by Zach Johnston | Sep 12, 2018 | Interviews
While we love selling spices online to home chefs, we will never forget where we started — in person, with restaurants. What began as a few wholesale spice orders to restaurants in the Rocky Mountains has grown to more than 400 restaurant partners across the country. We’re inspired by these chefs every day, so we figured it’s only fair to share them with you so you can be inspired in your own kitchen too.
Chad Nelan, Chef & Owner — Elevation Meats
Although Chad started his career as a butcher behind the counter at Tony’s Market, he has been making charcuterie in his home for more than a decade. For the past two years, with his business partner Alex Windes, he runs Elevation Charcuterie and Artisan Meats. It’s become known for its creative flavors that are changing the way you think about salami.
Why do you choose to work with The Spice Guy?
I’ve been working with Zach for about a year now, and there’s a few reasons we decided to switch to The Spice Guy. First, they keep their inventory tight, so we can always count on things being really fresh. We’re all about quality, so that’s a big deal for us. He can also customize – so if I need something like a very specific smoked black pepper, he can make it happen. And, finally, as a small, local business, we get the struggle. We want to do what we can to help other businesses like ours.
What TSG products do you incorporate into your dishes? Do you have a favorite?
We get almost all of our spices from The Spice Guy. We directly import a few things, but I’d say 95% are from them. I love everything from the Calabrian chiles to a simple salt. Oh, and I can’t forget about the ancho chiles (whole or powder).
What do you wish more people knew about using herbs and spices?
To be honest, I don’t cook a whole lot. But I do feel like there are some underrated spices, like my favorite — fennel pollen. It’s versatile and still has the fennel flavor without it being overpowering.
Interested in fennel? Try our fennel seed here.
What are you most excited about right now?
I’m most excited about how excited other people are about our products right now. We’re focused mainly on wholesale, but it’s growing as well as online sales. People are really loving our loving the Calabrese and Mexican Mole Salami.
by Zach Johnston | Sep 12, 2018 | Interviews
Happy Mother’s Day weekend! We hope you’re having a great time with the ones you love.
To celebrate the occasion, we did a little Q&A with our founder Zach’s mother Betsy about Zach’s upbringing and her favorite spices! Enjoy.
Do you like to cook at home?
Yes, I love to cook at home. As a child, I grew up in a family that sat down every evening to a family-style dinner, and I felt it was very important to continue that when I had children of my own. Food in our family is not just about eating it. It is about being together while preparing the meal and then enjoying the dishes while sharing stories and spending more time together. Every night at our dinner table I would ask our three children two questions: What did you learn today? What made you laugh today? The dinner table was an important part of our family life and no matter how busy we were it gave all of us a time to be together and just be together!
Who taught you how to cook?
I learned how to cook from the most wonderful and influential women in my life. My paternal Grandmother taught me at a very young age how to make chicken noodle soup from scratch and pecan rolls. My Mother taught me how to bake and make soups. My Mother in Law Gram Shirley whom Zach was very close to taught me how to make fish, roasts, chilis, meatloaf’s, stuffed green peppers and goulash.
Did Zach show an interest in cooking early on?
Zach was only six years old when he took over my bread machine! It had a timer on it so you could put all the ingredients in and set it to bake during the night and have fresh, warm bread first thing in the morning. He would put the ingredients in and set it so he could eat it in the morning for breakfast. He even figured out he could add raisins and cinnamon and other ingredients. He thought that was just the coolest! He was always helping me in the kitchen.
What was Zach like as a child?
He was an amazing child. He was just as kind and compassionate as he is now. I have always marveled at what a great heart and soul this guy has and how lucky am I that I was graced with being his Mom. Zach has always been a person that stands up for others and is generous with his time, skills and donations to others less fortunate.
Zach has always stood up for what is right but in a respectful manner. He is also one of the funniest people I know, and he can make you laugh until you cry. Zach has always been very competitive and always played sports, sometimes two at a time. He played soccer, baseball, football, basketball and snowboarding. Zach loved his grandparents, and as a kid, he always loved spending time with our huge extended family and many family friends.
What did you think when he told you about starting his own business?
I was excited for Zach when he decided to open his spice business. My husband and I are entrepreneurs too so I believe it was a natural step for Zach. He has so much potential and way too much going on to be pinned down. Owning your own business is not for everyone, you must have great self-discipline and you have to be driven since you do not have someone telling you to go to work—Zach’s got that!
What are your favorite spices from The Spice Guy?
Obviously, we love them all, but here are a few of our favorites.
How do you incorporate them into things you make at home?
We use the spices in every meal. Who does not want a little more spice in their life? They are healthy! Spices are healthier for you than sauces, and these spices are fresh! I use them in my casseroles, roasts, soups, everything. We recently got an Instant Pot and I have found that I have increased the number of spices I put in when using the IP.
What has Zach’s business adventure taught you about cooking?
I used to be afraid of using too much when adding spices or spice blends but I have learned to add more, don’t be afraid of more flavor! I love experimenting with new spices and blends every month when I get my monthly order.
by Zach Johnston | Sep 12, 2018 | Interviews
While we love selling spices online to home chefs, we will never forget where we started — in person, with restaurants. What began as a few wholesale spice orders to restaurants in the Rocky Mountains has grown to more than 400 restaurant partners across the country. We’re inspired by these chefs every day, so we figured it’s only fair to share them with you so you can be inspired in your own kitchen too.
Crystal Ramiro, Chef — Punch Bowl Social, Chicago
With a mission for “going out right,” Punch Bowl Social has expanded its “eat-ertainment” restaurant empire to Denver, Austin, Portland, Detroit, Cleveland, Indianapolis, Chicago and more. We’re proud to supply spices to all of the Punch Bowl Social locations, but today we’re talking with our friend Crystal Ramiro, who now serves as chef at the Chicago location.
Why do you choose to work with The Spice Guy?
Wow! this is an easy answer, The level of spice quality that you get from The Spice Guy is fantastic. Not only do you get spices that are true to their flavor and freshness that is hard to come by, but you also get the personal treatment from Zach. We’ve used The Spice Guy at all of our stores for a while now. He has a Punch Bowl inventory that made it easy for us when we placed our first order for our Chicago location.
What TSG products do you incorporate into your dishes? Do you have a favorite?
What? Do I have to pick just one? We use a lot of them, but I love our chicken dredge. A lot of people don’t think of a gluten-free fried chicken as a good tasting dish, but our gluten-free blend that we get from Zach is phenomenal and it makes our OMFG Fried Chicken taste like no other.
What do you wish more people knew about using herbs and spices?
Gosh! I wish people were more daring and less afraid of using a variety of spices in their every day cooking. There are so many spices to try and so many flavors to play with.
What are you most excited about right now?
All of the stores are opening! Being able to work for a company that combines food nirvana, entertainment and a great craft beverage program is truly an honor. I love that we stay true to our food, that we cook things we enjoy and that we are a unique brand full of unique people. We are a place where Punchbowlians and guests can come in have fun and be themselves.
by Zach Johnston | Sep 12, 2018 | Interviews
While we love selling spices online to home chefs, we will never forget where we started — in person, with restaurants. What began as a few wholesale spice orders to restaurants in the Rocky Mountains has grown to more than 400 restaurant partners across the country. We’re inspired by these chefs every day, so we figured it’s only fair to share them with you so you can be inspired in your own kitchen too.
Bill Miner, Chef & Owner — il porcellino salumi
Today it’s a pleasure to introduce you to Bill, the owner and chef at il porcellino salumi — a whole-animal butchery and sandwich shop in Denver. With his team, Bill makes everything from salami and pastrami to prosciutto, sausage and more. We’ve been working with them for more than a year to perfectly season those products, all of which you can see here. More from Bill below.
Why do you choose to work with The Spice Guy?
Zach’s awesome. He just randomly came into the store one day with some samples. I think the quality is better than anything else available in Colorado. With what we do, the flavor is so important. The flavors we’ve been getting out of our finished products with his help have been second to none.
What TSG products do you incorporate into your dishes? Do you have a favorite?
We use bold flavors in our salami so I really like the quality of his fennel seed, juniper berry, coriander, mustard seed, peppercorns and more. We toast the whole spices to get a more robust flavor. Really, everything I get from him is top notch.
What do you wish more people knew about using herbs and spices?
Don’t be afraid to season things at home. When I’m cooking at home, I taste things along the way to make sure they’re flavored.
To toast spices at home like we do in the kitchen, heat a small sauté pan over medium heat, get the pan warmed up, get your whole seeds or peppercorns in there, move them around until you start to smell the aroma. That’s it. It just brings out a better flavor.
What are you most excited about right now?
Well, quite a bit! We just opened our wholesale facility up in Basalt. And, our products are hitting the wholesale product market at the Italco food show on June 3. We’ll start with fermented and dried salamis and add on whole muscle products this fall.
And, we’re also excited about all of the farmer’s markets this summer. We’ll be at the ones in Boulder County, Longmont, Union Station and more selling a wide variety of products we make. We’re just excited about spreading our wings.
by Zach Johnston | Sep 12, 2018 | Tips & Recipes
Chicken gets a bad rap for being bland and boring. But, that’s usually only from folks who haven’t mastered how to handle it yet.
Today, we’re sharing some of our top tips for cooking chicken like a champ. With just a little more effort, your chicken can go from zero to hero. #JustSayNoToBadChicken, okay?
How to Cook Chicken Like a Champ
1. Consider the Cut
We‘d say 9 out of 10 times, chicken haters are only giving the breast a shot. Truth is, there are a lot of more affordable and tasty options on that bird to consider. We love drumsticks, thighs, dark meat — really anything with the skin-on.
Because the breast is most popular, we’re going to give it some love and use it in our demo today, but you should consider checking out different parts the next time you’re at the store.
After you’ve got your chicken breast (for the love of god please get it skin-on for more flavor), pat it dry with a paper towel. We want NO moisture on that baby so it’ll fry up nicely in the skillet later on.
Next, we want it to be even in thickness to help with the cooking process later on. Put that baby in a plastic bag and pound with a mallet or rolling pin (or wine bottle!) until it flattens to an even level.
2. Make Time to Marinate
After you’ve taken your weekly frustrations out on that chicken breast, it’s time to season it up.
Ideally, you would let your chicken marinate all day. But, we’re realistic people and know that’s likely not happening. So, here’s what to do instead.
Pat the chicken dry again, and cover that baby in spices. Be as liberal as Bernie Sanders with it. Don’t be shy, this is where most people f*ck it up. Underseasoning chicken is a true crime against humanity.
For real, though. Those flavors sitting on the crust need to season the entire piece of meat. We want to give them time to infuse deep into the chicken, and we want there to be plenty of it to go around. At the very least, season that baby and let it sit for at least 10-15 minutes.
Here are a few of our favorite seasonings to get you started.
- Colorado Chicken & Veg — When one of our restaurant partners wanted a custom blend for an Italian chicken salad, it sparked the creation of this blend for you to enjoy at home. The Colorado Chicken & Veg has a mix of Italian seasonings, salt, citrus peels and some crushed red pepper for the perfect balance of sugar, acid, salt and heat.
- Citrus Pucker Pepper — You’ve had lemon pepper chicken, but never like this. Our blend has a mix of lemon and orange peels to give you that zesty kick when you need a little extra somethin’ somethin’.
- Sweet Heat — Just one taste and we sell the sh*t out of this at farmer’s markets. It delivers exactly what it says — a little bit of sweet with a surprising kick of heat at the end from the habanero and crushed red pepper.
- Roasted Garlic Blend — Sometimes we call this one “Dracula’s Bite.” It’s a hit on almost everything, including the humble chicken breast. (not to mention, it’s also on the curly fries at The Regional)
3. Crank Up the Heat
While you’re waiting for the chicken to marinate, it’s the perfect time to get your pan ready. Preheat it to medium-low and let that thing get as HOT as possible before dropping in the chicken — especially if you love a crispy skin as much as we do.
Once you start to see a little bit of smoke, drop in a tablespoon or two of your favorite oil, swirl it around and add the chicken. Don’t add the oil to the hot pan too soon before adding the chicken or it will start to degrade.
Once the chicken hits the pan with that glorious sizzling sound, let it sit for 3-4 minutes (depending on thickness). Once you see a white ring forming on the edges, check the crust on the bottom to see if it’s to your liking. Once it is, flip to the other side and let it continue cooking, usually a little less time on this side than the first.
If you want to be a real pro, pull the chicken just a TINY bit before it’s fully ready, add it to a plate, tent it with foil and let it sit for a few minutes. It’ll finish cooking without drying out, and it gives the chicken time to reabsorb some of that juicy goodness.
Are you going to give our life-changing chicken tips a try? If you do, tag us on social media @thespiceguyco — we want to see it!
