And…(and this pales by comparison but it’s still fun) looking at a new spice at the theodorerichard food blog. Mustard seeds. Bought some nice brown organic ones at the Berkshire Co-Op and can’t wait to try.

Have a good year..

First some background, Black Pepper as you may know comes from the Piper Nigrum plant. Green Pepper comes from this same plant and is simply the berries that have been harvested before ripening has occurred.  And FYI: White Pepper is nothing more than the Black Pepper with it’s pulp removed.

Now what you’ll get from these guys is a milder kick than you’d experience from black pepper. Some typical uses are in sauces (where it’s subtlety is appreciated).  … In case you want to try this spice in a sauce you could go for a  Grilled Salmon with a Green Peppercorn Sauce  (however, be aware that I haven’t as yet tried this or any other recipe from Larry Ervin so you’re on your own).  And another from Epicurious, also untried, for Filet Mignon with a Green Peppercorn Cream Sauce.

Typically the Green Peppercorns are best fresh or when preserved in brine or vinegar. However, I picked some up in the dried form at the Co-Op and simply use them in the pepper mill. This is good for when you need some peppery notes but really want to keep them in the background. If this is the case, Green Pepper will do nicely at not overpowering your food so that the other flavors can shine.

• They’re generally non-organic (ie Chemicalized).
• By the time the spices are prepped, packaged in bulk for the specialty seasoning manufacturer, transported and waiting to be purchased they’ve reached legal drinking age.  And spices flatten out as time goes by.
• You have to accept what they give you. I probably like more heat than you do. You may really like the garlic notes. In other words no matter who you are the store bought spice isn’t “just right”.

 So here’s the solution. Buy basic organic spices, start from a standard specialty spice recipe and tweak it to your unique tastes. I actually have a few specialty spices. One if I need heat, another if Di is coming over etc… Maybe one for you, the kids, your dog .. who knows. The basic recipe is as follows:

Home grown specialty spice basic recipe:

• Take out a medium bowl
• Add a Tablespoon of Unrefined Sea Salt
• Add a Tablespoon of Organic Paprika
• Add 1/4 Teaspoon of Organic Garlic Powder (the powder not Garlic Salt)
• Add 1/4 Teaspoon of Fresh Ground Organic Black Pepper
• Add 1/4 Teaspoon of Dried Organic Oregano
• Add 1/4 Teaspoon of Organic Onion Powder (the powder not Onion Salt)
• Add 1/4 Teaspoon of Organic Dried Thyme
• Add a few Pinches of Organic Dried Rosemary Leaf

 Mix everything up. Now what you’ll notice is that the dried ingredients are a pretty good size and if you let this concoction just sit the finer ingredients will simply sift down to the bottom. So I keep each specialty spice in wide mouth jars with very little air space. I give it all a good shaking before using and then pour out what I need in the palm of my hand. Do a sort of shaking thing to get it onto the food (palm side up and letting the spices gradually spill over to the side of my hand).

 So that’s the basic building block. Now if you want some heat start with adding 1/4 Teaspoon of Ground Organic Cayenne Pepper. As far as the other ingredients get yourself something you would want seasoned and try the basic recipe. Next adjust the ingredients up that are listed at 1/4 Teaspoon. Adjust, taste, adjust taste. .. Optimize Baby! Now write this recipe down and make enough to last you a month or two (no more). This tiny sample batch won’t take you very far. And lastly come up with a cool name for it and keep the recipe secret (the magic isn’t magic anymore once the secret is out). Theo’s Hell Spice, Meos Theos and goofy stuff like that … have a good one.

• Dips
• Meals made with Organic Ground Meats such as turkey or beef
• Sauces
• In sandwiches
• In condiments such as organic mustard or ketchup (even if we buy these things from the store we can still dress them up. After all, they’re made to appeal to the average consumer. That’s a good starting point, now we can make then unique for us).
• Side dishes

 We have this plethora of wonderful peppers out there from super-mild to outrageously hot. Let’s use them and spice things up.

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Related Posts:

• Organic Black Pepper

 But when pepper is pre-ground and exposed to air 24/7 it’s aromatics simply evaporate. And if this isn’t bad enough he further insures that all his pepper turns into flavorless black specks on top of his food by storing it in a glass pepper shaker. … The light allowed to shine in causes chemical changes in the peperine constituent which transforms it into a nothing as far as flavor is concerned.

 So, if you’re taking the time to cook & clean up don’t botch it at the finish line. Use fresh Peppercorns, store them in an airtight container devoid of light and grind them using a pepper mill immediately before serving.

 Well, some of the peppers most commonly available are the Bell, Cayenne, Cherry, Habanero  Jalapeno and Serrano Peppers. These will vary by size, appearance, color and heat…(the fire in the pepper). Since the peppers are generally chopped, the color & heat are typically the most crucial aspects.

Color is obvious to discern but what about the heat? As you probably know, peppers are rated for heat by what are called the Scoville Units. But what is not as well known is that the Scoville Unit Scale is really a measure of the level of Capsaicin. Anyway, here is a sampling of some common peppers and their rating on the Scoville Unit Heat Scale. By the way, these are approximate figures. The actual level for any single pepper will be a function of several factors not the least of which are the growing conditions it experienced prior to harvest. Here’s the list:

• Habanero Peppers  100,000 to 300,000 Scoville Units
• Thai Pepper 50,000 to 100,000 Scoville Units
• Cayenne & Tabasco Peppers 30,000 to 50,000 Scoville Units
• Serrano Peppers 5,000 to 15,000 Scoville Units
• Jalapeno & Mirasol Peppers 2,500 to 5,000 Scoville Units
• Cherry Peppers 100-500 Scoville Units
• Typical Bell & Sweet Banana Peppers 0 Scoville Units

 So there you have it. Now, if you find yourself adding things such as Dried Cayenne Powder or a bottled hot sauce to your recipes you may want to experiment making a substitution for the real deal (fresh & natural).

 However, a few words of warning… the heat needs to be washed from your hands with soap. A mere water rinse will not do the trick. Be careful what you touch and transfer the heat onto (and especially don’t rub your eyes). As to dishes, stick to stainless bowls or you run the risk of creating a hot one. A friend of mine has a special bowl he uses for his Habanero Peppers as ordered by his wife. Seems the kids were getting a little something extra with their Cocoa Chrispies.

 And finally, if you go overboard and need to extinguish the heat dairy is best. So reach for the milk, sour cream, yogurt or ice cream. But for all the possible down sides you have to love food that has been ramped up. Spice up your food, your life and live naturally.