Get some Spice in your life...and in the Kitchen!

​ “When you eat a lot of spicy food, you can lose your taste. When I was in India last summer, I was listening to a lot of Michael Bolton.” - Jimmy Carr, comedian
I want my food to be flavorful. I have a wide variety of spices in my pantry and refrigerator dedicated to that very statement. My friend, Aimee, shares this philosophy but in a more gifted way. When we lived in Columbia and visitors would ask me where I liked to go out to eat, my first thought was, “Aimee’s house.” She reads cookbooks like I read books, (and I read A LOT of books). She sends pictures of items I always need to have on hand in my pantry and refrigerator. She is NEVER wrong. Here are some examples:

• Thai Kitchen, red curry paste
• Sriracha Cha! By Texas Pete
• Thai Kitchen, premium fish sauce
• Sambal Oelek, ground fresh chili paste
• Alwadi Pomegranate Molasses
• Hoffer Salsa

One of my favorite Aimee suggestions is Chipotle Pepper discs. Here’s the “how to”:

1. In your food processor, puree 2 cans of Chipotle Peppers in Adobo Sauce. (I like La Costena or Embasa brands but you can use whatever is sold in your local grocery store.)
2. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper.
3. Drop by tablespoonful . They will look like mini chipotle pepper cookies.
4. Freeze. Once frozen, store in an airtight container.

In Arizona, chipotle peppers are not novel. Growing up in a tiny Midwestern town, this was not an option for me. Nowadays, I simply drop a disc or two in many of my recipes. Here are some examples:

• Marinades
• Almost any crock pot dish involving meat
• Soups
• Sauces
• Homemade salad dressing (Be sure to break apart a disc unless you like it “muy caliente.”)
• Mashed sweet potatoes
• Taco meat