My Not-So-Spicy Life

I recently came across a beautiful photo in an old National Geographic Magazine. The photo showed a woman in a brightly colored dress standing by a table filled with small brightly colored cloth-lined baskets, each filled with a different herb or spice. The colors, the contrast and the energy I saw in this photo really struck me. It made me stop and think about the colors and flavors in my life. Is it richly hued, bursting with flavor? Is it subtly seasoned with herbs of a delicate nature? Sinfully spicy? Or boring and bland?

I love food. I love to cook. And I love flavor. It’s no wonder that about 18 months ago I came across a great herb and spice store in Maplewood (an area of St. Louis) called Penzey’s. I’d heard about it when we lived in Charlotte, but had never stepped foot into one of these places. Whoa!! Talk about variety!! Five types of peppercorns, four types of cinnamon (in three different forms), three variations of paprika and don’t get me started on the chilies!! Forget about grocery store bought herbs and spices – this place is the bomb!!

Then on our recent trip to Michigan, I came across an adorable store of similar construct in Saugatuck called Spice Merchants. On that particular stop, I was drawn in by the teas and departed with a magical little potion-maker that helps me start my days.

With all this delight and enjoyment over spices, flavors and variety, where the hell is it in my life? If I enjoy these things so much, how could they be on hiatus in my daily reality, their void creating boring and bland tastes?

It’s time to kick things up a notch (thanks, Emeril!). It’s time to bring the richness of spice back into my life. And yes, I realize doing so can also create complexity of flavor. I don’t want overpowering and overloaded flavor. I want richness in my day-to-day living that stems from pure, simple and high quality ingredients that set my taste buds on fire.

So, how spicy is your life? Are you ready to move beyond boring and bland to embrace the flavors of each day? I am.

Now, please pass the Ancho Chile Powder. I have some cooking to do.