Category Archives: Other Adventures

Confessions.

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Okay everyone, I have a confession to make.  I think I’m a spice hoarder.

Out of curiosity, I decided to do a spice inventory.  Here’s my list as of today, as far as I can tell, (sort of) from top left to bottom right of this photo:

  1. Whole Tellicherry black peppercorns
  2. Korean dried red pepper
  3. smoked Chinese black tea
  4. Vegeta
  5. [more non-spice-related tea]
  6. tumeric
  7. yellow mustard seed
  8. black mustard seed
  9. Mexican chili powder
  10. asafoedita
  11. fenugreek seeds
  12. fennel seeds
  13. coriander seed
  14. garam masala
  15. Mediterranean sea salt
  16. pink Himlayan salt
  17. star anise
  18. El Yucateco habanaero hot sauce
  19. Salsa Huichol hot sauce
  20. Mexican vanilla extract
  21. dried chiles de arbol
  22. sichuan peppercorns
  23. pumpkin seeds
  24. Trader Joe’s barbeque grill and broil blend
  25. Mrs. Dash
  26. furikake (sesame seed and seaweed on and red shiso one)
  27. whole green cardamom
  28. saffron
  29. more dried chilis (Chinese)
  30. Goya adobo
  31. dried rosemary
  32. toasted sesame seeds
  33. bonito flakes
  34. red Hawaiian sea salt
  35. ground cardamom
  36. five spice powder
  37. dried thyme leaves
  38. untoasted white sesame seeds
  39. cream of tartar
  40. whole cloves
  41. sansho
  42. ground Sichuan peppercorn
  43. Hungarian paprika
  44. dried chipotle peppers
  45. dried vegetable broth powder
  46. whole Mexican cinnamon sticks
  47. more dried fish flakes
  48. coffee rub
  49. more dried Korean red pepper
  50. whole cumin seed
  51. ground cloves
  52. organic paprika
  53. organic paprika smoked pimenton
  54. chicken bullion
  55. ground cumin
  56. shichimi togarashi
  57. ground cinnamon
  58. more black sesame seeds
  59. more garam masala
  60. pimenton picante (hot paprika)
  61. annato seed
  62. celyon cinnamon
  63. …more ground cumin
  64. more Sichuan peppercorns
  65. ground dried sage
  66. organic cayenne pepper
  67. more hot chili powder
  68. curry powder
  69. Herbs de Provence
  70. dried oregano
  71. ground Jamaican allspice
  72. slightly less than 255 grams of garlic powder
  73. ground nutmeg
  74. Aji-no-moto MSG
  75. dried basil leaves
  76. dried wasabi powder
  77. more tumeric
  78. more paprika
  79. Ono Hawaiian seasoned salt
  80. Lawry’s seasoned salt
  81. salt and pepper grinders for every day use

Not pictured (not in my spice area currently): 82. Slug Slime (bagel topping in a jar), 83. ghee (though if this is a spice is also negotiable), 84. piloncillo, 85. and some more vanilla extract because the Mexican stuff my mom brought me back from a cruise once is running low, 86. regular ol’ white sugar, 87. dried ground ginger, and 88. some brown sugar)

With the exception of the two hot sauces, this does not include condiments, which are a whole ‘nother story. Basically, almost anything you could need to borrow, I have.  I make an awesome neighbor.

Lesson I’ve learned: I’d better eat a lot of stuff with paprika and cumin.

There’s Something Lurking in the Garden

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…I guess I did a good job growing  habaneros this year.   I made a grilled shrimp, heirloom tomato (one of the 3 little tiny Russian oxhearts I got this year), and habanero quesadilla that left me with eyes watering, teeth hurting, forehead perspiring, and lips burning to where I was desperately chugging milk.
That habanero was only 1″ long.  Now I know the terror that awaits me whenever I get too complacent in my spiciness comfort level.

But don’t play coy with me, you gorgeous little demon pepper. >:O  You win this time…

Kitchen Amnesia

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In the last week, I’ve moved from my previous (already fairly small) apartment and downsized to a smaller place in the city where I’ll be going to grad school.  Part of my reason for choosing the new place, though, is that it also has a gas stove.  I don’t think I could ever live without a gas stove for more than a year or two now.  I’ve been so spoiled.  When it comes to instant gratification in terms of food, the gas stove is second only to the microwave (and maybe food you don’t have to cook at all…) in terms of convenience.  I’m lazy. And I like cooking authentic Chinese food.  So, on the list of priorities, a gas stove is higher than many other things except the basic necessities like a toilet and somewhere to wash up for me.

There were a few days there, in the midst of moving, where I was eating only convenience food.  When you’re packing and cleaning, sleeping on the floor at night, and don’t want to undo all your work it’s hard not to.  Sadly, I did have a couple nights where dinner was leftover snacks that I’d used to feed people who helped move things.  Slim jims, soda, and cheez-its.  Charmingly healthy.

A new kitchen, though, is like a whole new world.  In this case, an older, even smaller one.  The new kitchen is one wall of my studio, which makes the idea of Indian cooking less appealing since scents might permeate all my belongings. I’ve had to jettison some of my kitchen cargo as well, unfortunately…largely because my new stove is a 3/4 size gas stove, and my fridge is a 3/4 size fridge.

I’m still getting use to the strangeness of it all…like the old faucet that needs the aerator replaced desperately, the fridge that doesn’t have a weight on it to make it close in case I forget, and the gas stove that seems to have only two options: OFF or HIGH.

It’s a relief though to have things unpacked enough to where I can cook again.  I put aluminum foil all over my stove again, even though it’s not really new enough to have to worry about staining it.  Today I tried to make a risotto, which was a little tough given the “OFF or HIGH” situation.  It came out more like cheesyrice with some vegetables in it…

I also invested in a slow cooker to help save money, since I can cook beans or cheap cuts of meat for a long time while I’m away studying or at work.  And speaking of beans, I happen to live in a primarily Latino neighborhood so I  now have access to all sorts of nifty spices and cuts of meat along with tasty baked goods.   It should be a whole new cooking adventure.