Dear Judy Ludy: 

I have a question for you about spices.  Can you tell me what brand you recommend buying from the grocery store?  Also, do you have any gourmet recommendations or places on-line where you get high-end spices?  I get very confused in the aisle! 

Thanks! 

Signed:
Spice Girl

Dear Spice Girl: 

A very good question!  And you’re right; spices in the market can be very confusing and frustrating, especially when the woman standing next to you has 2 screaming children with her – ha! 

For spices in the market, I recommend reliable McCormick/Schilling Spices.  They are well made, inexpensive, and readily available in most major markets (and even some small markets carry the usual suspects, i.e. cinnamon, nutmeg, oregano, etc.) 

However, for gourmet spices, I absolutely swear by Dean and Deluca, and you can get them on line (an added bonus) at http://www.deananddeluca.com/.  Once you’ve tried their cinnamon and nutmeg, you’ll never go back to anything else.  It’s like they just ground them for you that very day.  They’re a bit more expensive then the supermarket spice; however, because they are so potent, you won’t use near as much.  

And remember, if you can’t recall when you last purchased your spice, toss it and buy new.  Spices should be replaced every 6 months, whether you’ve used them or not.  Trust me.  I made the mistake once, when I first began cooking, of using oregano from the pantry that had expired.  It was a dreadful experience; the dish tasted like grass and dirt!  

Also, a note about vanilla.  McCormick/Schilling makes a good vanilla, but if you want the absolute best in vanilla, try Tahitian vanilla, or Mexican vanilla. They are so fresh and so powerful, you’ll use half of what the recipe calls for.   I’ve been fortunate enough to have friends bring me back bottles from their travels, but here are a couple of websites for real vanilla that you might want to check out. 

http://shop.bakerscatalogue.com/landing.jsp has excellent vanilla and I’ve had tremendous success with the items I’ve bought from them (FYI…a great source for specialty flour if you need it!). 

I haven’t purchased anything from these websites, however, they look interesting.  http://www.vanilla.com/html/facts-fastfacts.html or http://www.thespicehouse.com/product/product_Pure-Tahitian-Vanilla-Extract.php   

Also, don’t let the price of real vanilla scare you off.  Again, you’ll use only half as much, and it’s well worth the price.    

Excellent!  Thanks so much for the question, and let me know how it works out for you!