InspiringKitchen.com Spices Archives

Dec 06

Gingerbread with Crystallized Ginger

Posted by Inspiring Kitchen | Recipes | 7 Comments

There are so many things about the holiday season that I just love. The decorations, the parties, and of course, the food! From soups to stews to braised meats to spiced sauces and breads to desserts, creating recipes that use rich and aromatic ingredients not only tastes amazing but will make your home smell warm and welcoming. Gingerbread is one of those treats that just feel right to eat during this time of year.

Gingerbread with Crystallized Ginger

The trick with making gingerbread loaves is to find the right balance of those intense spices like ginger, cloves and cinnamon. I think this recipe achieves the sweet spicy goal.… Read more

Feb 03

19 Inches of Snow Potato Shallot Soup

Posted by Inspiring Kitchen | Appliances, Housewares, Kitchen Tools, Soup, Winter Recipes | 3 Comments

You have all seen the news that Chicago and other parts of the Midwest have been buried in a snowstorm. Official totals as of this morning bring the snowfall to 19 inches. Beautiful, white snow. Until you have to leave the house. So, my solution is to make a warm, comforting pot of Potato and Shallot soup.

Step 1: saute onions:

Like most of the recipes that I offer, variation is the key. Personalizing to fit your tastes, time and available ingredients makes this a super easy meal. If you have read any of my other blog posts, you will see that I am a fan of Penzey’s Spices.… Read more

Oct 31

How to Choose the Best Pepper Mill

Posted by Inspiring Kitchen | Housewares, Kitchen Design, Kitchen Tools, Pepper, Recipes, Seasonings | 5 Comments

Salt and pepper. The two ingredients in just about every recipe. The key to using pepper in a recipe is having a pepper mill with strong grinding capabilities. Have you ever bitten down on a chunk of peppercorn that hasn’t successfully been ground down enough and your whole mouth is now on fire – let alone how your tooth is feeling? Ouch.

When it comes to certain kitchen tools, sometimes you need to spend a bit more to have quality materials so the equipment or gadget will do a great job on the task it is assigned. In this case, we are talking about the grinders used in pepper mills.… Read more