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Posted
On 1/5/2017 at 4:04 AM, Tri2Cook said:


Since I live a few kilometers north of nowhere, many things people can probably buy at their local gas station in a pinch aren't available within about 5 hours drive. For here in Canada, I use the South China Seas site for a lot of international ingredient stuff. A lot of the perishable stuff, they won't ship but in addition to the non-perishables, I can get fresh lime leaves, lemongrass and galangal and a few other tolerant perishables shipped.

Thank you for posting about China Seas.  I see they have some chilies I have been searching for so I can cook some recipes from The Food of Latin America: Gran Cocina Latina.:x

  • Like 1
Posted
5 hours ago, andiesenji said:

Ingredients online - some are much less costly and the product is superior.

I'm an Amazon Prime member - saves me a lot of money.

 

I am extremely partial to  Frontier Co-Op  ingredients.  I use cacao nibs - I have found that I can use them just fine but regular chocolate affects me adversely. (I can use cocoa too).

I just ordered a POUND of Frontier Organic Fair Trade Certified Cacao Nibs.  Price:  12.15

Locally, the CHEAPEST are at Walmart 9.99 for 8 ounces (half a pound) The one time I tried them, they were stale.

 

I also ordered a pound of Frontier's Organic Vietnamese Cinnamon.  (Add-on item)  7.62  And it is EXCELLENT. 

I grind my own cinnamon (Frontier cinnamon sticks) fresh before use, But I am making up some cinnamon/sugar shakers for a friend who is going to be teaching a baking class to teens and needed some prep help as she is up to her ears in getting ready for it.  

As I already have a bunch of shakers from my catering days, i volunteered to make these up.

This cinnamon is really pungent.

 

CI has rated Frontier spices tops in a few categories during the past couple of years.

 

I believe Frontier is the same stuff as the Simply Organic brand of spices sold in the baking isle of my local Shoprite.  For what they carry, no need for me to buy online.  That being said, I have bought Frontier on amazon.

 

  • Like 1

Cooking is cool.  And kitchen gear is even cooler.  -- Chad Ward

Whatever you crave, there's a dumpling for you. -- Hsiao-Ching Chou

Posted
4 hours ago, quiet1 said:

That reminds me - does anyone have spice suppliers they like other than Penzey's? I need some stuff Penzey's doesn't carry.

 

It would help if you could say exactly what spices you are looking for.  I recently received my first order from Penzey's and was pleased.  I believe there is another branch of the Penzey family selling spices under a different business name.

 

I buy a lot of spices on amazon with only one disappointment that I recall.

Cooking is cool.  And kitchen gear is even cooler.  -- Chad Ward

Whatever you crave, there's a dumpling for you. -- Hsiao-Ching Chou

Posted
43 minutes ago, JoNorvelleWalker said:

 

It would help if you could say exactly what spices you are looking for.  I recently received my first order from Penzey's and was pleased.  I believe there is another branch of the Penzey family selling spices under a different business name.

 

I buy a lot of spices on amazon with only one disappointment that I recall.

That would be The Spice House in Chicago. It was apparently the original.

  • Like 1
Posted
On ‎1‎/‎5‎/‎2017 at 8:46 PM, JoNorvelleWalker said:

 

Interesting, thanks!  Two bottles are on their way to me.

 

 

And the two bottles arrived today.  Hard to complain about the service.

 

I ordered from the amazon shop of EuroGrocer.

 

Cooking is cool.  And kitchen gear is even cooler.  -- Chad Ward

Whatever you crave, there's a dumpling for you. -- Hsiao-Ching Chou

Posted
25 minutes ago, Kerry Beal said:

That would be The Spice House in Chicago. It was apparently the original.

 

Yes, that was it!  So much I want to order!

 

Cooking is cool.  And kitchen gear is even cooler.  -- Chad Ward

Whatever you crave, there's a dumpling for you. -- Hsiao-Ching Chou

Posted
1 hour ago, JoNorvelleWalker said:

 

It would help if you could say exactly what spices you are looking for.  I recently received my first order from Penzey's and was pleased.  I believe there is another branch of the Penzey family selling spices under a different business name.

 

I buy a lot of spices on amazon with only one disappointment that I recall.

 

'My primary aim is ground bay leaf to mix up a batch of Bay Leaf Seasoning since Penzey's no longer makes it and I don't want to fight with grinding my own. But I'm sure I will think of more once I start browsing. :D I seem to recall thinking Penzey's has not as much in the way of dried chilies as I'd like, also.

Posted
48 minutes ago, quiet1 said:

 

'My primary aim is ground bay leaf to mix up a batch of Bay Leaf Seasoning since Penzey's no longer makes it and I don't want to fight with grinding my own. But I'm sure I will think of more once I start browsing. :D I seem to recall thinking Penzey's has not as much in the way of dried chilies as I'd like, also.

 

I did buy four (or was it eight?) ounces of Penzey's Turkish bay leaves.  More bay leaves, I must say, than I was expecting.  But I doubt they will go to waste.

 

If you're wondering what to do with bay leaves, @lesliec has a lovely ice cream recipe.

 

Or just chuck them and drink gin.

 

 

  • Like 1

Cooking is cool.  And kitchen gear is even cooler.  -- Chad Ward

Whatever you crave, there's a dumpling for you. -- Hsiao-Ching Chou

Posted
7 minutes ago, JoNorvelleWalker said:

 

I did buy four (or was it eight?) ounces of Penzey's Turkish bay leaves.  More bay leaves, I must say, than I was expecting.  But I doubt they will go to waste.

 

If you're wondering what to do with bay leaves, @lesliec has a lovely ice cream recipe.

 

Or just chuck them and drink gin.

 

 

 

'I use bay leaves for all kinds of things other than cooking - supposedly a couple in the flour keeps bugs out, and likewise in the linen closet. Plus they're a relatively inoffensive 'fresh' smell so I also fold some up in a paper towel or scrap of fabric and put that parcel in things like suitcases before stashing them for extended periods - in theory it might keep mice away, too, but I'm skeptical about that one.

 

Anyway, the Bay Leaf seasoning was a blend, not just powdered bay leaves, but a blend of powdered bay leaves and other herbs and tasty things that was quite popular with a number of people I know as a quick seasoning for meats/burgers/etc. I thought it might be nice to try it and then make it as gifts if the recipe I found online tastes right. :)

  • Like 2
Posted
10 hours ago, quiet1 said:

 

'My primary aim is ground bay leaf to mix up a batch of Bay Leaf Seasoning since Penzey's no longer makes it and I don't want to fight with grinding my own. But I'm sure I will think of more once I start browsing. :D I seem to recall thinking Penzey's has not as much in the way of dried chilies as I'd like, also.

There are two or three vendors on Amazon that sell powdered bay leaf in bulk. 

"There are, it has been said, two types of people in the world. There are those who say: this glass is half full. And then there are those who say: this glass is half empty. The world belongs, however, to those who can look at the glass and say: What's up with this glass? Excuse me? Excuse me? This is my glass? I don't think so. My glass was full! And it was a bigger glass!" Terry Pratchett

 

Posted
20 hours ago, Okanagancook said:

Thank you for posting about China Seas.  I see they have some chilies I have been searching for so I can cook some recipes from The Food of Latin America: Gran Cocina Latina.:x


Yeah, they have a decent selection of dried chilies. I ordered some in my last order. I don't order often, I try to wait until I have a nice cart-full because the shopping cart applies a 10% discount to the order once it passes the $100 point. So I plan things I want to make, add what I need to my cart and when it gets to the discount point, I order... and hope I'll get around to actually making all of the things I ordered for. ¬¬

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It's kinda like wrestling a gorilla... you don't stop when you're tired, you stop when the gorilla is tired.

Posted

The Spice House, mentioned above, is owned by Patty Erd (and her husband) Bill Penzey's sister.

The Spice House carries powdered bay leaf.

I no longer order from Penzey's.  

Patty says she welcomes the business from those of us who got tired of Bill's extremely annoying rants.

  • Like 1

~Martin :)

I just don't want to look back and think "I could have eaten that."

Unsupervised, rebellious, radical agrarian experimenter, minimalist penny-pincher, and adventurous cook. Crotchety, cantankerous, terse curmudgeon, non-conformist, and contrarian who questions everything!

The best thing about a vegetable garden is all the meat you can hunt and trap out of it!

 

Posted
15 hours ago, gfweb said:

@JoNorvelleWalker

Not a pea-eater. Nor limas.

But they are green aren't they.

Legumes in general are suspect. Except soy, after fermentation etc.

I prefer my greenness in the form of brassicas or leafy greens.

Or grass on a baseball field.

Which is the best green of all.

 

 

With you on the baseball field. Pitchers and catchers report in 36 days, btw. 

 

I do love my legumes, of all colors, though.

 

15 hours ago, Thanks for the Crepes said:

That's okay, @gfweb. I'll eat your share of limas (one of my favorites), peas and other legumes, and you can have all the baseball fields. :)

 

I like brassicas too, except collards, which is not too socially acceptable down here in the Southland. I do wish I liked them. They are such a beautiful green raw.

 

I just had leftovers, repeating last night's dinner. I still have a half a Cornish hen left, but I finished off the other half of the veggie stuffed pepper tonight. I love this recipe, and it includes limas, which I realize many don't like (for some unfathomable reason?) but I do my share to eat them all up so you will not be offended by them.

 

Leave me a few limas, wouldja?

 

  • Like 2

Don't ask. Eat it.

www.kayatthekeyboard.wordpress.com

Posted
8 hours ago, DiggingDogFarm said:

The Spice House, mentioned above, is owned by Patty Erd (and her husband) Bill Penzey's sister.

The Spice House carries powdered bay leaf.

I no longer order from Penzey's.  

Patty says she welcomes the business from those of us who got tired of Bill's extremely annoying rants.

 

Chicago area people might be interested to learn that Tom and Patty Erd are giving a lecture 'The Lure and Lore of Spices' at the Albany Park branch of the Chicago Public Library on Jan 31.  event link.  I'm planning to attend, as that's my local library.

  • Like 1
Posted

The joys of international shopping.  I placed an order with parmashop.com but the order was declined.  So I placed a second order.  Which was also declined.

 

I thought to check my bank web page, which reported suspicious activity on my card which had been blocked.  I told them the transactions were OK.  Great.  Now I don't know if I have one order coming, two orders coming, or none.

 

I just want my cheese.

 

  • Like 5

Cooking is cool.  And kitchen gear is even cooler.  -- Chad Ward

Whatever you crave, there's a dumpling for you. -- Hsiao-Ching Chou

Posted

Follow-up on igourmet.com: For anyone who's signed up for Ebates, there's 5 percent cash back on all orders of sale merchandise. Some duck confit leg quarters, some sausages, a pate and several different cheeses are on their way to me.

 

Damn you, enablers. :$

  • Like 5

Don't ask. Eat it.

www.kayatthekeyboard.wordpress.com

Posted

We have no Asian markets anywhere here.  One of the grocery items that I've purchased online (Amazon) is sweet soy sauce, and it is super good. 

This one.

Posted
7 hours ago, kayb said:

Follow-up on igourmet.com: For anyone who's signed up for Ebates, there's 5 percent cash back on all orders of sale merchandise. Some duck confit leg quarters, some sausages, a pate and several different cheeses are on their way to me.

 

Damn you, enablers. :$

I love iGourmet and have ordered many cheeses from them. Once a year I treat myself to a whole wheel of Caerphilly - which I have learned I can cut into chunks (I have the giant Wusthof two-handled cheese knife)  VACUUM seal each piece and store in the freezer. It keeps perfectly - as do cheddars and other similar cheeses.

  • Like 2

"There are, it has been said, two types of people in the world. There are those who say: this glass is half full. And then there are those who say: this glass is half empty. The world belongs, however, to those who can look at the glass and say: What's up with this glass? Excuse me? Excuse me? This is my glass? I don't think so. My glass was full! And it was a bigger glass!" Terry Pratchett

 

Posted
On 1/7/2017 at 2:39 PM, andiesenji said:

I also ordered a pound of Frontier's Organic Vietnamese Cinnamon.  (Add-on item)  7.62  And it is EXCELLENT. 

 

 

@andiesenji, some time ago you posted about real cinnamon vs. cassia and (I think) pointed out that what most of us buy in stores is really the latter. So is this Frontier brand you mention the real thing? My last bottle from the grocery store says it is Vietnamese cinnamon, but I'm not sure how to tell the difference.

  • Like 1
Posted
22 minutes ago, Jim D. said:

 

@andiesenji, some time ago you posted about real cinnamon vs. cassia and (I think) pointed out that what most of us buy in stores is really the latter. So is this Frontier brand you mention the real thing? My last bottle from the grocery store says it is Vietnamese cinnamon, but I'm not sure how to tell the difference.

 

Pending @andiesenji's reply, may I chip in? Nearly all "cinnamon" sold in the US is actually cassia. Same in China and Vietnam.

 

I try only to buy cinnamon from Sri Lanka when I can.

As to how to tell the difference, try both once in a parallel tasting and you'll never forget. Cinnamon is more fragrant, more subtle, more more!

I do use cassia regularly, but in totally different ways to that in which I use cinnamon.

  • Like 1

...your dancing child with his Chinese suit.

 

"No amount of evidence will ever persuade an idiot"
Mark Twain
 

The Kitchen Scale Manifesto

Posted

This site has a bit of an axe to grind, but the image at the top gives a good visual comparison of the two. 

  • Like 1

“Who loves a garden, loves a greenhouse too.” - William Cowper, The Task, Book Three

 

"Not knowing the scope of your own ignorance is part of the human condition...The first rule of the Dunning-Kruger club is you don’t know you’re a member of the Dunning-Kruger club.” - psychologist David Dunning

 

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