Dried Ginger

I'm a huge fan of making anything and everything from scratch since it usually tastes better and is most certainly going to be cheaper than purchasing the same item from the store! I like to dry my own ginger because I've found it has a more pungent flavor which typically works better for me in recipes that call for dried ginger.

Dried Ginger

Cook time: 2 hours
Prep time: 5 min.
Total time: 125 min.

1 large piece of fresh ginger

• Preheat oven to 150 degrees
• Peel the ginger using a vegetable peeler to expose the fleshy part
• Grate the ginger using a microplane tool or a fine-holed grater
• Place the grated ginger on a sheet pan in a thin layer and place in preheated oven
• Dry the ginger for approximately 2 hours or until all moisture has been removed, stirring the ginger every 20 minutes to prevent burning.
• Label and store in an airtight glass jar or spice container of your choosing for up to one year.
• Use a spice grinder for the dried and grated ginger in recipes that call for ground ginger (finely ground ginger will keep it's flavor for up to six months).

Celery Salt

Make your own celery salt at home since this mix can be tricky to find in most grocery stores, plus making your own from scratch tastes so much better and is phenomenally cheaper!

Celery Salt

Yields: 1/4 Cup
Cook time: 20 min.
Prep time: 15 min.
Total time: 35 min.

2 Cups celery leaves (roughly two bunches of celery)
1/4 tsp popcorn salt

• Preheat oven to 200 degrees.
• Arrange celery leaves in a single layer on a baking sheet.
• Bake 20 minutes, rotating after 10 minutes
• Remove from oven and cool 10 minutes.
• Grind the roasted leaves in a spice grinder.
• Mix the celery powder and popcorn salt together in a bowl.
• Label and store in an airtight glass jar or spice container of your choosing for up to six months.

Chipotle Seasoning

Here's the spice mix I like to use to add an extra kick to any Latin meal I cook. Adapted from a recipe found on food.com

Chipotle Seasoning

Yields: approx. 1 1/5 Cups
Prep time: 5 min.
Total time: 5 min.

1/4 C + 2 Tbsp chipotle powder
3 Tbsp garlic powder
2 Tbsp onion powder
2 Tbsp kosher salt
1 1/2 Tbsp ground epazote
1 1/2 Tbsp ground Mexican oregano
1 1/2 Tbsp ground black pepper
2 tsp ground rosemary
3/4 tsp ground aniseed

• Mix all ingredients together in a bowl
• Label and store in an airtight glass jar or spice container of your choosing for up to six months.

New Bay Seasoning

A copycat recipe for Old Bay Seasoning. Adapted from epicurious.com 

New Bay

Yields: 1 Cup
Prep time: 5 min.
Total time: 5 min.

1/4 Cup Celery Salt (*see recipe)
1/4 Cup ground bay leaf
2 Tbsp dry mustard
1 1/2 Tbsp ground ginger (*see recipe)
1 1/2 Tbsp ground black pepper
1 1/2 Tbsp smoked paprika
2 tsp ground white pepper
2 tsp ground nutmeg
2 tsp ground cloves
2 tsp ground allspice
1 tsp ground mace
1 tsp ground cardamom
1 tsp cayenne pepper

1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

• Mix all ingredients together in a bowl
• Label and store in an airtight glass jar or spice container of your choosing for up to six months.

Pig Rub

My favorite all-purpose dry rub for any pork-based recipe that uses the slow cooker or smoker. Adapted from Alton Brown's recipe for baby back ribs.

Pig Rub

Yields: approx. 1 Cup

Prep time: 5 min.
Total time: 5 min.

8 Tbsp packed light brown sugar
3 Tbsp kosher salt
1 Tbsp smoked paprika
1 Tbsp dark chili powder
1/2 tsp ground white pepper
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
1/2 tsp ground thyme
1/2 tsp onion powder
1/2 tsp New Bay Seasoning (*see recipe)
1/2 tsp Chipotle Seasoning (*see recipe)

• Mix all ingredients together in a bowl
• Label and store in an airtight glass jar or spice container of your choosing for up to six months.