Things R A Changin'

Hello and Happy Holidays! I haven't blogged in a long time because we have been so busy with our website, Ebay and getting ready for Christmas. My husband, Chad, is in the process of making some great changes to that website including lowering our prices and not necessarily carrying the organic spices anymore. We found there wasn't a great deal of interest in them probably due to the economy. To use organic spices then you would be buying all organic foods which are very expensive. We will continue to carry our great selection of Ethnic Spice Blends, Barbecue Rubs, Dried Mushrooms, Peppercorns, and more delicious single spices. We have been PowerSellers on Ebay for several years selling our spices and CD's. Click here to see our Ebay listings.


If you would like to order spices please do so from our website where the fees are much less or you can email us at savvygourmetshop@gmail.com with your order or to ask any questions. We not only accept PayPal (all major credit cards and e-checks) but also money orders and personal checks. click here to see our website www.savvygourmetshop.com.

Hope you have a great 2009!!

Go Rays!!

Living so close to the Tampa Bay Rays baseball team everyone here is very excited about the World Series. We are really cheering them on!!! GO RAYS!!! Unfortunately we don't have tickets but are enjoying watching the games on our big screen TV. It's the next best thing to being there.

And as usual please check out our website. I have made lots of changes to it. Don't forget

***FREE Shipping on orders over $25.00***

What great Christmas gifts you could give. An assortment of mild (ancho) to hot (red savina) chili peppers & powders, exotic peppercorns and sea salts, Organic spices, Ethnic spice blends such as Oriental Stir Fry Seasoning, Mexican Seasoning, Mediterranean Spice Blend and many more.

Go Rays

www.savvygourmetshop.com

"Grill Baby Grill"

Wowwww. I haven't blogged in quite a while because I've been building a new website for our Organic Spices, Ethnic Spice Blends, Chili peppers & powders, Dried Mushrooms, Sea Salts, Peppercorns, etc. Please check out our new website and maybe place an order.

****We are offering FREE shipping if you purchase $25.00 or more****

Especially check out our Barbecue Rubs....Chad says "grill baby grill" so if you are in the mood to "grill here and grill now" we've got quite an assortment of BBQ rubs to make your cookout a flaming success.

To help spread our word across the internet we are also looking for websites/blogs to exchange links with so if you are interested please let us know.

Savvy Gourmet Shop

Lots of FUN in the kitchen

My husband, Chad, does all the cooking at our house. He is a wonderful cook/chef and loves making up his own recipes. I am very lucky as I don't enjoy cooking at all and when I do cook it's pretty bad.

He has many organic spices, chili peppers &o powders, dried mushrooms, peppercorns, sea salts and smoked paprika to experiment with. He has been selling spices from our online store for several years now and we started out on eBay. We are PowerSellers but due to the many changes and fee increases, we had our own website built a couple of months ago. We weren't making any money and working very long hours so that wasn't good at all.

On our website we have:

1. Approximately 100 Organic spices and Ethnic spice blends
2. Several chili peppers and powders (Habanero and Red Savina)
3. Dried Mushrooms & Powders which are wonderful to have on hand as they last a long time (i.e. Porcini, Morel)
4. Peppercorns (i.e. organic and non organic; Black Tellicherry, Organic Equodorian
5. Sea Salts (i.e. Alaea Hawaiian and Bolivian Rose)
6. Barbecue Dry Rubs including an Award Winning Competition Rub with a secret recipe

If you enjoy cooking as much as Chad does then you should check out our website.

Savvy Gourmet Shop

The Best Barbecue

Wow....we had the best party yesterday with lots of great food. We grilled using some of our wonderful Barbecue Rubs that we sell. We had 5 different grills going so our partiers had a choice of what they wanted.

We had pork chops with Applewood Smoke Barbecue BBQ Rub. A combination of the sweetest apple with a smoky flavor was a real crowd pleaser. It is also one of our personal favorites. This is an all-purpose rub that can be used on anything you want to barbecue.

We had shrimp with the African Heat Rub. Ingredients in this rub are Piri Piri (African Bird) chilis, Sugar, Sea Salt, Coriander Seeds, Onion Flakes, Red Bell Peppers, Black peppercorns, Garlic, Cumin, Lemon, Ginger and Paprika. The spicy bite of African Heat Rub will add the unique flavors of Southern Africa to your cooking. This rub is more sweet than heat! Great for shrimp or light meats and also gives vegetables a good kick. If you enjoy HOT our Award Winning Competition Rub below comes in HOT heat and would be your best choice.

The chicken breasts were rubbed with an Award Winning Competition Barbecue (BBQ) Rub. This is a great All Purpose BBQ Seasoning for use on all cuts of Beef, Pork, Poultry, Seafood and Vegetables. As with many barbecue rubs the ingredients are kept secret. Suggested Uses for this Competition Barbecue Rub: Sprinkle liberally over meat or vegetables. For best results with meats, apply the rub before cooking and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes. For vegetables use as you would salt or pepper. We also have hot and medium heat listed. This team travels cross-country and has won several BBQ competitions including The Kansas City Royal. We also have this listed with a medium and hot heat for those of you who enjoy heat!!

We also had fish with Japanese Secret Barbecue (BBQ) Rub. It contains Black Sesame Seeds, White Sesame Seeds, Blue Poppy Seeds, Sea Salt, Wasabi, Nori, Kombu, Sea Lettuce Flakes, Chilis and Orange Zest. Great with fish, both cooked and raw (sushi). Mix Japanese Secret Barbecue Rub with olive oil and vinegar for a tangy Japanese style salad dressing. Stir fry your favorite meats, tofu or vegetables. No fillers and all natural ingredients.

Our salad was served with the The Best of the Mediterranean Middle East Olive Rub/Dressing which contains Sun Dried Tomatoes, Sea Salt, Roasted Garlic, Sun Dried Black Olives, Sugar, Oregano, Red Onion Flakes and Lemon Zest. Middle East Olive Rub is perfect for lamb, pastas, salad dressings, fish or any delicacy of the Mediterranean. No fillers and all natural ingredients.

We also had squash with Ol' Smoky Barbecue (BBQ) Rub which contains Brown Sugar, Maple, Hickory and Smoked Beech Wood Sea Salts, Roasted Garlic, Mustard Seeds, Coriander Seeds, Cumin, Ginger and Chiles. Ol' Smoky is the ultimate in American BBQ spice featuring wood smoked sea salts infused to add an authentic smoky sweet flavor to any food! Rub into ribs, chicken, beef, fish, game and more. Works extremely well with squash, potatoes and sweet potatoes. Try cutting a squash in half, add a pat of butter and a generous sprinkle of Ol' Smoky before grilling.

Ebony and Ivory

My husband, Chad, thought this title was a good one since I'm going to blog today about peppercorns..

RARE Ecuadorian Black Organic Peppercorns are HOT.

We just discovered this pepper is largely unknown to the average chef. This is a pepper grown in small quantities in Ecuador and certified as organic. It has a robust flavor and pungent aroma that will likely surpass anything you have experienced before. There are those who have tried this and will use no other. This is the boldest flavored black pepper we know of. Generally speaking, the closer a crop grows to the equator, the hotter its flavor. This is hot but dissapates very quickly leaving only a wonderful flavor.

Szechwan/Sichuan Peppercorns

are reddish brown berries with a unique woodsy fragrance and pleasantly numbing tang. To give distinctive Chinese flavor to your favorite recipes stick with szechuan peppercorns. The cuisine of western China relies a great deal on Szechwan/Sichuan peppercorn as well as Chinese Five-spice powder which we also carry. Get the most out of these peppercorns by toasting a handful of them in a dry frying pan over low heat until they become fragrant and then add them to your recipe. You can work with szechwan peppercorns either whole peppercorns or ones that are crushed to a fine or coarse powder in a mortar and pestle or spice grinder.

USDA Certified Organic Black and White whole Peppercorns and ground.

It is a real taste treat to have a small collection of peppercorns to try all the different flavors. The white peppercorns blend very well with any white sauces . Use aromatic freshly whole & ground pepper in cooking and at the table. Use 4 to 5 organic whole peppercorns to each quart of liquid for pickles or soups.

We also carry 2 very popular non-organic peppercorns:

Black Tellicherry is the world's finest black pepper. These have a powerful flavor, bold and pungent. Excellent for beef, from hamburgers and steaks to Prime Rib. Keep an assortment of Black Tellicherry Peppercorns and other gourmet peppercorns on hand for your favorite recipes.

Four Peppercorn Mix is made up of a delicious mix of black, white, green and pink peppercorns. Add these peppercorns to your selection.

Please visit us at

https:www.savvygourmetshop.com

L@@K~We have a deal for you!!

Yes we have a deal for you!!! Spend $25.00 at our website and receive FREE shipping on your order. If you don't know about us we specialize in selling Organic Spices, Chili/Chile Peppers, Dried Mushrooms, Sea Salts, Peppercorns, Barbecue BBQ Dry Rubs, and other miscellaneous spices like Smoked Paprika. We have been PowerSellers on eBay for almost 4 years selling our spices but with all of their changes and increased fees we closed our store last week. We were working very long hours and making very little money after all of our expenses. You can check us out there if you like. Our user ID is spices4uandchilistoo. We have 3,302 feedback (this doesn't include repeat customers which were many) and our rating is 100%. We pride in quality customer service, extremely fresh products and very fast shipping. Many of our eBay customers are now buying from us on our new website.

Please visit us there soon. We would appreciate your orders, your comments and your suggestions as we are very new to operating our own website.

https://www.savvygourmetshop.com

Thank you! Deb and Chad

The Savvy Gourmet

We hope you are enjoying reading our blogs. We are new to this whole thing and are really trying to do it "right". We would appreciate any comments or suggestions on our blogs or on our website. We are working hard right now trying to promote our brand new website and in recognition of our "savvy" customers we are offering

FREE Shipping on orders of $25.00 or more

During the last few days we have been doing some shopping at some of the local health food stores/chains here in Bradenton/Sarasota. While they had a wonderful selection of organic and non-organic gourmet foods and spices; we discovered in order to live healthy and organic thru these stores you would need to have a direct line to Fort Knox $$$$ definately beyond most shoppers budgets!!! The spices available in these stores, coming from reputable spice companies, were neither organic or reasonably priced. Fortunately many food co-ops have sprung up around the country where people can order organic fruits and vegetables directly from the farms. This is why we started the Savvy Gourmet Shop, to bring spices to our customers who are savvy enough to know quality but want value for their dollar when buying organic spices and gourmet ingredients.

So PLEASE help us get our name out there into cyberspace. We have also been selling our spices on eBay for several years as PowerSellers. Due to the many not good changes and price hikes we were forced to close our store there last week. We come very highly recommended (100% positive feedback) and thank our many eBay customers who will continue buying their spices from us. Our hope is that you will join them in making our venture successful!! You will find that our quality and prices are unbeatable!!

FREE Shipping on orders of $25.00 or more

www.savvygourmetshop.com

You can email us at savvygourmetshop@gmail.com with your comments/suggestions and also to request a copy of our catalog.

Delish

Sea salts are becoming more and more popular as they are a healthier replacement for regular ol' salt. There are many different kinds of which we offer a few.

Click to enlarge Fine Alaea Hawaiian Sea Salt is non-processed and rich in trace minerals, all of which are found in sea water. Alaea is the traditional Hawaiian table salt used to season and preserve. A small amount of harvested reddish Hawaiian clay (Alaea) enriches the salt with Iron-Oxide, and seals in moisture while roasting. Goes great with red meat, and is fabulous for cooking, roasting, or as a garnish. Savor a unique and pleasant flavor while roasting or grilling meats. It is the traditional and authentic seasoning for native Hawaiian dishes such as Kalua Pig, Hawaiian Jerky and Poke. Click to enlarge Bolivian Rose Salt (Fine) is mild and slightly sweet in flavor. Bolivian Rose salt is hand harvested from the Andes Mountain range in Bolivia. Ancient sea salt deposits were covered with volcanic lava creating this high mineral salt and protecting it from pollution. The light rose & orange color of Bolivian Rose makes it gorgeous when presented in a clear salt shaker or mill. Having spent the last few millenia sealed into an ancient seabed, be assured Bolivian sea salt is the most perfect, preserved, & untouched salt you can imagine. Click to enlarge Fleur de Sel Sea Salt contains Atlantic Sea Salt and Dulse powder, a seaweed that is edible and 100% natural and rich in nutrients! Sprinkle by hand over food just before serving to best appreciate the fine crystalline texture and special savor of Fleur de Sel Sea Salt. Click to enlarge Himalayan Pink gourmet salts are pure, hand-mined salt found naturally deep inside the pristine Himalayan Mountains. The clean crystals are "Gourmet Food Grade" and recognized for its beautiful color & high mineral content. Himalayan Pink Sea Salt is a wonderful choice for cooking, grilling, seasoning, roasting, & presentation! Click to enlarge Peruvian Pink sea salt comes from a natural spring located 10,000 feet high in the Mountains in Peru. The warm spring water seeps into terraced salt ponds. This salt has been hand-harvested for over 2,000 years. The crystals have a high moisture content and a light pink color. Peruvian Pink sea salt has a strong flavor and is a great seasoning salt. For more information Visit us at savvygourmetshop

Let us help put the 'mmmm' in your favorite recipe!!

The How-To's of Dried Mushrooms:

To boost mushroom flavor in soups, stews, stuffings, and risottos, we often turn to dried mushrooms. Place dried mushrooms in a small strainer and rinse. Transfer them to a microwave safe bowl, add water to cover, and seal the bowl with plastic wrap. Cut steam vents in the plastic wrap and microwave on high for 60 seconds. Remove the bowl from the microwave and let stand, covered, until the mushrooms soften, about 5 minutes. Save this flavorful liquid for other uses.

Some Mushroom Varities

Shitake: These have a chewy texture and nutty flavor but the stems are tough, woody, and inedible. Best way to cook is saute.

Black Trumpet/Horn of Plenty: They have a chewy texture and an almost smoky flavor.

Maitake/Hen-Of-The-Woods: Maitake is the Japanese name for these densely clustered fungi; "hen" comes from their feathery caps. Their complex red-wine flavor contains garlic subtleties. The best way to cook is sauteing. These are great in omelettes.

Chanterelle: These have an assertively nutty, almost fruity flavor and are best sauteed.

To try some of these wonderfully flavored dried mushrooms please click on this link to visit our website specializing in Organic Spices, Dried Mushrooms, Barbecue Rubs, Sea Salts, etc.

We carry all dried Chanterelle (Organic), Lobster, Maitake, Porcini and a very tasty Gourmet Mushroom Medley that is all organic. We also have Procini and Shitake Mushroom Powders.

www.savvygourmetshop.com

Kashmiri Rogan Josh Recipe

Kashmiri Rogan Josh Recipe
Servings: 6


Ingredients

1 tablespoon whole fennel seeds
6 tablespoon vegetable oil
1/2 teaspoon whole cloves
1 pinch asafetida
4 teaspoon paprika
1 1/2 teaspoon dried ginger
1/4 teaspoon garam masala
3 1/4 cup plain yoghurt
1 3/4 stick of cinnamon
2 1/2 teaspoon salt
3 lb cubed lamb
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
3 2/3 cup water or beef broth



Directions: How to Cook Kashmiri Rogan Josh

Grind the fennel seeds until fine. Put the yogurt in a bowl and beat it with a fork until smooth and creamy. Heat the oil in a large pot over a high flame. When hot, put in the cinnamon and cloves. A second later, put in the ground asafetida. A second after that, put in all the meat and the salt. Stir the meat and cook, still on a high flame for about 5 minutes. Now put in the paprika and cayenne and give the meat a good stir. Slowly add the yogurt, a small amount at a time, stirring the meat vigorously as you do so. Add all the yogurt this way. Keep cooking on high heat until all liquid has boiled away and the meat pieces have browned slightly. Add the fennel and ginger. Give the meat some more good stirs. Now put in the water or broth, cover so as to leave the lid very slightly ajar, and cook on medium heat for 30 minutes. Cover completely and cook on low heat for another 45 minutes or until meat is tinder. Stir a few times as the meat cooks, making sure that there is always some liquid in the pot. Remove the lid and add the garam masala. You should have a thick, reddish brown sauce. If it is too thin, boil away some of the liquid.

Keep watching for more great recipes.
Most of the ingredients in this recipe can be found at
www.savvygourmetshop.com

Very unique Ethnic foods

Many of us are always looking for something different to cook/eat. Here are some great ideas for cooking up some Ethnic specialties that you and your family will love.

Curry Powder Blend contains all organic ingredients including Coriander, Turmeric, Cumin, Mustard, Fenugreek, Cardamom, Nutmeg, Cayenne, Cinnamon, and Clove. This invokes a mild heat. The most prominent of the exotic spices; this blend invokes the passionate cooking of Indian cuisine and deeply enriches the Epicurean experience. Colorful, fragrant and incredibly rich, Curry Powder Blend may be used in most dishes requiring exotic flavor including rice, tofu, meats, and other grains.

Certified Organic Garam Masala contains all organic ingredients of Cardamon, Cinnamon, Clove, Cumin, Black Pepper and Coriander. As prominent as Curry but far deeper in flavor, and typically used in the northern parts of India. Garam Masala is a rich blend, it is recommended to use more sparingly, and is best served in pan fried foods and meats.

Rogan Josh contains Coriander, Turmeric, Fenugreek, Cumin, Ginger, Salt, Onion, Pepper & Cayenne. It is highly spiced and has a deep red color derived from the liberal use of dried red peppers and tomatoes. Rogan Josh Spice Blend is medium hot.

Tandoori Spice Blend contains Coriander, Cumin, Salt, Paprika, Garlic, Chilis, Mustard, Cinnamon, and Cloves. Blend this spice mix with yogurt, marinate, and grill. You may also season shrimp, tenderloin, ribs or brisket with this blend. Tandoori Spice Blend is a traditional favorite in India and is perhaps the most popularly known Indian dish all over the world. Contains no sugar and no msg.

Vindaloo Spice Blend is full of fresh wonderful flavor with Coriander, Paprika, Turmeric, Cumin, Chili, Mustard, Salt, Fenugreek, Garlic, Ginger, Pepper, Cardamom, Fennel and Cloves producing a golden curry powder. This is the traditionally VERY HOT vindaloo. No MSG & No Sugar

Check my posts regularly for some great recipes to try. Also click on the link to purchase some of these very delicious curries.www.savvygourmetshop.com

Barbecue Rub BBQ AFRICAN HEAT

Hello!!

For those of you who like to gather around the "barbie" you will love our unique, delicious Dry Barbecue Rubs and Marinades. We have several Ethnic rubs as well as a rub that has won several championships at National Barbecue Competitions. This is also available in Regular, Medium Hot and Hot.

African Heat Rub contains Piri Piri Chillies, sugar, sea salt, coriander seeds, onion flakes, red bell peppers, black peppercorns, garlic, cumin, lemon, ginger, paprika

With the spicy bite of African Piri Piri peppers, this rub will add the unique flavors of Southern Africa to your cooking. Great for shrimp or light meats. Give veggies a real kick.


This has wonderful flavor! What a way to make a hit at your next barbecue!!

Excellent quality for all your cooking needs

www.savvygourmetshop.com

Unique Organic Spices

The Savvy Gourmet, Chad, searches the internet for the best spices at the best prices.







www.savvygourmetshop.com

Savvy Gourmet Shop

Hello everyone. My name is Debbie and my husband and I own Savvy Gourmet Shop. Sometimes he drives me crazy because of all things he is always wanting to add all kinds of wonderful new Organic Spices, Chili Peppers, Barbecue Rubs, and other gourmet food items. Now he is wanting to add more Sea Salts. Of course, the only reason this drives me crazy is because it makes MORE work for me!!!! He wants a large variety of products and he has this. Visit us soon Savvy Gourmet Shop

Rubs and marinades

We have some very delicious, unique Barbecue Rubs from mild heat to very hot. This is the time of year to be firing up your barby. Check us out at https://www.savvygourmetshop.com

New Organic Peppercorns at Savvy Gourmet Shop

Our Ecuadorian Peppercorns are a rare treat, and largely unknown to most chefs let alone us amateur cooks.. This is a pepper grown in small quantities in small farms in Ecuador and certifed as organic. It has a robust flavor and pungent aroma that will likely surpass anything you have experienced before. This is the boldest flavored black pepper we know of. Great addition to your dinner table and taste equally fantastic ground course or fine.

Savvy Gourmet Shop

We are proud to announce that our new website is up and running. It has been up for about a week and we already have our first order. For those who try to live healthy and organically our emphasis is on Organic Spices and Spice Blends, Chili Peppers & Powders, Mushrooms & Powders, Sea Salts, and Peppercorns. We are now looking to exchange links with other businesses related to healthy organic living, Green planet, etc. Please visit us at http.savvygourmetshop.com.

Savvy Gourmet Shop

We now sell our very popular organic spices, chili peppers & hot stuff, dried mushrooms and other spices on eBay http://stores.ebay.com/Spices-4-U-And-Chilis-Too.

Our new website with all those products and more will be opening soon at http://SavvyGourmetShop.com.

We are very excited about our new business venture. Please visit us.