Seasonings and Spices

[tommykendall]

I've bought some from www.atlanticspice.com. They are less expensive than Penzey's - not sure if because of quality or cheaper packaging of the product.

[brdbbq]

remember buying cooking wine for something and taking a taste of it. Yettttcccchhhh! Why would you cook with something you wouldn't drink?

Ever hear of the Schafer theory ?

[tommykendall]

Rub them between your fingers or in the palm of your hands. Give them a sniff. You want an nice aromatic smell. Then put a small amount on your tounge and see what it tastes like.

Don't do this with Habanero dust - trust me.

[Arlin_MacRae]

Originally Posted by tommykendall

Don't do this with Habanero dust - trust me.

But if you DO, wear rubber gloves. And take them off before visiting the bathroom. ;)

[Jeff_in_KC]

Of course I wouldn't want BAD stuff at home. You totally missed the point. I wanted to know if the quality of spices used at home is good enough for competition or do you need to buy better quality. That makes this a competion thread IMO. But WTF I don't give a rats ass where it goes. Can't please everyone...

[BrooklynQ]

Jeff - Judging from what i've seen at contests, the spices used at competetion are the same stuff you would buy for use at home. If you can see a spice brand, a lot of competetiors have the rubs etc premade and packaged in unmarked jars, its a brand you'll find in the supermarket.

Are you asking if you would only serve filet mignon to guests while eating hot dogs at home?

Are the spices themselves different? Maybe. Depends. If you're looking to put a different flavor stamp on competetion Q than you would on home Q, then there's the competetion discussion thread. For example, everytime we unbox the honey at a competetion, Phil makes a comment about how he never makes anything that sweet at home. So we're putting a different flavor stamp on comp Q.

[parrothead]

Jeff, use the same spices at comp that you do at home. Brandwise that is. Just make sure they are fairly fresh. I throw stuff out at home all of the time. For the most part, spices are spices. There may be some difference spending a fortune on some fancy brand, but not to this palate.

[spicewine]

I just raid Jay's kitchen..........

My Wife ( Not my Office Manager ) said she saw an ugly rat roaming the kitchen

If you are going to cook, and cook well at home or contest does not matter. You should always use the best that you can afford at all times. Why settle for second best at home.

[tommykendall]

If you are going to cook, and cook well at home or contest does not matter. You should always use the best that you can afford at all times. Why settle for second best at home.

Absolutely. Why the fark would I settle for anything less than what I cook for myself, my family, my neighbors or if I was competing. When I cook at home I'm trying to turn out the best possible product because it only makes me better.

[Jeff_in_KC]

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

[Solidkick]

Quote:

I just raid Jay's kitchen..........



My Wife ( Not my Office Manager ) said she saw an ugly rat roaming the kitchen

Nope, not a rat........just a one eyed pirate with a parrot on his shoulder........ARGH!!!

[kcquer]

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.

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.

[rbinms33]

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

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.

[elvis67]

I agree with parrohead. I do'nt comp cook but i would think if you are trying to hone your skills and try to perfect something you should try to pull out the stops when you are practicing at home. also i throw spices out all the time. if i have stuff around for any longer than 3 mo. i pitch it. and get new. you dont know how long the stuff sat in a whse before you got it.

[Jeff_in_KC]

Originally Posted by kcquer

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.

Thanks, Scott... I'll check them out to try Watkins.