Seasonings and Spices

kcquer said:

I buy from the Watkins store or if you do not have on near you they sell them on line at:

http://www.watkinsonline.com/default.cfm

best stuff always fresh.

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Trout hit this nail right on the head!! Watkins is top shelf goods at VERY reasonable prices. It's where I've been buying all my cooking spices (kitchen or Q) for over a year now.
Jeff, Ramsey's Feed and Farm Supply (816-884-6622) in H'ville is a Watkins dealer and has most stuff on the shelf, what they don't have on hand they'll order for you.

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rbinms33 said:

Guess it wasn't a good question... sorry guys.

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It's not that it wasn't a good question, Jeff, I think you're just trying to overthink the whole thing.

Instead of trying to guess your reason for competing, I'll tell you mine. The whole reason I want to compete is because I turn out some GOOD que and want to go up against some guys that turn out some EXCELLENT que to see how I rank next to them. That simple. It's an opportunity at braggin rights....and maybe a check to go along with it. Nothing wrong with that but it's going to be all about the way I cook stuff right now. Heck, it's the way I cook right now that made me decide I want to compete. And I'm not gonna change a thing until I figure out how it works for me. If I use Dollar Store spices now then I'll use Dollar Store spices there. If it works for me, so be it. If not, then I need to come home and change some stuff.....after I figure out where I stand. I'm going to be judged on three things, texture, taste and appearance. Will I cook the same at a contest that I do now? Yep. My texture and taste will be the same when I compete as what I cook right now. Now my appearance is a different story. At a cookout around here, one of my buddies could care less about the color or tong marks or anything else, as long as it tastes good. I think appearance is all about "attention to detail". It's about making your stuff look prettier than everybody elses.....no sauce on the lettuce, no lettuce hanging out of the box, the right amount of meat, the right amount of bark with the rest of the pulled stuff, you get my point. That is the only thing that will change from when I do for a neighborhood cook and when I compete.

If your reason for competing matches mine, then you need to take what you do and run with it. Cheap spices, high dollar spices, doesn't matter. Don't change it now. Cook the way you cook and remember the "attention to detail" on appearance. Go up against the rest, find out where you stand and then modify as needed.

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