tease on Facebook I was expecting something a little more philosophical, like "The most important tool in your kitchen is YOU." But on second thought that would be awfully new-agey for you guys.
Coriander. It smells like...joy.
Nutmeg. I love the act of grating fresh nutmeg. I love the scent of it. Nutmeg is not my most used spice (that would probably be cayenne pepper), but when I do grate some, all is right with the world.
Nancy: Cardamom is my new favorite spice, hands down. But then there's cinnamon--and I'm sort of an old-school guy at times.
Steve: Coriander is so great. Do you get the same bump from cilantro, since they're "related," as it were? (And yep, that's the problem with us. Not new-agey enough.)
Petra: Did you know that a nutmeg is a traditional wedding gift in some Chinese homes? One is given to the bridge and groom--and they should never live without a whole one in the house. Obvious fertility symbol, sure--but there are other reasons, surely.
M.
I love spices! I'm jealous of the spice drawer. Since, I noticed you have several Penzey's spices, my favorite spice is a tie between their 4S seasoning or the Arizona Dreaming!
Hands down cardamom is my favourite. then again coriander is a close second. I make this wonderful carrot sambal with whole toasted cardamom and coriander seeds and when you crunch on a whole spice - wow! flavour explosion!
Kat: Penzey's is a terrific supplier. I love just walking in the stores and taking a deep breath.
Africanaussie: Carrot sambal?? Wow. That sounds incredible.
M.
Cumin. Hands down, cumin. I like to cook savory dishes, and more often than not, it goes in the pot. Mediterranean, South American, Mexican, Indian ... all sorts of regional cooking gets cumin chucked at it by me.
Mark: I love cilantro too, but no, it's not the same kick. Coriander has that complex sweetness that's like nothing else to my taste buds.
Well, I will readily admit to having been a cumin- and cilantro/coriander-phobe for years. And yes, this is from someone who grew up in Texas with Southwestern and Mexican cuisine galore. I used to claim they tasted like gym socks smelled. However, I am completely over that phobia and now love them in so many things. As you said, Steve, coriander (that is, the fruit of the cilantro plant) has so much sophistication in it. And I even add a pinch of cumin to guacamole. Which all just goes to prove what research is showing: that nothing in one's palate is set at birth except for a proclivity for sweet things ( that is, the lactose in mother's milk).
M.
Citrus and "the spice drawer" are two of the things standing between me and the locavore lifestyle! Giggles .
Actually, we have a spice drawer, a chili shelf, a baking shelf, and a pickling/canning drawer. LOL With two cooks in the kitchen, we don't always share priorities.....so this works for us.
We grow most of our own herbs, so there is also a section of our own dried seasonings and peppers. Organized chaos!
Hope the snow passes y'all over.
Memories of the NYC kitchen. I know you all miss it at least a little :). Where did Bruce keep the spices there?
I, too, have a spice drawer - two of 'em, actually - that I adore. Does Bruce store his spices alphabetically, or is that just me?
I think my favorite is star anise. Not only is it great in both sweet and savory things, but it's just so pretty on the plate.
@Julie: I miss NYC, not the kitchen in that apartment. I do miss that apartment, too--but again, not the kitchen.
@Jill: Oh, star anise! Good call. Love it in Asian braises, red-cooking and such. But two drawers? Wow. That's incredible. (And yes, Bruce's are alphabetical until I get through with the drawer.)
M.
I love cardamom too and for a spell I put it in just about everything I made. For other favorites, I love Penzeys Adobo seasoning- it makes guacamole taste phenomenal, and I also love fennel seed. My spice cabinet is a riotous mess. I wish I had a drawer.
I'm so behind on my blog reading, forgive me...
I love my spices, and over here in Oz we have our own spice guru - Ian Hemphill - who has a store filled with spice treasures and blends (www.herbies.com.au - M, pls delete if you'd rather not have links here). My favourite spice blend is Herbie's chermoula mix, which goes into our pasta soup every week. And as for a favourite individual spice - at the moment it's fennel. There's something about fennel and pork, and fennel in a good Malaysian curry that makes me happy. :)
Celia: Fennel in Malaysian curry. Sounds divine! I don't know if I've ever tried that. I think that might be next on the list.
M.