Do you know why avocados, refried beans and tortillas are on sale at the grocery store this week?  Cinco de Mayo is almost here!  Celebrated on May 5th, it commemorates the Mexican army’s 1862 victory over France at the Battle of Puebla during the Franco-Mexican War (1861-1867). It’s a relatively minor holiday in Mexico, but here in the U.S. Cinco de Mayo has evolved into a celebration of Mexican-American culture and heritage. Some Cinco de Mayo traditions include parades, mariachi music performances and street festivals in cities and towns across Mexico and the United States.  My traditions include lots of homemade guacamole, tortilla chips, veggie burritos, cheese enchiladas, and fresh (emphasis on fresh) lime margaritas!  I find bottled mixes too cloyingly sweet.  When you make your own margaritas, you can adjust the sugar (and other ingredients, wink wink) to suit your tastes.  Salud!

Fresh & Frosty Lime Margaritas

1 1/4 cups of your favorite tequila
3/4 cup triple sec
3/4 cup fresh lime juice
4 Tbsp TSTE Lime Sugar
about 8 cups crushed ice
2 Tbsp TSTE Lime Frost Sea Salt
6 lime wedges

Combine tequila, triple sec, lime juice, and 2 tablespoons TSTE Lime Sugar in a large pitcher.  Stir well to dissolve the sugar.  Add crushed ice.  Mix TSTE Lime Frost Sea Salt and remaining 2 tablespoons sugar in shallow bowl or on a plate.  Moisten the rims of 6 margarita glasses with lime wedge.  Dip rim into the sugar-salt mixture. Pour margaritas into glasses then garnish with lime wedges.  Enjoy!

Posted by Jen Hand from The Spice & Tea Exchange Distribution Center in St. Augustine, FL. Say hello to her on Twitter (@spiceandtea)

It’s National Garlic Day!

Garlic is one of the most popular spices and found in cultural dishes all over the world, so it’s no surprise it has its own day.  No one knows who originated National Garlic Day, it isn’t recorded in congressional or presidential proclamations.  Nonetheless, we’re all over it here at TSTE.  We’ve compiled some Garlic Day garlic facts and a quick recipe for Garlicky Herb Dip to highlight the occasion!

Garlic Facts:

• Originated in Asia
• Member of the onion family
• Garlic’s pungent flavor is caused by a chemical reaction that occurs when the garlic cells are broken
• Nickname: The Stinking Rose
• Neutralize the smell of garlic from your hands by rinsing in cold water while rubbing a stainless steel object
• Known for causing bad breath, but can be neutralized by drinking milk or eating parsley
• Has been used to infuse vodka and as an ingredient to make cocktails
• Once used to treat acne, warts, and toothaches
• At ancient Greek and Roman marriages the brides carried bouquets of garlic and other herbs instead of flowers
• Long been admired for its powers as an aphrodisiac. Legend has it that Tibetan monks were forbidden from entering monasteries if they had eaten garlic because of its reputation for arousing sexual desire
• Most known myth is that garlic deters vampires, but it’s also thought to protect against the evil eye and to ward off jealous nymphs said to terrorize pregnant women and engaged maidens
• The fear of garlic is called alliumphobia

Garlicky Herb Dip

2 8 oz. packages cream cheese

8 oz. sour cream

1 Tbsp. TSTE Vik’s Garlic Fix

1 Tbsp. TSTE Italian Herb Blend

Soften cream cheese, then add sour cream and mix thoroughly. Stir in Vik’s Garlic Fix and Italian Blend. Adjust seasonings to taste. Flavors are enhanced when dip is made the night before use. Great served as a dip with pretzels, chips, vegetables or as a spread for bagels or sandwiches.

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.

Posted by Jen Hand from The Spice & Tea Exchange Distribution Center in St. Augustine, FL. Say hello to her on Twitter (@spiceandtea)

“There are only two kinds of people in the world,” the Irish saying goes. “The Irish and those who wish they were.” But for 24 hours on a mid-March day, the second half of that saying is blarney! On St. Patrick’s Day, we’re all Irish.

Ever wonder how eating corned beef and cabbage on St. Patrick’s Day became a tradition? While there is no dispute that cabbage and potatoes are staples of the Irish diet, it’s been said the vegetables were eaten with Irish bacon, not beef. But apparently Irish immigrants in America couldn’t afford bacon and switched to the cheaper corned-beef brisket, readily available at kosher delis. Others don’t accept this idea, saying the Irish settled in U.S. cities full of German and Polish butchers. Salt-brined beef was a major Irish export for hundreds of years, as well.
Either way, after the bagpipes are heard and parades are watched, on this St. Patrick’s Day millions of people will dress in green, raise a pint and sit down to what they consider the quintessential traditional Irish meal, corned beef and cabbage. Enjoy this recipe!

Corned Beef & Cabbage with Herb Sesame Mustard

10 cups water
1 1/2 cups kosher salt
1 cup granulated sugar
2 Tbsp TSTE Yellow Mustard
3 Tbsp TSTE Pickling Spice
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 fresh beef brisket, 7 to 9 pounds
3 ribs celery, cut in 2-inch pieces
2 large onions, cut in wedges
2 cloves garlic, minced
6 medium red potatoes, halved
5 carrots, cut into thirds
2 small rutabagas or 1 medium rutabaga, cut in 2-inch chunks
1 head of cabbage, cut in 6 or 8 wedges

Combine water, salt, sugar, mustard, Pickling Spice, and garlic in an 8-quart nonreactive stock pot. Boil. Remove from heat and set aside. When cooled, trim excess fat from corned beef and put into the liquid.  You may need to transfer liquids and corned beef to a larger container or bowl (be sure it is nonreactive).  Add cold water to cover beef, if necessary. Use a heavy pottery bowl to weigh corned beef down so it stays submerged in water. Cover pan and refrigerate for 5-7 days. Take out once a day to stir lightly & turn beef as needed.  On the 6th or 7th day, remove beef from brine and rinse well with cold water. Place in a large (8-quart or larger) pot. Cover with cold water and add celery, onions, and 2 cloves of minced garlic. Bring to boil; skim off any residue which develops on surface. Reduce heat to medium-low; cover & simmer for 2 1/2 hours.

Uncover pot and add potatoes, carrots, rutabaga or turnip, and cabbage. An 8-quart pot should be large enough, but if you don’t have room for all of the vegetables, bring another pot of water to a boil, add 1 TBSP salt, and add cabbage or other vegetables which didn’t fit.

Cover the large pot and cook until meat and vegetables are tender, about 1 hour longer. If cooking vegetables in another pot, cook just until tender and keep warm.
Herb Sesame Mustard:
1 cup prepared mustard
2 Tablespoons TSTE Herb Sesame Blend (or to taste)

Combine yellow mustard and Herb Sesame Blend, then chill.  Serve as an accompaniment to corned beef dinner or sandwiches.

Recipe from Jeffrey & Bryan from TSTE Winter Park.

Enjoy Free Shipping from TSTE as a THANK YOU to all our friends and followers May 6th through May 8th!

Keep an eye on our blog or subscribe to our blog’s newsfeed for more exciting specials and updates from The Spice & Tea Exchange.

Use coupon code:    Grill2011      to receive free shipping!

We at The Spice & Tea Exchange pride ourselves in only using the best spices available – anywhere. The staff at The Spice & Tea Exchange got a real giggle out of this letter from one of our customers. Keep those comments coming in!

______________________________

When I purchased this (Catnip) in March my only worry was getting my bag inspected at the airport. Now in hindsight that should have been the least of my worries.

Upon arriving home my two cats were rubbing all over my suitcase so hard they rolled it into another room. Once I opened it they went straight for the bag and pulled out the catnip. I put it into an airtight container and out of sight, though they have started singing to the toys I shake in the container.

Read the rest of this entry »

Last month we asked our Facebook Fans to post “My favorite recipe to make with TSTE products is __________” on our page.  The responses were amazing!  Bob Olson, of Bolero Snort Brewery, had the recipe with the most Likes!  Bob won a $50 gift certificate to our online store to use in brewing his Cuadrilla’s Cocoa- Mexican Hot Chocolate Imperial Stout.  Fellow beer-brewers delight!  Bob shared his recipe with us!
Cuadrilla’s Cocoa – Mexican Hot Chocolate Imperial Stout - you can learn more about Bob here.

Makes: 5 gallons
OG = 1.085
FG = 1.020

15lbs 2-row Malt
1.5lbs Flaked Oats
1.25lbs Crisp Chocolate Malt
.5lbs Roasted Barley

Mash at 154F for 60min
Sparge w/ 177F
Boil 60min

2oz Northern Brewer (10% AA) Hops at 60min
1/8oz TSTE Star Anise* at 30min
4oz Lactose at 20min
1oz Northern Brewery (10%AA) Hops at 5min
1/2 oz TSTE Cinnamon Sticks at 5min

Pitch White Labs California Ale V – WLP051 (2L starter)

Ferment 10-14 days

Rack to secondary on top of:
2 TSTE Madagascar Vanilla Bean* (cut and scraped)
4oz TSTE Cocoa Nibs
2tsp TSTE Ancho Chili Powder (dissolved in 1/4cup water)

Bottle or keg after 2 weeks in secondary

We are proud to announce that the Spice & Tea Exchange has opened in Downtown Disney. Visit us at http://spiceandtea.com/disney.

Chef Gaetano

Chef Gaetano, the creator of Sicilian Baby-Backs with Cocoa Nibs & Citrus Salt is trained in the exclusive cooking method of the Monzu’. Monzu’ was born when Sicilian chefs trained in France and adapted elegant French cuisine to Neapolitan ingredients and palate – catering to wealthy aristocrats of the 17th and 18th centuries. This Sicilian & French fusion uses the unique flavors of The Spice & Tea Exchange for this fabulous recipe of baby back ribs.

Our runner-ups for this friendly competition are the Hyatt Regency of Sarasota’s Executive Chef Aaron Chavarria with Pan Seared Mahi-Mahi with Mystic Dragon Tea and Holiday Inn Sarasota Airport’s Executive Chef Darrell Mizell with “The Eden of Lobster,” Crab stuffed, Backwoods’ Hickory rubbed, half Maine Lobster!

Thank you to all the chefs who participated and CONGRATULATIONS to our winners!

Click on the recipe names above for the complete recipe.

At some point we’ve all bought into the idea that a marinade helps tenderize a cut of meat.  It’s just not true.  Marinades are useful to enhance or push a meaty flavor forward. Read the rest of this entry »

Simple Pecan Crumble and Baked Apples, an easy and fun recipe from “Urban Pantry: Tips and Recipes for a Thrifty, Sustainable & Seasonal Kitchen,” by Amy Pennington,  (Skipstone, 2010) and tested by The Washington Post’s Monica Bhide.  Uses TSTE Camomile Flowers!

Begin the adventure by exploring the finest in savory spices, gourmet teas and seasonings.  Our cooking herbs, spice blends and rubs are hand-selected for your cooking pleasure.  Our gourmet teas are enjoyed by tea lovers across the nation.  A culinary delight awaits you inside our site.

We combine traditional and exotic gourmet spices, cooking herbs and seasonings from around the globe in the preparation of our 60+ hand-mixed signature blends and rubs. Packaging by the ounce allows you to experiment as you journey through our vast selection of spices and seasonings.

Be forewarned! Many of our customers tell us that shopping with us for your gourmet seasoning needs is addictive. You just might find yourself opening up one of our quaint spice franchises in YOUR hometown.

Smell the freshness for yourself by visiting any one of our gourmet spice and tea shops at: