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I can not say I was ever good at culinary tasks but as of recent I have taken an interest in seasonings and condiments. While I am sort of a two or three trick pony in the indoor kitchen, I have truly honed my BBQ-ing skills. When we moved to our new home it came with a fancy high end outdoor kitchen which is equipped with all Blaze appliances. Couple that with the fact that the BBQ season here is 12 months, you can see why I have gravitated more towards BBQ-ing now.
That leads me to what I wanted to really wanted to talk about here, spices and condiments. NO - they are NOT all created equal! My wife and I had always bought whatever was on sale at Costco, Publix, etc. and quite honestly we never realized there was such a difference. Yes, they are cheap - but now I realize there is a huge difference. I have discovered the best readily available spices are made by McCormick. Their peppercorns are so much more flavorful, their cinnamon is a true cinnamon taste and comes from real cinnamon sources - unlike the Costco Saigon style cinnamon that tastes different and is less flavorful (and by the way can be toxic - look it up)! When we used the Saigon style cinnamon I kept wondering why it did not have the familiar flavor I grew up with - now I know! The McCormick vanilla extract has a better taste - more true to what we are used to and less watery if you will. I am discovering that all across the board when it comes to spices and condiments the admittedly pricier McCormick's is the only way to fly - if you have a discerning pallet or truly care about your baking, cooking and BBQ-ing. Regarding cost.... if you do decide to pay a little more for the best, buy the McCormicks on Amazon in the larger sizes. They usually last a long time anyway, so the extra cost won't break the bank.
Up until recently, I guess I lived in a bubble! I never really paid much attention to these things before, but since I have changed my lifestyle's eating habits (not a diet - but a lifestyle change) I have been paying more attention to what I put in my body and how it tastes. Most of our parents always bought McCormicks and so many of us never gave it a second thought, but now with Amazon, Costco, BJ's, Walmart, Target, etc. selling these things, they need to compete and one way in which they do that is to cheapen what they sell. That in turn takes a toll on quality.
I actually can't believe I am talking about spices!! It is just so out of my wheelhouse, at least up until now. I had to mention this because like I said, I have been slowly and constantly been brainwashed to believe that what is sold in many of the big box stores is the same - it's not! I told my wife from now on, McCormick brand spices and condiments are what we are buying. Will it completely change your life - of course not, but if you like BBQ-ing, cooking or baking and take it seriously, more than likely you already know this. If not, give it a try - it does make a difference.
That leads me to what I wanted to really wanted to talk about here, spices and condiments. NO - they are NOT all created equal! My wife and I had always bought whatever was on sale at Costco, Publix, etc. and quite honestly we never realized there was such a difference. Yes, they are cheap - but now I realize there is a huge difference. I have discovered the best readily available spices are made by McCormick. Their peppercorns are so much more flavorful, their cinnamon is a true cinnamon taste and comes from real cinnamon sources - unlike the Costco Saigon style cinnamon that tastes different and is less flavorful (and by the way can be toxic - look it up)! When we used the Saigon style cinnamon I kept wondering why it did not have the familiar flavor I grew up with - now I know! The McCormick vanilla extract has a better taste - more true to what we are used to and less watery if you will. I am discovering that all across the board when it comes to spices and condiments the admittedly pricier McCormick's is the only way to fly - if you have a discerning pallet or truly care about your baking, cooking and BBQ-ing. Regarding cost.... if you do decide to pay a little more for the best, buy the McCormicks on Amazon in the larger sizes. They usually last a long time anyway, so the extra cost won't break the bank.
Up until recently, I guess I lived in a bubble! I never really paid much attention to these things before, but since I have changed my lifestyle's eating habits (not a diet - but a lifestyle change) I have been paying more attention to what I put in my body and how it tastes. Most of our parents always bought McCormicks and so many of us never gave it a second thought, but now with Amazon, Costco, BJ's, Walmart, Target, etc. selling these things, they need to compete and one way in which they do that is to cheapen what they sell. That in turn takes a toll on quality.
I actually can't believe I am talking about spices!! It is just so out of my wheelhouse, at least up until now. I had to mention this because like I said, I have been slowly and constantly been brainwashed to believe that what is sold in many of the big box stores is the same - it's not! I told my wife from now on, McCormick brand spices and condiments are what we are buying. Will it completely change your life - of course not, but if you like BBQ-ing, cooking or baking and take it seriously, more than likely you already know this. If not, give it a try - it does make a difference.
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