I know how to use most of these, and I already used the charnushka and cardamom pods in that lamb tagine and the "Chili 3000" in (what else) chili. But I don't know from the different kinds of cinnamon, etc. They have recipes on their website, but that's no fun. And you all are so great at ideas when I get that vegetable basket.

Okay so here is the list:

Allspice (ground)
Cardomom
Charnushka
Chili 3000 - "The Now Chili"
Cinnamon - Vietnamese Cassia
Cinnamon - China Cassia
Garam Masala (Punjabi style)
Gumbo File Poweder (Sassafras)
Herbes de Provence (I LOVE this in omelettes)
Paprika - California Sweet
Paprika - Hungary Half-Sharp
Peppercorns - "India Special Extra Bold"
Sage - Albanian Whole Leaf
French Thyme

Plus the bay leaves, cinnamon sticks, and nutmeg they plop on top.

I can't wait to hear your ideas.

Garam masala is good on roasted cauliflower.

I would encourage you to try some of the recipes in their catalog. I have tried several and have had good results with all so far.

Linda

I got the Chili 9000. Eh. Not sure chili powder needs star anise. There's almost too many flavors. What did you think of the 3000?

I like the Vietnamese cinnamon when I want a strong flavor. I overdid it with some applesauce last year, though...yick. Their cinnamons are all good.

We like Herbes de Provence in beef stew.

I gave Liana Penzey's for Christmas, too...a basic herb box and a gift certificate. She who has always scoffed at Mom's collection of herbs and spices now as a foodie boyfriend. She's been coming home and robbing my spice drawer to make rubs and beer butt chicken.

My husband will be at the Jacksonville Mayo Clinic for surgery Feb. 1. I've already marked on the map where the Penzey's is in Jacksonville, so that I can visit during any free time I'll have. Good to get away from a hospital, even if only for a little while.

Chewy Molasses Cookies

1 1/2 cups of shortening (I use half and half with butter, but all butter makes them too crispy for my taste)
1 cups granulated sugar
1 cup dark brown sugar
2 eggs
3/4 cup of dark molasses
4 1/2 cups flour
1 teaspoon salt
4 teaspoons baking soda
2 teaspoons cinnamon
2 teaspoons ginger
1 teaspoon ground cloves
Chopped crystalized ginger, optional, to taste. I used about half a cup, finely chopped and wish I'd have used more but I love ginger
Coarse sugar or turbinado sugar for rolling

Ccream the shortening and sugars. Add the molasses and eggs and mix until well blended. Sift the flour (yeah right, I don't, LOL) and measure 4 1/2 cups into a separate bowl. Add the spices, salt, and baking soda and whisk to combine. Turn the mixer to low or stir, and add the flour slowly until well mixed. Stir in the chopped ginger and chill the dough for at least an hour.

After the dough has chilled for an hour, roll tablespoonfuls of the dough into balls and roll the balls in the coarse sugar to completely coat. Place the dough balls about an inch apart on a greased or parchment-lined cookie sheet and bake for 12 to 15 minutes in a 350 degree oven.

The cookies will puff up and crack. When the cookies are done the cracks should still look a little wet, but the outside should look dry. They'll "fall" a little as they cool, let them sit a couple of minutes on the sheet before you try to move them to cooling racks.

after that you could make some cinnamon meringues, they're low fat so they kind of healthy. Yeah, sure they are...

CINNAMON CRACKLE MERINGUES

2 egg whites
3/4 cup white sugar
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon vanilla

makes 20 meringues

Put egg whites in a clean dry bowl. Mix with hand mixer till egg whites are thick and creamy.

Begin to add sugar a tablespoon at a time frequently while mixing. Pour in the cinnamon continuing to blend. Lastly, mix in the vanilla.

Preheat oven 325 degrees.

Prepare 2 baking sheets with wax paper covering. Pour in mixture from bowl to pastry bag using a star tip.

While putting on wax paper create a 1 inch circle and then continue on top of it making smaller circles.

Place in the oven for 30 minutes. Cool for 10 min.

Sprinkle top with cinnamon.

Oh, and I like a little cinnamon sprinkled on top of whipped cream with hot chocolate and I make a quick dressing for fruit salad with a cup of plain or vanilla yogurt, 2 or 3 tablespoons of honey and a teaspoon full of cinnamon.

You could make cinnamon rolls or apple pie too, or just make cinnamon snaps, right after you eat up all those molasses cookies:

Cinnamon Snaps Better Homes and Gardens

Makes 60

3/4 cup shortening (I use butter)
1 cup packed brown sugar
1 egg
1/4 cup molasses
2 1/4 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
cinnamon sugar, for rolling

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Cream shortening and sugar.
Add eggs and molasses and mix. Mix together the flour, soda, cinnamon and salt. Add dry mix to wet gradually and mix in.

Roll in 3/4" to 1" balls. Roll in cinnamon sugar (I use LOTS of cinnamon, you do it to taste).

Bake 10-12 minutes until set and cracked. Cool on sheet for just a few seconds, until the cookies are transportable. Remove to wire rack to cool.

I love cinnamon.....

Annie

Those all look great. Thanks for sharing them, Annie. I think I will make some snaps to send to my daughter at college, who has been hinting for "care packages."

Black Bean Soup with Red Paprika Sauce
Serves 8

1 lb. dried black beans (soak overnight, then drain)
8 cups water or broth (I use veggie broth)
2 cups chopped onions, med.
2 ribs celery
2 cups chopped tomatoes
2 TBLSP paprika (use a mix of regular and sharp, to your taste, but be careful, the half sharp is hot)
2 tsp. ground cumin
2 bay leaves
1/2 cup cilantro
1 cup corn (optional but is pretty and tastes good)
1/4 tsp. pepper
lightly salt to taste AFTER the beans are cooked! You'll be adding salt with the paprika sauce, so undersalt.

Simmer beans until soft, 2-3 hours on the stove, 6 hours in the crockpot.

Puree half the bean soup mixture before adding corn. (If desired, I just run the hand blender or potato masher through it once or twice).

Red Paprika Sauce (add to soup once it's done)
Saute the following in 2 TBLSP olive oil until veggies are soft:
1 large red pepper, diced fine
3 scallions, minced
2 tsp. paprika (or less, to taste, once again be careful with the hot stuff)
2 tsp. salt
2 TBLSP lime juice

Swirl the sauce into the soup before serving

Note: I also add a pinch of epazote to the black beans when cooking. ANOTHER Penzeys thing I forgot about!

This is a vegetarian style soup, but feel free to add some bits of ham or sausage if you just can't abide by bean soup without it. Doesn't really need it though.

What is epazote?

It's nice with beans, as Lpink noted, beans are mild enough in flavor to take on more assertive herbs and spices, at least that's my opinion. It's why I love beans, I can do a zillion things with them. (Plus, they're cheap and healthy!)

Now I really want cookies, though.

Annie

Do you can? Because I have a recipe for Pear Cardamom butter that was pretty good. Cardamom could also be added to apple butter.

I figured it was seasoning, although I didn't think it tasted very good. (grin) Of course, I don't think a lot of seasonings taste very good, so I figured it was just me.

Annie

Sorry to bust in on your thread gellchom!! Congrats on your spice haul!

Lisa

In something like applesauce or salad dressing I start with half and then taste, those are flavors that can easily be overwhelmed by cinnamon.

I buy the Vietnamese because that's what I like best, I think either is a substitute for "regular" cinnamon. The Korintje is supposed to have less bite, while the Vietnamese is the familiar "sweet spicy" flavor that most of us are familiar with. I like the bite, so I stick with the Vietnamese.

Annie

Annie

Cincinnati-Style Chili - Recipe courtesy of Gourmet Magazine
Serves 6

2 TBLSP vegetable oil (I use EVOO)
2 med. onions, chopped
5 cloves garlic, minced (I'm conservative with garlic, the most I ever use is 3)
2 lbs beef chuck (I use 1 lb. fake meat crumbles)
4 TBLSP commercial chili powder (not straight ground chili peppers, use the kind of chili powder that is a mix of spices, or use your own favorite kind of chili mix but adjust the amount you add because commercial chili powder is not very hot. I use prediminately ancho chilis in my chili powder but then add a pinch of cayenne and chipotle, but just a pinch of those very hot spices. You could also use some of the sharp paprika in this, with caution. Start with less than the recipe calls for and adjust up to suit your heat preference. Commercial chili powder also has oregano and sometimes cumin, corriander and garlic in it too, so adjust accordingly.)
1 TBLSP sweet paprika
1 tsp. ground cumin
1/2 tsp. allspice
1/4 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. ground cloves
1/4 tsp. ground corriander
Salt and fresh pepper to taste
1 bay leaf
1 TBLSP red wine vinegar
1 TBLSP molasses
1 cup tomato sauce
1 1/2 cups water

In a large heavy pot heat the oil over moderate heat and cook the onions and garlic until softened. Add the ground beef (or fake meat crumbles), stirring, until the beef is no longer pink. Drain off any excess fat and discard. Add the spices starting with the chili powder and ending with the salt and pepper, to taste, stirring to combine, and cook for 1 minute. Add the bay leaf, red wine vinegar, molasses, tomato sauce and water and bring to a boil. REduce heat and simmr chili, covered, for 1 1/2 hours, adding additional water, if necessary, to achieve a thick, soupy consistency. Discard the bay leaf and adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper. Serve the chili over cooked spaghetti with traditional accompanyments, which inlcude kidney beans, grated Cheddar, chopped white onions and oyster crackers.

Note: I make a notable change in how I do this recipe. First, as I mentioned, I don't use real meat. But more importantly, I add a can of dark red kidney beans to the stew before it gets simmered for the hour and a half. Then, when the stew is done, I mix it all together with a cooked box of spaghetti and about 1 cup of cheddar cheese and pour it into a casserole. I top with a little more cheddar and some crumbled oyster crackers (or bread crumbs if you don't have oyster crackers) and put in the oven at 350 for about 20 min til heated through and topping is melted and toasted.

One more note, I doubt I simmered this for an hour and a half. I think I actually may have made it in the crockpot, which you could do if you sauteed the meat first. This is really spicy but not hot and definatly good if you like spicy. It is unusual though, but it's the kind of complex spicy I like.