OnewsO: The Spices That Transformed My Cooking

Saturday, January 8, 2022

The Spices That Transformed My Cooking

The Spices That Transformed My Cooking

Ariel Knutson,
Associate Editorial Director

The best thing I did for my kitchen in 2021 was buy a few new-to-me spices in January. You see, after a long year of pandemic cooking, I had fallen into a rut. I was making the same few dinners over and over again (shout out to these chicken tinga tacos), and I knew I needed to shake things up. While most of the time I draw cooking inspiration from cookbooks, favorite websites, and even Instagram, this time I turned to my spice rack. "What are some easy ways to add new flavor to some of my favorite dishes?" I thought.

I typically use a lot of paprika, turmeric, cumin, and chili powder in my cooking, but I was searching for something new. So I went on a little post-holiday shopping spree at a few of my favorite spice companies and picked up some things I had never used before.

The first spice I tried out was this black urfa chili from Burlap & Barrel, which is a smokey-sweet spice from Turkey. I used it all year to spice up my grain bowls, scrambled eggs, and stews (it's seriously so good). I also picked up Burlap & Barrel's silk chili flakes, another spice from Turkey, which has a warm "tomato-like" flavor—it's the perfect addition to roasted vegetables in the winter. I also became obsessed with Diaspora Co.'s green cardamom—I've used cardamom powder a hundred times, but the cardamom pods add so much flavor. I crushed the pods in my spice grinder and used them to make cardamom buns.

I didn't get around to making sourdough bread or trying my hand at homemade ice cream in 2021, but sprucing up my spice cabinet did wonders for my cooking. This year? I have my eyes on ground black lime and berbere.

Other Things I'm Thinking About Right Now

-	Did you know that one of Betty White's favorite foods was hot dogs? What a legend.
-	If you got an air fryer for the holidays, start with these recipes.
-	Does this or does this not sound like the dreamiest food tour.
-	Dumplings, duh.