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Business Thu Jan 03 2008
Fresh Spice
If you still haven't set a New Year's goal, here's one guaranteed to improve your homecooked meals in 2008: take 15 minutes to inventory your spice rack and toss out anything that's been sitting around since the ball dropped last New Year's Eve.
I know, I know, it's not easy to part with that jar of ground ginger you shelled out $8 for and used three times. But rest assured, you can replace your losses affordably by buying small amounts of spices from bulk bins when the recipe calls for them. Whole Foods has a good selection of spices that turnover fairly quickly, but if you want the real deal, I recommend becoming a regular at The Spice House on Wells in Chicago.
From cacao nibs and whole cloves of nutmeg to Hungarian paprika and a wonderful Chinese Five Spice Powder, The Spice House has the best. They also sell small, airtight jars for a couple of bucks that will lengthen the life of any leftover spices you may want to store. You'll want to check out this great little shop in person to avail yourself of all the free smells and samples, but those who can't make it to Old Town can order online.
