Penzeys Spices opened on Roswell Road a couple of months go just a few doors down from Trader Joe's. Thanksgiving is prime time for spices so I was happy to have a chance to visit. I must say it smells great. The spices hit you as soon as you walk in the door. They carry a wide range of spices, some of them more common and some much more difficult to find. One of the best features of the store is that you can buy spices in small quantities at reasonable prices. Remember Alton Brown's admonishment to use spices within three months---buying small quantities makes sense for all but the most everyday spices. I bought some cardamom pods for myself that I haven't had a chance to try yet but should be a lot of fun. I also picked up a mixture of several varieties of cinnamon for my friend Baker Bob the Pie Master. I'm looking forward to seeing/tasting what he does with it.
I made candied ginger a few years ago. It's not something I would do every day but I had a lot of fun doing it. I recently acquired a pressure cooker and it inspired an interesting idea to me: why not make candied ginger in the pressure cooker? It should be very soft and flavorful. Here is the result. I peeled two large ginger roots, cut them into small cubes, and put them in the pressure cooker with heavily sugared water. The traditional method first boils the ginger in plain water to soften it and then again in sugar water to candy it. The resulting candy was very tender but still with the characteristic ginger texture. It was also sweet without being overpowering. The traditional method leaves a lot of sugar crystallized around the ginger. The pressure cooker gives a much more subtle result. The ginger stays moist even after it cools but you can dry it in the oven at 350 degrees for about 10 minutes. That inspired me to dip it in chocolate. While I was in the b...
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