The wonders of Penzey's Spices.
Sep. 20th, 2009 07:56 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
kitchenklutzFor a while now, starcat_jewel has been urging me to track down the local Penzey's Spices. Today, I decided to make the pilgrimage to the closest one -- down at 1293 Massachusetts Ave., Arlington, MA.
Penzey's itself is a top-notch place -- cheerful and helpful staff, excellently organized stock, and of course TONS of spices of all flavors everywhere to be seen. I picked up a double handful and then some of varied spices (3" Ceylon cinnamon sticks, minced lemon peel, minced orange peel, two flavors of Hungarian paprika (sweet and half-sharp, to be used in a 2:1 ratio at the lowest), cardamom pods, whole cumin seed, whole Ceylon cloves, whole nutmeg nuts and ground nutmeg, ground caraway seed (realized after I got home that I already had some; oh well), Balti curry seasoning, powdered star anise, whole celery seed, Oriental mustard powder, and gumbo filé powder).
All that, plus a $25 wooden peppercorn grinder (my glass one was left in the wrong place on the oven and, um, sort of half-melted) ran to just under $85. Considering how long spices tend to last me, and given the size of the jars (plus you can buy more in plastic bags to refill jars you already have), I'd say that they offer some fantastic prices. That's particularly true when one looks at what even the discount supermarkets charge for spices.
Moreover, I've got to say, I really like Arlington. It's got a lovely small-town feel to it, despite being less than ten miles from the center of Boston.
From I-95 down Route 2 to 1293 Massachusetts Ave. in Arlington.
Important note on getting there from 95, though -- once you get off route 2 east onto exit 55, turn left at the bottom of the off-ramp (Pleasant Street), then right at the T-junction about three-quarters of a mile up the street. I misunderstood the Google Maps directions, turned right at the bottom of the ramp ("towards Waltham") and ended up halfway to Belmont before I went "Hey, there's no sign of Massachusetts Avenue yet..." *grin*
Penzey's itself is a top-notch place -- cheerful and helpful staff, excellently organized stock, and of course TONS of spices of all flavors everywhere to be seen. I picked up a double handful and then some of varied spices (3" Ceylon cinnamon sticks, minced lemon peel, minced orange peel, two flavors of Hungarian paprika (sweet and half-sharp, to be used in a 2:1 ratio at the lowest), cardamom pods, whole cumin seed, whole Ceylon cloves, whole nutmeg nuts and ground nutmeg, ground caraway seed (realized after I got home that I already had some; oh well), Balti curry seasoning, powdered star anise, whole celery seed, Oriental mustard powder, and gumbo filé powder).
All that, plus a $25 wooden peppercorn grinder (my glass one was left in the wrong place on the oven and, um, sort of half-melted) ran to just under $85. Considering how long spices tend to last me, and given the size of the jars (plus you can buy more in plastic bags to refill jars you already have), I'd say that they offer some fantastic prices. That's particularly true when one looks at what even the discount supermarkets charge for spices.
Moreover, I've got to say, I really like Arlington. It's got a lovely small-town feel to it, despite being less than ten miles from the center of Boston.
From I-95 down Route 2 to 1293 Massachusetts Ave. in Arlington.
Important note on getting there from 95, though -- once you get off route 2 east onto exit 55, turn left at the bottom of the off-ramp (Pleasant Street), then right at the T-junction about three-quarters of a mile up the street. I misunderstood the Google Maps directions, turned right at the bottom of the ramp ("towards Waltham") and ended up halfway to Belmont before I went "Hey, there's no sign of Massachusetts Avenue yet..." *grin*
