Spice up your Memorial Day meals! Take those all-so-important side dishes to the next level with The Spice & Tea Exchange’s® kicked up condiment solutions, sauces, seasonings and more!

Kick Up Your Condiments!

Although we don’t usually think of ketchup, mustard or mayonnaise as ‘sauces,’ they actually are! Sauces have one purpose: to add flavor, moisture, and visual appeal to your dish – though the store-bought versions usually fall way short of that. Start with a base condiment and add a quick spoonful of TSTE^® Blends or Sugars. This quick-fix will turn that bottle of ketchup, mustard or mayonnaise into a sweet or savory topping!

Here’s how…

Add a little water or stock to your condiment to thin it out and place over medium-low heat.  Per cup of condiment, use no more than ¼ cup liquid and 1 teaspoon of seasoning. After adding water, whisk in seasoning and gently cook until the seasonings infuse the sauce.  Cool and refrigerate to meld flavors before serving.

Not sure the seasoning will go with the condiment?  Hold them side by side and sniff.  If they smell good together, chances are they’ll taste great together!

For ketchup (or tomato-based condiments) try:
TSTE^® California Blend (salt free), Italian Herb Blend or Herbal Garden Grinder Blend.  Chef Donna’s Adoro and our World Festival Blend punch up the flavor nicely.

If you’re using the condiment on grilled meats try:
Smoked BBQ Rub, Jamaican Jerk, Backwoods Hickory Rub or Cajun Blend.  The mixture can double as a dipping sauce or as a glaze to brush on in the final minutes of grilling.

For store-bought steak sauces try:
TSTE^® Salt Free Steak blend, Espresso Steak Rub, Butcher’s Rub or Chef’s Choice Steak Rub.

For mustard (or mustard-based condiments) try: 
Ginger or Sweet Onion Sugar, Honey Granules, Island Sweet Blend, or Crazy Chicken.

For mayonnaise (or cream-based condiments) try:
Lemon Garlic Pepper Seasoning, Vik’s Garlic Fix, Onion Obsession. For shore inspired dishes try Coastal Blend or Salmon Tea Rub; excellent with hearty fish steaks, like salmon and swordfish, or fish burgers.

Cream Cheese and yogurt-based condiments, or for dips:
Add in Coastal Blend, Island Sweet Blend, or Herb Sesame Blend.

Vegetable Dips or Salsas – add Everything Bagel Blend (outstanding with spinach dip); for tomato-based salsas try Blood Mary Mix or Matanzas Chili Blend.

Season Your Butter; Slather It On!

Compound butters are great because they can be used to spread on breads, as a basting sauce on the grill or in the oven, or as a finishing sauce – just slap a pat onto hot food and let the flavor dissolve over it!  They’re easy to make and with so many TSTE^® pantry options, imagine the possibilities!

Here’s how:

Let 1 cup (2 sticks) butter come to room temperature (or soften).  Using a mini food processor or a spatula, blend in 1 to 2 teaspoons of your favorite blend.  Scoop onto waxed paper or parchment paper and shape into a log.  Refrigerate overnight to meld flavors and solidity.  Just about any blend will do, but for grilled meats, our favorites include:

For grilled chicken or pork:  Crazy Chicken, Jamaican Jerk, Smoked BB Rub, or Cinnabar Smoke Blend

For grilled meats:  Butchers Rub, Backwoods Hickory Rub, and Tailgaters Blend

For grilled vegetables:  Tuscany Blend, Signature Blend

For grilled game:  Lamb Seasoning, Wild Game Blend, or World Festival Blend

Gettin’ fancy:  Try our Backwoods Bacon & Bourbon Butter recipe or find a whole host of seasoned and spiced butter recipes in our blog.

Keep it super-simple:  Roll a stick of butter in Bacon Salt, Chardonnay Oak Smoked Salt, or any of our smoked or sea, or seasoned salts.  Wrap in plastic and refrigerate overnight to ensure that flavors to infuse into the surface of the butter.  Cut and serve, or melt onto foods.

The Sides That Make The Meal

No barbecue or picnic is complete without the potato salad, macaroni salad, and grilled veggies!  So why not make them just as savory as the meat coming off the grill?  Check out these easy ways to add bold flavor to your side dishes:

Potato and Macaroni Salad. 

Start with the mayo and mustard! See above to learn how those classic condiments become your salad’s sauce and seasoning.  Or, take your favorite classic recipe and stir in:

• Coastal Blend to add a cool herbal flavor to creamy potato salads.
• Southwest Seasoning or Tailgaters Blend adds a little zip to that macaroni salad.
• Tuscany Blend is perfect for a macaroni salad loaded with garden vegetables.
• Tomato Tarragon Blend is the perfect mix-in for store-bought potato salad.

Store-bought saves:  Sprinkle these seasonings over your store-bought salads to enhance the flavor or add a little kick.  Suddenly, a bland dish is full of flavor and surprise!

• Ground Yellow Mustard Powder
• Vinegar Powder
• Herbal Garden Grinder Blend
• Earthly Delight Grinder Blend
• Cumin
• Coriander
• Chili Powder

Simpler Still:  Toss your cooked, sliced potatoes with any Olive Oil blend or an herb-based blend like Lamb Seasoning or Italian Herb Blend. Even our Pesto Blend is an intriguing addition to potato salad.  Begin by drizzling your potatoes with Olive Oil. Add a sprinkle of Vinegar Powder, and then your herb-based blend.  Let cool to room temperature tossing occasionally.  Refrigerate to let flavors rest; serve cold.

Spiced up Sides:

For Grilled Corn, potato wedges, and peppers:  Melt Honey Granules (and/or Maple Syrup Granules) into some butter; enough to brush on your grilled veggies or spuds.  Brush on butter mixture, then dust with Jamaican Jerk, Crazy Chicken, Korean Grill Rub, Cajun Blend, or Signature Blend.  Toss in (or add on top) some grated cheese and finish with a sprinkle of Lime, Green Chili, or Sweet Onion Sugar.

Also, don’t forget all the great recipes and ideas in the Grilling e-cookbook!!! Read it here: http://spiceandtea.com/ebooks/foodonflames/

Missed Last Week’s post about Memorial Day Prep? Get info here about Salad Saves and Leftover Magic!

Memorial Day weekend is the official start to the outdoor summer season!  It’s time for grilling, picnicking and eating poolside, at the beach, or al fresco.  With these handy summer-kick-off ideas from The Spice & Tea Exchange^®, you’ll spend less time in the kitchen and more time enjoying delicious food and fun among friends and family.

Save That Salad!

Summer heat can make salad prep a challenge, and wilted greens can put you in a salad-situation! Having a whole grain, flavorful rice or pasta on hand can be a lifesaver when guests are about to arrive and you have to quickly rework that “green” salad you were planning for. Several pantry must-haves for summer include: TSTE^® Pecan Style Rice, Bamboo Rice, Lemon Garlic Orzo and Incan Quinoa. No matter what your salad accoutrements – vegetables, shrimp or fish, chicken or beef, or even fruit – you can turn your green salad into a hearty, satisfying whole grain salad in minutes!

Redress Your Leftovers

Looking for a way to use those leftovers from last night’s dinner? Combine your grilled meats and veggies with our flavorful grains. Toss in a little homemade dressing (use our recipe for Basil Oil with just a splash of lemon juice or rice vinegar), and you’ve got a great “leftover” meal.

Try these combos:

• Incan Quinoa topped with grilled shrimp, seasoned in our Herb Sesame Blend or Moroccan Spice Blend
• Pecan Style Rice with grilled shrimp, grilled and seasoned with Smoked BBQ Rub; serve vegetables seasoned with Onion Obsession or Florida Sunshine on the side
• Bamboo Rice mixed with tropical fruit, tossed in TSTE^® Infused Sugars (let fruit marinate in sugar until melted then mix into rice; to add additional flavor, sprinkle and blend in Coconut Flake Powder and/or Vanilla Powder)
• Lemon Garlic Orzo and grilled chicken seasoned with Crazy Chicken Blend or Greek Seasoning Blend.

Stay tuned to learn about ‘Kicked up Condiments’, ‘Better Butters! and more ‘Seasoned Sides!’

Our Spring Limited Edition Teas are available through the end of May, so now is a great time to stock up!  And I don’t just mean adding a few extra pouches of your favorite tea to your order…  I’m talking about making a stock from your favorite tea!  And what’s better way to use that stock than to braise?!

While most of us tend to put cooking techniques such as roasting or braising on the back burner (so to speak) during the spring and summer months, braising can actually serve you well throughout the whole year.  All you need for spring and summer braising is a lighter-bodied braising liquid.  During the summer, I switch out my wine and tomato sauce for tea.  That’s right… a fruity or herbal based aromatic tea.

I often recommend TSTE® Carrot Cupcake Tea to make a light and aromatic braise for chicken.  But why stop there?  Why not braise some spring vegetables, or even fruits in any of our Spring Limited Edition Teas?  The Spice & Tea Exchange’s®  Limited Edition Teas are a perfect ingredient for this springtime cooking method.

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Carnitas, enchiladas, tamales, quesadillas, and tacos, salsa and guac, rice and beans…the list is delicious!  And while most of the classic Cinco de Mayo dishes call for long cooking times with lots of spices, you don’t have to be a slave to your menu.  TSTE™ has cooked up so many great Spice Blends and seasonings, it only tastes like you’ve spent hours in the kitchen!

Molé Blend – Why not reach for the classic?  TSTE™ Mole Blend gives a rich, lightly spiced up flavor to any meat dish – beef for your tacos or chili; chicken for your fajitas, quesadillas, or chicken chili, or even just to season roasted chicken, pork or vegetables before putting them out on a buffet.  Since there’s not a lot of salt in the blend, you can use it as a marinade overnight – Read the rest of this entry »

Cinco de Mayo spice, Kentucky Derby decadence, and Memorial Day grilling all make May intense with

flavor! Let The Spice & Tea Exchange® help you tantalize your taste buds…and don’t forget about tasty events at a store near you!

Check out two new recipes: Espresso Walnut Pie and Cinnabar Smoke Burgers!

Then, for upcoming Cinco de Mayo Fiestas…

…solve the age-old ‘mild, medium, or hot’ salsa dilemma by putting TSTE™ ’heat’ in fiesta-festive pinch bowls and letting guests season their own!

Check out AWESOME salty, sweet, and spicy ‘rims’ for Margaritas, Daiquiris and more!

Get ready for Memorial Day picnics by taking advantage of our Sun n’ Sizzle web promotion to get back to grilling! Look out for upcoming blog posts about grilling seasonings, chef techniques, and salad saves!

This Mother’s Day, go beyond brunch with elegant TEA-licious gifts! (Great ideas at your local store…)

Check out our Tea Talker for our favorite Tea & Sugar Combos!

Remember, for seasoning advice, recipe tips, gift ideas and more, we always invite you to stop by one of our locations, talk to our knowledgeable staff and “Come in and Smell the Spices!®”

If Mom is a tea lover – here are some gifts (for all prices ranges) that will make her Mother’s Day!

Teapot Handle Infuser

This elegant but whimsical ‘Teapot Handle Infuser‘ is on special during the month of May for only $2.89*!  Combine it with a Tea Starter Tin for $10.99* and your shopping is done! (*The listed prices are for online purchases.)

Your Choice of Tea

Tea Lovers Boo Box (Online Price $59.95)

Give Mom variety with an eco-friendly Tea Lovers ‘Boo-Box!’ This attractive and eco-friendly bamboo box comes with four clear top storage tins filled with four unique teas and a handy mesh infuser! Teas include: TSTE™ Cranberry Apple Tart Tea, TSTE™ Green Tropical Tea, TSTE™ Kyoto Rice Tea, and TSTE™ Earl Grey Tea.

A Bouquet of Tea! (Online Price $13.95)

Forget flowers and give a “Bouquet of Tea!” Three of our wonderfully fragrant and delicious “floral” teas: TSTE™ Mountain Jasmine, TSTE™ White Rose Tea, and TSTE™ Berry Bouquet. A sampler that’ll please the senses!

Tasty Tea & Sugar Combos

TSTE™ Coconut Sugar and TSTE™ Green Tropical Tea or TSTE™ Mango Green Tea - Tropical fruits with a smooth, coconutty tropical sugar!

TSTE™ Dark Cocoa Sugar and TSTE™ Coconut Oolong Tea - Craveable ‘Mounds® Bar flavor in your morning cup!

TSTE™ Raspberry Sugar and TSTE™ Berry Bouquet Tea - A berry burst!

TSTE™ Honey Granules with traditional TSTE™ International Breakfast or TSTE™ Mystic Dragon if you’re a fruit lover!

TSTE™ Maple Syrup Granules add a sweet twist to TSTE™ Emperors Chai Tea!

Tea Starter Tin in Organza Bag- Starts at $10.99

Glasses rimmed with Specialty Salts, Sugars and Spices from The Spice & Tea Exchange® transform home-made margaritas & daiquiris into gourmet cocktails! Re-read our blog post “How to Rim a Beverage Glass” and then explore the ‘rim-abilities’ – just in time for Cinco de Mayo! (Looking for a great gift? Our ‘Drink Rimmers Sampler‘ puts variety at the fingertips!)

Salty viagra for sale ‘Rim’ Combos:

•TSTE™ Lime Frost Sea Salt* – perfect for your classic margarita! A pleasant hint of lime adds flavor while crunchy coarse salt adds texture and smooths tequila’s bite.
• TSTE™ Jalapeno Salt – same idea as the classic, only with a hint of jalapeno heat. Chef Donna recommends this when nachos, tacos, or quesadillas are being served. The jalapeno in the salt matches the jalapenos in the food for a perfect pairing!
• TSTE™ Ghost Pepper Sea Salt and TSTE™ Chili Lime Salt – are the perfect rim for those who want to spice things up! Hot and spicy, these two salts are not for the faint of heart and should be mixed with others before serving! Mix or grind another sea salt (like TSTE™ Brazilian Atlantic Sea Salt for ‘Ghost Pepper,’ or TSTE™ Lime Frost Sea Salt* for ‘Chili Lime.’) with these HOT salts at a 3-1 ratio. (That is, 3 parts regular TSTE™ Brazilian Atlantic Sea Salt ground into 1 part TSTE™ Ghost Pepper Sea Salt.)

• TSTE™ Florida Sunshine – Unexpected but awesome! The orange, lime, and lemon zests in the blend (not to mention the ginger and rose petals) are all perfect pairs for the rich flavors of agave, tequila’s primary ingredient. While the grinder bottle will make your salt a bit too fine for a rim shot, pulsing a few times in a food processor will achieve the desired ‘coarse’ effect.

• TSTE™ Smoked Chipotle Salt – this is the perfect rimmer for those who love the smokiness that comes with all those great Mexican chili-infused dishes. Perfect if Ancho, Chipotles, Poblanos, or any other smoky (or smoked) chili pepper is on your menu. Not to mention, the smoky-aromatic hint in the salt will turn that tart tequila concoction into a mellow, fruitier experience. If you’re using top shelf tequila, this is the rim for you!
• TSTE™ Murray River Sea Salt – Classic twist, pink sparkle! This classic finishing salt is a fun twist for anyone who’s feeling ‘in the pink’ on Cinco de Mayo. Big, delicate, flaky, crystals look like pale pink diamonds rimming a glass. Not to mention the mild, clean flavor from the salt lets the flavors of the tequila and margarita mix shine through. Suggest as a ‘girly’ Mother’s Day gift!!

Salt & Sugar Blended Rims:

• TSTE™ Coconut Sugar* with TSTE™ Chardonnay Oak Smoked Sea Salt – 2 parts sweet to 1 part (or even a little less) salt gives you a sweet tropical hit of coconut with the gentle note of smoke and salt. Perfect for any tropical fruit flavored margarita, like peach or mango.
• TSTE™ Ginger Sugar, TSTE™ Green Chili Sugar or TSTE™ Habanero Sugar with any of the salts listed above are great matches. Ginger Sugar lends a mild floral spiciness to your salt which is great if you’re blending in fruity liquor, like Grand Marnier, with your tequila. Green Chili Sugar is your ‘go to’ food-loving combo with its vegetal hit-of-heat that disappears almost instantly on the palate. Habanero Sugar is the hot-sweet choice for the fire lover at your fiesta!

Sweet & Fruity Rims:

• TSTE™ Strawberry Sugar, TSTE™ Raspberry Sugar* and TSTE™ Blueberry Sugar* are begging to rim your fruity daiquiris. You can go the traditional route and match sugar to fruit, or add a tasty contrast by flipping your flavors! An eye-catching ‘red, white and blue’ Memorial Day beverage would be a strawberry daiquiri rimmed with Blueberry Sugar, topped with whipped cream!
• TSTE™ Coconut Sugar*, TSTE™ Lime Sugar and TSTE™ Cinnamon Sugar make the perfect ‘tropical’ rim to complement coladas. (The Cinnamon Sugar really does well with the smokiness of darker rums!) Include some Coconut Sugar in the drink itself for an extra ‘ coco-nutty’ punch!
• TSTE™ Dark Cocoa Sugar is a sinfully decadent rimmer for strawberry daiquiris. Bittersweet cocoa was born to go with tart strawberries! No need to mix this sugar. It rims perfectly on its own.
• TSTE™ Ginger Sugar and TSTE™ Lemon Sugar are your ‘go-to’ combo when serving a punch or mixed-drink made with iced tea or iced tea vodka. The lemon provides the necessary tartness, while the Ginger Sugar softens any bitterness in the tea.

Drink Rimmers Sampler

*Our Drink Rimmers Sampler contains Lime Frost Sea Salt, Raspberry Sugar, Coconut Sugar & Blueberry Sugar. Order yours and put variety at your fingertips!

Prepare for a Royal Wedding Anniversary Feast!

Here are the spices, teas and recipes you’ll need to celebrate like Kate and William with The Spice & Tea Exchange®! (We don’t actually know what they’re snacking on for their anniversary, but with access to elegant flavors from TSTE™, this is what we’d have!)

To start the day like RoyalTEA you’ll need TSTE™ Earl Grey or unique and smooth TSTE™ Earl Grey Crème!

To feast like a online canadian pharmacy king you’ll need TSTE™ English Roast Rub for a regal English ‘Crown’ Roast of Lamb and  TSTE™ Black Truffle Salt, TSTE™ Vik’s Garlic Fix and TSTE™ Kibbled Mushrooms for decadent Black Truffle Mashed Potatoes! 

To finish like a queen you’ll need TSTE™ Crème de Lemon Tea for a dainty dessert of Crème de Lemon Tea Cakes!

When it comes to cooking up a feast for a fun food holiday like Cinco de Mayo, having a handful of seasonings, spices, blends, salts and sugars from The Spice & Tea Exchange can be a lifesaver.  Cooking up cultural cuisines – especially the foods from Mexico and central America – typically means we need to restock and rethink our pantries. We will be posting a series of our “must have” list and our “how to” guide for Cinco de mayo, not to mention just about any warm weather cooking event!  In it you’ll find seasonings and salts, peppers and blends, sugars, and even a few teas that can help you save your dish, transform flavor, and open a whole new world of taste experiences.

Today, we would like to start you thinking about TSTE spices that can make all the difference in your salsa(s).

Fruit salsas – no matter where you live, it’s probably too early to get super sweet, ripe fruits for your salsas.  No worries.  Use TSTE™ infused sugars to add the sweetness you’re looking for.  Plus, the sugar will help soften up the tough flesh of the fruit.

Try…

• Matching the flavor of the sugar to the flavor of your fruit.
• Adding Coconut Flake Powder to tropical fruit salsas to enhance that tropical taste.
• Adding Green Chili or Habanero Sugar to give an added kick of heat, without having to go overboard with onions and jalapenos.  Save those for your entrees!

Vegetable Salsas – ripe tomatoes won’t be in season until July or August!  Still you can have a fresh garden salsa rich in flavor by adding in some great TSTE™ infused salts and seasoning powders.

Try…

• Roasting tomatoes tossed in a little TSTE™ Olive Oil and a few grinds of Florida Sunshine.  When shriveled and
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  juices thickened, sprinkle with just a bit of Jalapeno Salt or Chili Lime Salt then coarse chop.  Add to your salsa recipe.

• Tossing your tomatoes with Tomato Powder.  Let juices infuse and rehydrate the tomato powder, about 15 minutes.  Add to your salsa recipe.
• Add just a bit of Worcestershire Powder to bland tasting fresh salsas.  Magic!
• Need to balance the heat in a fresh garden salsa?  Grind down some Sweet Onion Sugar and add; toss and let the flavors meld about 15 minutes.
• Need to brighten dull vegetable flavors?  Grind Florida Sunshine and a bit of Pirate’s Bite into your store bought vegetable salsa that tastes flat.  This is your killer, one-two punch of flavor that will wake up anything – especially store bought pre-made or jarred salsas.

Have you met Vik’s?

The wonderful, all-purpose Vik’s Garlic Fix is one of my standard go-to TSTE blends, no matter the time of day or what’s on the menu. Garlic is the star, but plays well with the other herbs & spices in this well rounded mix. Vik’s is a friend to those who haven’t the time to pull every spice from the cabinet, but still want a flavorful meal on the table in minutes. Ready? Here are 6 + 6 quick and easy ways to use Vik’s Garlic Fix every day:

1. Soften cream cheese, mix in a spoonful of Vik’s, and spread on bagels. Good-bye morning breath!

2. Whisk a tablespoon of Vik’s into your next batch of scrambled eggs for breakfast-with-a-bang.

3. Potatoes tonight? Sprinkle Vik’s on baked, mix it into mashed, or oven-roast chunked potatoes with Vik’s and TSTE Extra Virgin Olive Oil.

4. Vik’s will make a simple can of tomato soup complex with flavors. Stir it in!

5. Saute some veggies (like cauliflower, red peppers, broccoli, and zucchini), add olive oil and Vik’s, toss with pasta.

6. Make hamburgers zesty by mixing Vik’s into the patties

as you form them, or just shake it on top of burgers before you grill or pan fry.

7. Perk up homemade, delivery or (gasp!) frozen pizza with a dose of Vik’s. Use it liberally.

8. Marinate chicken with fresh lemon or lime juice, a splash of red wine vinegar, and a couple of tablespoons of Vik’s.

9. Hang Vik’s in a sachet on your front door to keep those pesky vampires at bay.

10. Vik’s makes the quickest shrimp scampi ever! Just saute shrimp in butter & oil, add Vik’s, serve over angel hair pasta for an almost instant meal.

11. Enhance any dip or spread with a little Vik’s. Try it in hummus or simply mix some with sour cream for a speedy chip dip.

12. Add Vik’s to your next pot of pasta sauce, open your kitchen windows, and watch your neighbors line up with plates of spaghetti.

I’m certain I’ll be needing a few drinks this weekend.  First, a calming cup of tea as I pour through forms and files.  But once I’m done, I know I’ll be ready to celebrate, and there’s nothing better than taking that already-brewed cup of tea and transforming it into a pleasing cocktail.

While I’m finishing up my taxes a calming cup of green tea, like The Spice & Tea Exchange Mountain Jasmine or Mystic Dragon will hit the spot.  But once those taxes are filed, you can be confident I’ll be taking the tea and using it to flavor my post-filing cocktail!  Any green, rooibos or herbal tea can work here.  Don’t be afraid to experiment! 

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When one of our guests received a grinder bottle of Parfume de Sel for her birthday, and was uncertain how to use it, she inquired, through the Ask Chef Donna portal: “I just love the smell and taste of it. What pairing suggestions do you have?”  I was happy for the question, since I too was once uncertain about how to use such a richly perfumed salt!

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The Spice & Tea Exchange would like to thank all who submitted blog postings for our February contest.  We randomly chose ‘Jeanne’.  Jeanne, your spices are on their way!

I always have an abundance of food on Easter.  It’s the only day of the year I know I can’t find a market open, and most convenience stores don’t carry the missing odd ingredients that I’m likely to need at the last minute.  So I stock up and count on my freezer to neatly hold my leftovers until I’m ready to transform them into another meal.  And though April is a pretty quiet month around here, May is bustling with activity – a lot of gatherings that include food.  So, my Easter ham gets all packaged up and in a few weeks it will begin to reappear.  I make a Ham-stuffed Bread, which is perfect at cocktails, brunch or along-side a hearty dinner salad.  Seasoned with TSTE™ Tomato Tarragon Blend, the bread is fragrant, delicious, and better still?  It’s easy.

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