The Melting Teapot

While making dinner last night, I found myself once again pulling out three favorite spices.  I began to think about these three items, pondering why they are my “go-to” bottles and jars.

It shouldn’t have surprised me, but it did, to realize that often I am grabbing spice blends rather than individual spices.  This is probably for two reasons.  First, I use a lot of fresh herbs, so the dried versions rarely get grabbed when cooking.  I’d rather use fresh cilantro, dill, sage, or basil, snipped from my herb garden.  Second, my three favorites tend to be flavor enhancers, containing elements that work a lot like salt & pepper (but with a bit more zing). 

I tasted each of them alone, to get a sense of what they were adding to my food, and then inspected the list of ingredients.  I noticed that each of these spice blends include salt, which means I should probably add little or no salt when using them in a dish.   There are other interesting ingredients and profiles, which deserve some focused attention.

Lemon Pepper

The lemon peel pops in this seasoning, followed by a salty-sweet note, with the black pepper on the finish.  It is a great flavor enhancer, and I almost feel like I’m cheating when cooking with it.

I began using this in the last year, originally purchasing the bottle after seeing lemon pepper featured in so many recipes and strategies for grilling fresh halibut.  Lemon pepper is indeed wonderful sprinkled on grilled halibut (and other fish), but it’s also very tasty on anything that is roasted or grilled. I regularly use this spice when roasting vegetables, and I’m especially fond of it on brussel sprouts.

Note: It is worth looking closely at the ingredient list on a bottle of Lemon-Pepper, to make sure you aren’t sensitive to anything (for instance, there can be MSG or soy added). I’ve been using Spice Islands' blend, but I'd like to find a lemon pepper that doesn’t include salt, sugar, and MSG.  If anyone knows of a brand that is more simple and natural, please let me know!

Fennel Salt

There are a few different versions of fennel salt available, usually from specialty or gourmet food stores.  Mine comes from Seattle's Volterra restaurant and can be purchased locally or online. While Volterra does not provide a list of every ingredient, they do state that it is “made with freshly toasted, organic fennel seed, organic orange peel, and other traditional flavors of the Italian peninsula.”

On its own, the flavor of salt is muted by the licorice aspect of the fennel, by the notes of Italian herbs (oregano, maybe basil?), and by the contrast of orange peel.  When used in food, I notice the fennel as a primary element, more than  I do the herbs.

The salt is wonderful sprinkled in olive oil (for dipping bread, as they do at Volterra restaurant).  It is also a great when added to scrambled eggs, sprinkled on top of creamy soups, or whisked into salad dressings.  I rely on it as one of the main flavor enhancers of my favorite Fennel-Apple Salad.

Cholula Hot Sauce

The wooden ball topped bottles of Cholula are easily found in most American grocery stores, and they have been a staple in my refrigerator for many years.

In New Mexico, these bottles appear on most café and diner tables, right next to the salt and pepper.  If they aren’t in place, they are always available if you ask your server.  Cholula is made from two types of peppers (arbol and piquin), in a vinegar-water base. Think of this as a liquid form of salt & pepper, which you shake out from a bottle.

When you taste Cholula, you’ll get a pickled zing of heat, surrounded by a savory sensation.  It is definitely spicy, but when added to food it doesn’t bring as much heat as you might expect.  Instead, it rounds out the flavor profile of a dish, enhancing other ingredients.

I find it particularly useful in vegetarian food, especially soups.  It adds a necessary mid-level element to broths.  Cholula is traditionally used in eggs, and I always (ALWAYS) use at least a dash or two in any scrambled eggs or other egg dish I’m making. I keep it on the table when we’re having an egg breakfast or a meal with soup, so anyone else can add more spice if they’d like.

What about you?

Do you have go-to seasonings or spices that you turn to when cooking?  And, have you inspected the ingredient list to see just what is in that jar?