Many nights, after the kiddos are asleep, my husband and I will spend some time catching up on the shows we’ve recorded over the week. My husband, in particular, is a huge Food Network fan, Tivo ing everything from Iron Chef to Good Eats.
Food Network recently debuted their new series, Spice & Easy, which is hosted by Denver-based spice shop owner Janet Johnston. Janet and her husband Mike own four Colorado locations of Savory Spice Shop in Denver, Littleton, Boulder, and Lowry Town Center. The shop is home to more than 140 seasonings (original recipes hand-blended on-site), spices, extracts, and sauces.
Janet brings her culinary experience, passion, and knowledge of spices to the Food Network in Spice & Easy. I know for a fact that I under utilize spices. Spices can transform a traditional recipe to create unique flavors, and make a great substitute for salt and fats. If you’re intimidated by spices (like me), this is definitely the show for you. Janet takes classic recipes and demonstrates how easy it is to reinvent them simply by creatively using spices. Here are the episodes set to air in the coming weeks:
Premiering Saturday, May 22nd at 9:30am ET/PT
“Spice Gurus”
Janet has a menu spiced to perfection with dishes inspired by her employees, the “Spice Gurus.” She starts with Mile High Smokey Mac n’ Cheese made with sweet paprika, hickory smoked salt, and marjoram. Then, a sweet Maple Garam Masala Glazed Ham with an orange juice-based glaze. And, the Sweet Potato Bisque with a kick of cayenne and allspice served with Sage & Savory Croutons proves to be a crowd favorite. For dessert, it’s all about the homemade Chocolate Mulled Wine Sauce to serve over indulgent Vanilla Bean Ice Cream.
Premiering Saturday, May 29th at 9:30am ET/PT
“BBQ Challenge”
Janet rewards Savory Spice Shop’s BBQ Challenge winner with a meal she’ll never forget. First up are finger-licking good Ribs with Peanut Barbeque Sauce made with Chinese five spice and creamy peanut butter. Next, Janet prepares marinated Chile Glazed Shrimp with Pineapple Ginger Salsa topped with sesame seeds and tasty Celery Root Slaw with wasabi and honey. For dessert, her Grilled Spiced Sugar Bananas with Spiced Nuts include Saigon cinnamon and allspice.
I had an opportunity to ask Janet a few questions about using spices. Here is a recap of my interview with her:
Caryn: I’ve never used spices before. I typically just use salt and pepper. How do I go about incorporating more spices into my dishes?
Janet: Begin with a particular spice profile you know you like, for example, cinnamon. Experiment with all different types of cinnamon and use it in different ways. Make it savory one meal, then make it sweet the next. You could also begin looking into the type of cooking you like. If you love Italian, start researching the spices around that type of food (i.e. oregano). Don’t be afraid to try something new.
Caryn: Do you have ideas for getting children accustomed to spices? I tend to make the same boring dishes for my kids.
Janet: I don’t have children, but I have friends with kids. Kids amaze me because they know about foods (i.e. sushi) and flavors that I didn’t know about until I was in my 20s. Children’s palates are more diverse than when I was a child.
Many parents hide things in foods, but I don’t think it’s necessary. Educate and introduce children to spices by starting with things that are mellow. For example, add maple sugar and a touch of black pepper to a yellow curry and put it on pork chops. You can use sweet to get children interested in other types of spices.
Here is a little intro to the Food Network’s new show, Spice & Easy:
Want more info about spices? Check out the Food Network’s 20 Questions for Janet piece on their site.
No compensation was received for this post. I had an opportunity to interview Janet Johnston with several bloggers and journalists in the industry via phone.
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Nice video thank you for the recipes.
Jane
Thanks Janet, for the great ideas on how to experiment with spices in our cooking!