Make sure you take a list...so you can ignore it. You'd think ordering by mail would make it easier to keep the amount spent down...nope!!!
Penzeys spices: Any opinions?
- Thread starter Cooking Goddess
- Start date
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vitauta
Executive Chef
thanks a LOT guys!! you, and this provocative penzey's thread just now made me spend $30+ for their spices online. y'all full well know how highly suggestible i am, too....
You don't even want to know how much Andy and Company got me to spend on my first Penzey's outing. I had to remodel my pantry...
Dawgluver
Chef Extraordinaire
- Joined
- Apr 12, 2011
- Messages
- 25,033
Love Penzey's too! I usually order online, and then I discovered Baby Bro lives near one so it's a mustgo when we visit. We sent them a Penzey's gift package as part of a wedding present over a decade ago, and they loved it.
bakechef
Executive Chef
Another vote for Penzey's!
Most of my spice cabinet is from there.
Favorites are.. cinnamon (penzey's blend), cocoa powder (I buy it a pound at a time), taco seasoning, sandwich sprinkle (awesome on veggies), 4s season salt, chili seasoning, pacific fine sea salt (fine grind, sticks well to popcorn), I have many of their blends that I use every day, along with various herbs and spices. I'll often put off buying something until I can get to Penzy's!
Most of my spice cabinet is from there.
Favorites are.. cinnamon (penzey's blend), cocoa powder (I buy it a pound at a time), taco seasoning, sandwich sprinkle (awesome on veggies), 4s season salt, chili seasoning, pacific fine sea salt (fine grind, sticks well to popcorn), I have many of their blends that I use every day, along with various herbs and spices. I'll often put off buying something until I can get to Penzy's!
OP
OP
Cooking Goddess
Chef Extraordinaire
I'm not sure we're headed to Penzeys tomorrow. After all the comments that point out how totally irresistible their products are Himself is thinking this may be a bad idea. 
I had started going through their catalog to check off and circle the things I want to either check out or buy, got only as far as "celery seed" (use it in my Mom-in-law's spaghetti sauce recipe) and already it looks like I'll be cooking at home for the next month just to save money and justify my purchases.
And we WILL go tomorrow...or I'm going on strike and Himself can make his own meals. It could get ugly.
I had started going through their catalog to check off and circle the things I want to either check out or buy, got only as far as "celery seed" (use it in my Mom-in-law's spaghetti sauce recipe) and already it looks like I'll be cooking at home for the next month just to save money and justify my purchases. And we WILL go tomorrow...or I'm going on strike and Himself can make his own meals. It could get ugly.
vitauta
Executive Chef
I'm not sure we're headed to Penzeys tomorrow. After all the comments that point out how totally irresistible their products are Himself is thinking this may be a bad idea.
And we WILL go tomorrow...or I'm going on strike and Himself can make his own meals. It could get ugly.
i'm confident that you will prevail in the penzey's battle against himself, cg! btw, did i miss the post where you explained how it occurred that you first began referring to your honey in the third person?
celery seed in spaghetti sauce? is there a story that goes along with that too?
OP
OP
Cooking Goddess
Chef Extraordinaire
i'm confident that you will prevail in the penzey's battle against himself, cg! btw, did i miss the post where you explained how it occurred that you first began referring to your honey in the third person?
celery seed in spaghetti sauce? is there a story that goes along with that too?
Never explained it.
Basically, so many refer to their spouse as "DH" or "DW" I just wanted to be different. Plus, our favorite Irish pub, run by husband and wife immigrants, started it. The proprietor has a nametag that reads "Himself" rather than "Brendan" (his name). His wife Claire is, of course, "Herself". And their most trusted right-hand man and manager is tagged "Yeoman". Thought it was cute and have stolen the idea.The spaghetti sauce is one of two things his Mom taught me "the way he likes them" so that I had a shortcut to Himself's favorites - and his heart. I've tweaked the recipe over the years to make it a bit healthier, but nothing that has affected the quality or taste. Both celery seed and celery salt are in there in small doses but I'm not messing with those - the sauce is great!
vitauta
Executive Chef
Never explained it.
The spaghetti sauce is one of two things his Mom taught me "the way he likes them" so that I had a shortcut to Himself's favorites - and his heart. I've tweaked the recipe over the years to make it a bit healthier, but nothing that has affected the quality or taste. Both celery seed and celery salt are in there in small doses but I'm not messing with those - the sauce is great!
care to, dare to share, cg?
OP
OP
Cooking Goddess
Chef Extraordinaire
care to, dare to share, cg?
I'll happily share the spaghetti sauce recipe when I don't mind typing it out. Don't have it anywhere I could post quickly. The other thing his Mom taught me was how she made her breaded pork chops. It was a little different than my own Mom's way so I learned her way too. Really didn't matter since Himself pretty much hasn't met a pork chop he hasn't liked.
vitauta
Executive Chef
I'll happily share the spaghetti sauce recipe when I don't mind typing it out. Don't have it anywhere I could post quickly. The other thing his Mom taught me was how she made her breaded pork chops. It was a little different than my own Mom's way so I learned her way too. Really didn't matter since Himself pretty much hasn't met a pork chop he hasn't liked.
will be looking forward to your intriguing-sounding recipe for spaghetti sauce whenever you are ready to do the typing. take your time. a good spaghetti sauce recipe is well worth waiting for....
OP
OP
Cooking Goddess
Chef Extraordinaire
will be looking forward to your intriguing-sounding recipe for spaghetti sauce whenever you are ready to do the typing. take your time. a good spaghetti sauce recipe is well worth waiting for....
Whoa baby, you wait for this one! I simmer it 6-8 hours! Now that Himself is home all the time it's pure torture for him when I make a pot (about 8 quarts at a time). I used to make it when he was at work so he was never subjected to yummy smells all day.
Mrs Hoot makes her spaghetti sauce much the same way. She often puts slices of dried chorizo in it (when we can find it). Of course, near the end of the cooking time, I am not above sneaking into the kitchen and stealing a small bowl of the sauce to be eaten with a nice crusty bread.
OP
OP
Cooking Goddess
Chef Extraordinaire
Mrs Hoot makes her spaghetti sauce much the same way...I am not above sneaking into the kitchen and stealing a small bowl of the sauce to be eaten with a nice crusty bread.
Funny you should say that! We had some landscapers working on drainage issues in our yard a couple autumns ago. They came in to give me their empty coffee cups and smelled the sauce cooking. I ended up taking out a bowl and a couple chunks of bread to them a little while later. We gave them good food (coffee all day and fresh scones in the mornings) and they did good work. Bribery!
OP
OP
Cooking Goddess
Chef Extraordinaire
Penzeys ~ The "Results" Show
Oh My! I wonder, was Marco Polo that excited when he got to China? It was fun. Lots of fun since Himself got bored about 5-10 minutes in and went to the car to read. I had an hour to myself sniffing (and sneezing) and reading and looking. Restrained myself from drooling. And came home with a bunch of plastic bags and glass bottles.
Now the damage. Can you believe I had only $30 worth of damage? I did buy a lot of the spices and herbs in the bags since I have spice bottles at home. I didn't get any of their blends because, quite honestly, I thought there were so many different flavors mixed into each that they didn't smell the way I would want. Guess I'd just rather blend my own 3-5 items and leave it at that. There were one or two that were good but they duplicated blends I had at home.
Kinda wish there was closer than 59 miles away. When we move back to OH we'll probably settle in to the city we moved from when we came up to MA. That will be only 24 miles away. Bonus: it's right by a Cleveland culinary landmark, West Side Market. If you are ever in the Cleveland area you must schedule a stop there - it's priceless!
Oh My! I wonder, was Marco Polo that excited when he got to China? It was fun. Lots of fun since Himself got bored about 5-10 minutes in and went to the car to read. I had an hour to myself sniffing (and sneezing) and reading and looking. Restrained myself from drooling.
And came home with a bunch of plastic bags and glass bottles.Now the damage. Can you believe I had only $30 worth of damage? I did buy a lot of the spices and herbs in the bags since I have spice bottles at home. I didn't get any of their blends because, quite honestly, I thought there were so many different flavors mixed into each that they didn't smell the way I would want. Guess I'd just rather blend my own 3-5 items and leave it at that. There were one or two that were good but they duplicated blends I had at home.
Kinda wish there was closer than 59 miles away. When we move back to OH we'll probably settle in to the city we moved from when we came up to MA. That will be only 24 miles away. Bonus: it's right by a Cleveland culinary landmark, West Side Market. If you are ever in the Cleveland area you must schedule a stop there - it's priceless!
I've seen pictures someone else posted of that market. It looks awesome.
Sometimes when my sister and BIL take a drive they will head to the Penzeys in Chagrin Falls and I can place an order with them. No delivery charge, lol.
Sometimes when my sister and BIL take a drive they will head to the Penzeys in Chagrin Falls and I can place an order with them. No delivery charge, lol.
buckytom
Chef Extraordinaire
it must be really humiliating to live there.
wasn't it bad enough to call it chagrin, but then to add falls?
lol.
celery seed is an under used spice, imo. it's a sneaky background kind of thing. i use it in steak or chicken rubs.
never thought to use it in sauce, though.
I gotta say that I am green with envy....
The nearest Penzey's store from Casa de Hoot is in Raleigh and I was there a couple of weeks ago but due to circumstances beyond my control, I didn't have time to go spice adventuring. There is a store in Richmond, Va....maybe I will be able to go there soon.
The nearest Penzey's store from Casa de Hoot is in Raleigh and I was there a couple of weeks ago but due to circumstances beyond my control, I didn't have time to go spice adventuring. There is a store in Richmond, Va....maybe I will be able to go there soon.
Oh My! I wonder, was Marco Polo that excited when he got to China? It was fun. Lots of fun since Himself got bored about 5-10 minutes in and went to the car to read. I had an hour to myself sniffing (and sneezing) and reading and looking. Restrained myself from drooling.
Now the damage. Can you believe I had only $30 worth of damage? I did buy a lot of the spices and herbs in the bags since I have spice bottles at home. I didn't get any of their blends because, quite honestly, I thought there were so many different flavors mixed into each that they didn't smell the way I would want. Guess I'd just rather blend my own 3-5 items and leave it at that. There were one or two that were good but they duplicated blends I had at home.
Kinda wish there was closer than 59 miles away. When we move back to OH we'll probably settle in to the city we moved from when we came up to MA. That will be only 24 miles away. Bonus: it's right by a Cleveland culinary landmark, West Side Market. If you are ever in the Cleveland area you must schedule a stop there - it's priceless!
I've never even been near an actual store. I just have faith in our members and took their word when I got a catalog in my hands.
Yes, I am easily led astray...Very glad you had fun!
