PUMPKIN SPICE ROUNDUP How did a squash become a meme? Why is pumpkin so polarizing? It’s just a gourd, just an ordinary gourd, trying to get by. (If you caught that 2009 Vanessa Carlton reference, you are probably holding a PSL right now.) Here at Red Stick Spice, when the calendar strikes September, we lean...
PRODUCT SPOTLIGHT: SOOM Build a well-stocked pantry. We say it often because it’s important. Stock your pantry with high-quality delicious products, and you’re well on your way to scrumptious meals. When we wrote our recent blog Five Pantry Staples Anne is Loving Right Now, Soom Tahini was part of that list. We love this product...
WOK THIS WAY Woks are in regular rotation in the Red Stick Spice Teaching Kitchen. From our Lil Dumplins cooking classes to Life Changing Chicken, we turn to woks to turn out delicious dishes. Woks heat quickly and distribute heat and steam so that veggies get tender-crisp and not soggy. We love the carbon steel...
Homemade cinnamon rolls. Slow-cooked stock. Fluffy cream cheese frosting. Cooking goals, for sure. Except for the part about time. Spending time in the kitchen isn’t always available. That’s where store-bought, convenience items and creative tricks come into play. Think of these tips as less about cutting corners and more about smart solutions. But wait, you’re...
product highlight: ramp salt Salt is essential. It’s ancient. It’s an edible rock, and quite literally, we can’t live without. It is magic in the kitchen. It has a flavor all its own, and at the same time, it can alter, enhance and disguise other flavors. Salt tamps bitterness, heightens sweetness (salted caramel, anyone?) and...
EXPLORING TEA TRADITIONS: Masala CHAI Let’s start with vocabulary. Masala means “spiced.” Chai means “tea.” Masala Chai…spiced tea! So the term “chai tea” is used, well, that’s “tea tea.” (Maybe don’t say that.) Masala Chai dates back to the 1800’s, and today we enjoy countless variations on the spicy theme. Today’s chai beverages – including...
Ready to fire up the grill? To help you make your next grilling sesh the tastiest one yet, we’ve put together three of our top-selling grilling flavors with reviews from some seriously flavor-savvy customers. SWEET PECAN RUBSweet Pecan Rub combines pecan smoke with the savory flavors of garlic, onion and a little spice, with some sweetness...
THREE TECHNIQUES FOR BONELESS, SKINLESS CHICKEN BREASTS Every day, we field the question: how do I make boneless, skinless chicken breasts taste better? Store owner and chef Anne’s answer is known to be little snarky: don’t buy them. Cook thighs. And she’s not wrong – thighs do have more fat which means they are inherently...
Listen to Smidgen: 3 Ways to Cook Like a Spanish Chef with Homemade Sofrito Want to learn more about global cuisine? Grab an onion. Some celery. A carrot. Oh, and fennel and garlic wouldn’t hurt. As you chop those vegetables, you are creating the foundations of cuisine from around the world. Keep chopping – you’re...
FIVE PANTRY STAPLES TO STOCK RIGHT NOw By Anne Milneck, Owner, Chef & Tea Sommelier A properly packed pantry is essential to getting dinner on the table. Think of pantry staples as those tools in your tool chest – not the hammer or screwdriver – those other tools. You might not reach for them every...