Pepper is the New Salt

Updating your spice rack is a lot like flossing – one of those things you know you should do but never get around to. And just like your dentist always reminds you how important flossing is, I’m going to remind you again that yes, using freshly ground spices really does make a difference in your cooking. Especially during winter months when fresh herbs are scarce, spices are an easy way to add more flavor to any dish. My prediction for 2007 is that pepper is the new salt. Don’t get me wrong: I love my fleur de sel and sprinkle it on anything that comes within ten feet of my kitchen. But the shelves of stores and pages of magazines have been saturated with all-things-salt-related for too long. Pepper is poised and ready to reveal its spicy-ness to the world.
I bought two different types of pepper from Formaggio Kitchen this week – the spices are priced at around $25/lb but nobody needs a pound of the stuff; my $4.00 portions will last at least a month. Urfa is a dark, dark red color (almost black) and soft and feathery to the touch. First it’s sweet, then smoky, then a slow burn begins. They say you can use it on anything and I’ve put that to the test, sprinkling it on meat, roasted vegetables, and on one sad starving night directly onto a piece of cheese. I actually have found the Maras to be more versatile, like a really delicious red pepper flake. The texture is coarser and it is spicier, and less smoky, than the Urfa. Remember that when you are using freshly ground spices like these, a little dab will do ya. A little bit adds a lot of flavor, unlike the dead cumin you just bought at the grocery store that is probably as old as the Twinkies in aisle six. So repeat after me: I will floss my teeth. I will use fresher spices.
Other lovely spice purveyors: The Spanish Table, Penzys